Logan Square Citizens Tell Aldermen: No more pawnshops
By chicago-pipeline at July 15, 2012 | 11:33 am | Print
by Gordon Meyer
Following a meeting with 1st Ward Alderman Joe Moreno, citizens in Logan Square have started an online petition directed to three aldermen (1st, 32nd, and 35th wards) to express opposition to a pawnshop opening near Western and Fullerton Avenues. The group is against the new business–Ameripawn, which is apparently purchasing 2435-39 N. Western Ave (map it)–because there are already two pawn shops within one mile of the location; with 9 more within 2 miles. The group contends that pawn shop are detrimental to the neighborhood and are inconsistent with the city’s recent targeting of businesses that draw the criminal element. If you agree, you can add your name to the protest at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/noameripawninlogansquare/
For more reading on the topic, concerning a different pawn shop last year, check out Victoria Rector’s blog post, “Pawn Takes Rook“ about EZ Pawn’s entry into Logan Square.
Gordon is a local resident and pipeline reader, who responded to our ‘cry for help’ for more citizens to help us write about current events and community news. Most recently, Gordon blogged about a light pole that fell down on his street. Read all about it on his blog, Nothing Up My Sleeve.
Joe Lake, 10 months ago
What ward is the pawn shop proposal? Joe lake, Chicago
joekopera, 10 months ago
Joe under the old map it is in the 1st ward. Not sure if it was remapped into the 32nd ward since I don’t have a copy of the new map.
joekopera, 10 months ago
You can bet that if this or any pawn shop wants to open in the 1st ward that our aldermen will let that pawn shop buy their way in just like what happens with the EZ Pawn shop on Milwaukee Ave. Money talks.
Lynn, 10 months ago
I’m unclear about if they are going to open a pawn shop or if they are developers who also own pawn shops but are planning on developing housing and other retail there.
Tony, 10 months ago
Moreno is corrupt and hopefully the FBI is bugging him.
I have never seen so many developers like I do now.
chicago-pipeline, 10 months ago
Lynn… I believe they plan to have two other retail spaces there in addition to the pawn shop, as well as three rental apartments. That would not be so unusual. I know of a pawn shop on Division that owns its building and has rentals upstairs.
According to a post from where this discussion originated, the GGNA Yahoo Group, “There is a two-fold process required for Ameripawn to get the green light. They need two zoning approvals from the City. The property is now zoned as “M” (manufacturing) while their business plan would require a “C” (commercial) or “B” (business) zoning classification.”
Unlike other pawn shops like EZ Pawn, which rent, and the new payday loan type place next to Challengers Comics (in the Bucktown station lofts by the el- and fyi, the owner of that shop told me that a new massage parlor just opened right across from him, next to the Plateau Car Wash), Ameripawn would be buying the building.
The second part of the process is that since a pawn shop requires a special use zoning permit by the City’s zoning board, Ameripawn must attend a hearing with the City’s Zoning Board and present their business plan (after they have received the requested change in zoning from “M” to “B” or “C”. )
On a side note, from a Google search, it looks like the industrial looking Aspira, inc. building. A long time ago somebody told me that Aspira did some kind of magazine collating in that space, but it looks like as of March 2012 the property was listed as the address for a charter high school…? see search results: http://tinyurl.com/c2cdzau
-alisa
Lynn, 10 months ago
Chicago Pipeline, thank you for this good, fact-based reporting. A few years ago there was a developer who wanted to do a classy, medium density planned development from California to Rockwell, utilizing vacant lots and former industrial buildings Zoned C, but Alderman Flores stalled the approval for so long that the developer’s funding went away and so did he.
I don’t think that having a three-story mixed-use residential at Western and Fullerton would be a bad thing at all. If we could get rid of the pawn shop aspect and keep the mild increase to density and the indicator that a new building would bring that someone thinks this neighborhood is worth investing in — it might jump start some future investment.
chicago-pipeline, 10 months ago
More like fact-based cutting and pasting. Vicky Schmidt of the GGNA group deserves the credit for informing Logan Square citizens of the development plans. That’s how we knew of this petition and details. I don’t think a three-story mixed-used residential at that corner would be a bad thing, either. But do we want Ameripawn to own the property? Pawn shops are necessary in these times- I’ve pretty much pawned or sold everything of value at this point that I don’t use (anyone looking to pawn should really go to Division Gold a few doors down from Letizia’s. It is independently owned, John’s been there 12 years, supports local artists – he’s an artists himself- and cares about the neighborhood). However, do we need another corporately owned pawn shop? We have Cash Americas (3 of them) Bucktown Pawn (right at Polish Triangle), a few payday loan type places, EZ Pawn across from Congress Theater… and prob more I’m missing. Enough is enough.
chicago-pipeline, 10 months ago
Hi, all. There was a meeting last night about this topic at the alderman’s Ward Night. It was my birthday so I decided to take a break and not cover it, plus I had a feeling Elaine of Our Urban Times (who collaborated with pipeline on our winter magazine. Celebrate) would be there. Please read this dispatch from Our Urban Times containing more information on the proposed development. http://oururbantimes.com/resident-news/no-another-pawn-shop-1st-ward-say-residents