LOGAN SQUARE — As Logan Square's largest development proposal gets closer to city approval, residents have created dueling petitions for and against the "Twin Towers" plan.
The super-sized development proposal currently sits at 11- and 12-stories tall, which is just fine for supporters (largely newer, younger Logan Square residents and local urban planners) but objections are wide-ranging from the resistance (largely longer-term, property owning residents and anti-gentrification activists in the neighborhood).
The petition urging Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) to slow down on the approval process for the structures at 2293 N. Milwaukee Ave. emerged late last week and has gained about 400 online signatures as of Tuesday morning, not including more than 300 gathered through door knocking.
Creators of that petition say the problem lies in the rush for approval that left community members with only two public meetings (1 and 2), not the building itself.
Others say the building is out-of-scale with the neighborhood. If constructed, the Twin Towers would be the largest structures in Logan Square — roughly three to four times as large as anything around it.
The counter-petition, launched April 13, praises the development’s proximity to the California Blue Line station and has gained 40 signatures since Tuesday morning.
The proposal requesting a "Twin Towers" slow down is here.
The proposal recommending the "Twin Towers" move forward is here.
The petition in support of the towers also questions whether the two community meetings held on the proposal have been representative of the community at large even if another meeting were to be held.
“While opposition is vocal, they should not assume to speak on behalf of all residents. Any further delays could jeopardize the viability of this transformative project and keep it from moving forward for review by the Chicago [Plan] Commission, whose meeting is also open to the public," the petition reads.
The petition in support of the proposal is expected to be presented to Moreno at his ward night, Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Chicago Plan Commission hearing on the project is slated for Thursday.
Which side are you on?
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