By Elana Seifert
The same week Mason learned that the Goldblatt’s building had been sold, Alcazar and fellow EVA member Rich Anselmo confronted Mayor Daley and his executive assistant Terry Teele when they came to East Village to celebrate the completion of a major sidewalk renovation along Division Street.
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Alderman Jesse Granato has taken the vague position that he desires “something the entire community is comfortable with,” and insisting that only “overwhelming community support” could persuade him that Goldblatt’s should be saved at the cost of discouraging Delray from investing in the neighborhood. He did, however, send a letter to Department of Buildings commissioner Cherryl Thomas requesting that she notify him if any demolition permit was issued for 1615 W. Chicago, the site of the building. Thomas has placed a hold on demolition permits at the site indefinitely.
As of last week 26 letters in favor of saving the Goldblatt’s building had been sent to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. The pleas came from East Village residents of 40 and 50 years as well as from a newcomer who said architecture was what attracted her to the neighborhood. Some railed against “money grubbers” who would destroy the neighborhood’s beauty. The mayor’s office has received 40 letters opposing the demolition, an “enormous outpouring,” according to Greg Longhini, communications director for the Department of Planning and Development. The response spurred meetings between Delray and city officials.
City officials, of course, may side with political expediency. And if they do not EVA has one more trick up its sleeve. After the letters and meetings, EVA members submitted a letter to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, requesting landmark designation for the building, which could provide it the kind of protection the group seeks.
Former East Village resident Dave Zaura sees the neighborhood slowly being eaten away building by building. He remembers a “sad moment in the neighborhood’s history” when wrecking balls came for the YMCA. “It wasn’t a historical building, but it was striking, with a big stoop people would gather on. Now they have a Pizza Hut and a Wendy’s on that corner. They wanted to put up a Taco Bell–right across from Arandas. How insulting.”
Such predictions did not sway EVA members, who maintain that to lose the Goldblatt’s building would be to lose an architectural treasure and a vital part of urban culture. This fear is echoed by DiChiera, who says, “There aren’t many cities like Chicago, where neighborhoods have streetscapes all their own and architecture is a defining factor. And Delray has a reputation of not being sensitive to a neighborhood’s character.” Residents near the Delray market at Broadway and Foster have complained to DiChiera that the mall-type structure has had a negative impact on their neighborhood’s character.
