Candidates Quigley, Mustafa, Pattison speak to EVA members
East Village Association membership meeting
Jan. 8, 2018
Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave.
Three candidates in the March 20 primary election answered questions from EVA members Jan. 8, and the builder renovating St. Boniface Church as condos gave a progress report.
Sameena Mustafa gave a critique of incumbent Rep. Mike Quigley. Although Mustafa agrees with the Democrat on many issues, Quigley voted to increase military spending and accepts PAC donations from from companies like Caterpillar that support fracking.
Developer Mike Skoulsky is awaiting city review of a redevelopment agreement. St. Boniface church at 1358 W. Chestnut St. to 17 condos. A new building next door would have 24 condos. All would be 2- and 3-bedroom units. The former rectory lot will become a two-story building for Northwestern Settlement with office space and affordable housing.
Alyx Pattinson, a candidate for 4th District Illinois state representative, noted that four women were running for the job. (Iris Millan and Anne Shaw spoke at previous meetings; Delia Ramirez is pending.) Pattison sees fully funding schools and supporting high-school vocational education as top priorities.
Quigley serves on the intelligence committee and wants to maintain the House Russia probe's high profile. He cited Russian election interference dating to the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon race, and argued that all U.S. voting machines are vulnerable to hacking. Quigley fears it will get much worse in Washington before it gets better. "When this is all over," he said, "we're going to have to remember there is more that unites us than divides us."
EVA president Michael VanDam gave a development update on the 1300 block of West Walton Street. Noah Properties plans to build 8 6-flat buildings, as opposed to a denser development proposed by another developer last year. Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. says rezoning to accommodate the project will go forward.
Upcoming issues include another bid to purchase the Happy Village tavern at 1059 N. Wolcott and downzoning of the Tropikava Kafe building at 1115 N. Hermitage. Also, meetings for three CAPS beats are consolidated at the Goldblatt's building, 1615 W. Chicago Ave.
