🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <kenji-204229.12595001022002@news-central.giganews.com>,
    Kenji  <kenji@rcnchicago.com> wrote:

>of Halsted on the tiny sidestreets...all I can say is good luck. From 
>what I've paid attention to in the past 5 years most of those have been 
>boarded up and forgot about by their owners years ago.

I'm fairly certain they've been owned by the city or university for most
of that time, and though they appear neglected, I'm certain that neither 
the U. nor the city has forgotten about them.  

Most of the then-standing storefronts were occupied until about two
years ago, when it became abundantly clear that the 'hood would be
flattened in a matter of months.  Things vacated pretty quickly after 
that.  

If they're still standing and not owned by the university (which may be
possible; the university has tended to flatten what it can as soon as it
can) it's possible that the owners are still holding out for a better
deal.  Condemnation is a pain for all involved, and the city can usually 
afford to hold its breath longer than the property owners can afford to 
pay taxes on buildings they can't rent.   

> Which means other 
>than the shell of the structures the insides are just gonna be shit, 
>with no systems left worth saving.

The city's plan is likely to wait until the shells aren't worth saving and
then knock 'em down;  or perhaps those are the buildings whose shells are
to be grafted on the new parking garage.  Whatever the particulars are, be
assured that the deterioration you observe is entirely intentional on the 
part of the city and the university.  

-- 
Eric Holeman eholatenteractcom                   Chicago Illinois USA 
"Wake up, everybody."--K. Gamble & L. Huff