Real Estate & Development News
The McKinley Park Dog Park Committee, part of the McKinley Park Advisory Council, has received approval from the Chicago Park District to pursue development of a Dog-Friendly Area (or DFA) in McKinley Park. With a potential site in the southwest corner of the park, the approximately 15,000-square-foot DFA would provide local dog owners with an area for their pooches to exercise and socialize.
"Many families are already using the park to exercise with their dogs," said committee member Angie Robertson. The next big step is fund raising, she said.
Based on analysis by Chicago Magazine of multiple listing service (MLS) real estate data, the McKinley Park neighborhood leads Chicago in quick turnarounds for home sales. According to the magazine's latest "Where to Buy Now" article, the McKinley Park neighborhood is a "sales star" where homes spent 49 days on the market, on average, in 2016. This is shortest amount of time in the city.
The article provides additional real estate data on McKinley Park and other neighborhoods across the city for 2016. Notably, McKinley Park's median house sales price of $222,500 represents a 39% increase from 2015, and is even 1% over the median price for 2006 during the peak of the real estate bubble.
Click here to read "Where to Buy Now" on Chicago Magazine.
In an investigative report and an editorial, the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper has probed the business dealings behind the now-shuttered Wrigley factory at 35th Street and Ashland Avenue in the McKinley Park neighborhood. Not only a source of neighborhood blight, the factory is also costing Chicago taxpayers triple what they should be paying, and big benefits have gone to firms connected with now-11th Ward Alderman Patrick Daley Thompson, according to Sun-Times reporting.
Read more: Sun-Times Tackles Daley Corruption at Heart of Wrigley Factory Blight
The long-underused green space just south of the McKinley Park library is due for a big overhaul — one that neighborhood kids will love. A coalition of local community groups, active neighbors and supporting institutions is coming together to build a play garden where children can climb, dig, imagine and explore while enjoying nature.
Although plans and meetings have been underway since 2016, the effort kicks into high gear this Saturday, March 25, at a gala fundraiser in Bridgeport. Held at the Co-Prosperity Sphere at 3219 S. Morgan St., the benefit starts at 7 p.m. and includes drinks and light appetizers. Tickets for this 21-and-over event cost $25 and are available to purchase online at the event's online signup page.
As confirmed by the 12th Ward office, the McKinley Park community meeting planned for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, has been postponed. The primary topic of discussion was to have been the transit-oriented development at Archer Avenue and Leavitt Street as proposed by developer Dan Mark at a July 2016 community meeting. However, the presentation is not yet ready, so the meeting has been postponed.
Once a new date has been set for the community meeting, the 12th Ward office will announce it, and it will also be featured in this website's events calender.
