Preservation Forum To Be Held In North Center

CHICAGO — How to preserve Chicago’s dwindling two- and three- flat apartment buildings will be the topic of a public forum from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on May 30 at the Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Ave. Sponsored by the Northcenter Neighborhood Association, the event will focus on apartments built between 1880 and 1970 that have been identified as key sources of affordable housing in Chicago.

Thousands of rental units in these buildings have been lost in the last 30 years due to a variety of factors, including neglect and abandonment, conversion to condominiums or single-family homes, or demolition for redevelopment, event organizers said.

“In Chicago’s more prosperous neighborhoods, and Northcenter is among them, two-flats and three-flats are an essential source of affordable rental housing as well as an affordable alternative for families who want to own but need the income of a rental unit to make the numbers work,” said Kate Kreinbring, the Northcenter Neighborhood Association. “The idea behind this forum, which was organized by our zoning committee, is to explore alternative approaches to preserving those rental units, which we treasure because they help maintain a diverse community.”

The forum will consider a range of ideas for how to achieve that goal, either through incentives or restrictions, organizers said. The free event is open to all and will feature a panel that includes:

· Matt Martin, the newly elected 47th Ward alderman;

· Sarah Duda, Deputy Director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University;

· Paul Shadle. Partner, DLA Piper, with a practice focusing on Development, Land Use and Government Affairs;

· Steven Vance, Founder & CEO of Chicago Cityscape, a website offering detailed information about development in Chicago;

· John Zachar, a Northcenter-based architect with considerable experience in two-flat renovation and conversion.

“The importance of preserving two-flats and three-flats received considerable attention during the recent citywide elections,” said Lynsey Sorrell, chair of the NNA Zoning Committee and an architect. “We want to maintain the focus on that topic and give our neighbors an opportunity to learn more about various approaches to preserving those units and the challenges involved in achieving that goal. It touches on so many important topics, such as zoning, building codes, historic preservation, sustainability and affordability. It’s a citywide issue, but one with special relevance in Northcenter and other gentrified North Side neighborhoods.”

The forum will include brief presentations by the panelists, a discussion of issues and a question and answer session during which panelists will respond to written questions from audience members.