Letter to the Editor

I'd like to thank the North Lawndale News for the excellent coverage of the Town
Hall Meeting. (“Conflicts Over Ogden/Pulaski TIF Continues at Town Hall Meeting,
October 18, 2007) There are a couple points that need to be clarified. Ms. Dixon
disputed 2 figures provided by the Lawndale Alliance--the amount of property taxes
generated within the TIF area ($250,000,000), and the number of people to
potentially be displaced (1,200).

The first figure, provided by the Lawndale Alliance pertains to the potential number
of residents to be displaced. The redevelopment plan (housing impact study)
indicates that 317 units of housing could potentially be displaced as a result of
implementing the TIF--either through change in land use or dilapidation. (The
consultants recommended re-zoning in the vicinity of Kedzie and Cermak to
accommodate commercial and light manufacturing.) Assuming an average
household size of 4, and multiplying this by the number of units, we rounded the
result to 1,200. This was explained to Ms. Dixon as she gave her remarks. She
chose not to relay this to the audience.

Ms. Dixon said that the list only contains 201 units of housing, and not residents,
as your article states. This is the result of the Department of Planning and
Development reviewing the list of homes to potentially be displaced by
implementation of the TIF and removing properties that didn't belong. If 201 units of
occupied housing remain on the list, this would translate into approximately 804
persons potentially being displaced from their homes.

The other number Ms. Dixon disputed was the $250,000,000 in property taxes
generated within the TIF. She was under the impression that this was a projection
of the tax increment generated by the TIF which was not the case, nor was it stated
on the flyer to which she was referring. The $250,000,000 represents the estimated
amount of property taxes generated if no TIF was created, and taxes remained the
same over the next 23 years. The number was intended to show that North
Lawndale residents already have a $250,000,000 stake in the process--TIF
or no TIF. As such, our voices should be heard, and not ignored in favor of
influential nonprofits.

Valerie F. Leonard

THE LAWNDALE ALLIANCE