BYC Decision to be Announced Tuesday

The future of the Broadway Youth Center will be announced on Tuesday, when the Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals will reveal if they voted to allow the organization to continue operating as a community center in its current location at the Wellington United Christ of Church. 

The BYC has been operating inside the Church at 615 W. Wellington Ave. since June, but learned recently that they'll need a special-use permit to stay open. Some residents are against the church being used as the Center, saying it has brought a wave of crime into the area. Others believe that the LGBTQ-friendly Lake View is the best place for a center of this type. 

Alderman Tom Tunney announced in an email on Thursday that he would support the permit under three conditions — that a Good Neighbor Agreement was established, that there was a one-year trial period for the permit and that the permit would be non-transferable. 

The audience at a the Zoning Board of Appeal's hearing on Friday was made up of approximately 95 percent BYC supporters, according to an article by DNAinfo. There was reportedly around 1,100 letters of support sent to the city as part of the permit process. 

The South East Lake View Neighbors voted against supporting the organization's request for a permit on Monday, in a 41-21 vote. 

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