Some of the new yuppies in the gentrifying Rogers Park -- who are referring to local progressive groups like RPCAN --Rogers Park Community Action Network (used to be RP tenant's union) as anti-growth, anti-middle class. These same folks seem to think the only place to put the new fire station is the old Zayre's where 54 small merchants--mostly Latino and Korean--now have small stalls. Please call the Mayor's office (you can use 311) and Alderman Joe Moore (phone number is in the text) to let them know that not to let the new "Let them drink Starbucks" crowd push out minority businesses and families. The shoppers are mostly Latino and African American. There's a meeting in Alderman Moore's office Tuesday evening.

Your call on Tuesday will let the Alderman and city know that there's more than just the "gentrifiers" and racists living and voting in Rogers Park and Chicago.

--forwarded by Elizabeth Fraser/Rogers Park Greens

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Support Minority Business
in Rogers Park

Help the 54 minority-owned small businesses in the
Clark Megamall (7212 N. Clark) keep their livelihoods.

The City of Chicago is attempting to demolish the Clark Megamall to build a new fire station and displace 54 businesses and their 140 employees. This heavy handed decision was handed down at the end of November, 2000 with no prior notice or warning to any of the businesses at stake, the community at large, and not even the Alderman (as quoted in the Sun Times, Feb. 2nd). Thanks to the efforts of Alderman Joe Moore, Rogers Park Community Action Network, and the vendors of the Clark Megamall, the final decision on demolition has been delayed and will be one of the foremost topics at the Alderman’s Zoning Advisory
Committee meeting, February 13th.

While all of the above mentioned parties are in full support of a new fire station, RPCAN and the vendors at Clark Megamall believe that demolishing the Clark Megamall is not the answer. For 10 years, the Clark Megamall has provided a variety of goods at reasonable prices for the Rogers Park community as well as the rest of Chicago and beyond. Displacing such a densely populated shopping hub would be detrimental to the community as well as being a blow to locally owned businesses and diversity in the community as a whole. The Clark Megamall is a positive part of Rogers Park and should not be demolished and any future
proposals for the fire station should be made with input from the people at stake, the community as a whole, and the Alderman’s office so that it can benefit everyone.

Please support the Clark Megamall by writing or calling Alderman Joe Moore at 773-338-5796 or the City of Chicago by calling 311 and asking to leave a citizens’ comment for the mayor or joining the rally at Alderman Joe Moore’s office (7356 N. Greenview -- Greenview and Jarvis) on February 13th before the
Zoning Advisory Committee meeting at 6:30PM.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Rogers Park Community Action Network at 773-973-7888