An agreement
has been approved to redevelop 35,000 square feet of publicly
owned property along the north side of the 1100 block of Lake
Street, about midway between Harlem Avenue and Marion Street.
RSC & Associates, L.L.C. of Chicago will combine a
Multiplex wellness center and health club, condominiums and
underground parking in a seven-story building where the vacant
Maple Furrier store and adjacent metered parking lot now are
located. The development also will maintain the auto and
pedestrian access to the Holley Court Garage from Lake Street,
and incorporate the Drechsler Building to the east, preserving
both the structure and its historic façade. One of six
proposals submitted to the Village in response to a formal
Request for Proposals (RFP) issued last spring, RSC was the
only respondent to propose completely restoring the Dreschler
Building, which is one of Oak Park’s oldest commercial
structures. RSC will be required to accurately restore the
historic features of the Dreschler Building identified in a
report prepared in February by the Oak Park Historic
Preservation
Commission. RSC’s proposal complies
with all underlying zoning requirements, including height and
setbacks. However, a special use permit is required for a
health club at the proposed location. The Zoning Board of
Appeals must review the special use permit application, hold a
public hearing on the request and make a recommendation to the
Board for a final vote at a later regular meeting. For more
information, call 358.5640 or email devsvcs@oak-park.us.
Anyone
considering replacing original, but drafty windows in an
historic home may discover some less costly alternatives at a
free seminar scheduled for 7 p.m., Wed., May 5, at the Oak Park
Public Library, 834 Lake St. Architects, preservationists and
other experts from the Oak Park Historic Preservation
Commission will share tips on the care and maintenance of old
windows and demonstrate how important windows are to the
character of historic homes. The seminar, offered in
conjunction with National Preservation Week, May 3 - 9, will
feature the brief video Windows:
Preservation Treatments produced by
the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. A variety of
literature about window repairs and other historic preservation
issues also will be available. For more information, call
358.5417 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.
Day in our Village deadline...Local civic, cultural and business
organizations, and restaurants have until April 15 to apply for
space in the community-wide festival celebrating Oak
Park's diversity and the sharing. The event is scheduled
for Sun., June 6. For information call 358.5409 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.
Spring tree planting...Forestry workers will plant approximately 130 trees in
April and May along parkways. Species include Autumn Blaze
Maple, Royal Red Maple, Chanticleer Pear, Swamp White, and Bur
and Swamp Bur Oaks, Frontier and Accolade Elms, Turkish Filbert
and Catalpa. Trees average two and one half inches in diameter
and 10 - 14 feet high. Trees are planted with a minimum
planting space of 35 feet, 10 feet from a streetlight, 25 feet
from a corner and five feet from a water junction box. For more
information call 584.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us.
Apartment search assistance...The Oak Park Regional Housing Center provides
free referrals for tenants and landlords in Oak Park and
surrounding suburbs. The Housing Center is at 1041 South Blvd.
and is open from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday, and 10
a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 848.7140 or
visit www.apartmentsoakpark.org.
Security deposit interest rates...Renters in apartment buildings containing four
or more units are entitled to interest on their security
deposits within 30 days of the expiration of each 12-month
period. The deposit must have been held for six months and rent
must be current to be eligible for interest. Rates for 2003
were .45 percent, .40 percent in 2004 and .30 percent in 2005.
For information call 358.5409 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.
Coinless parking...Many parking meters in the Village accept a
"cash key" as an alternative to coins. Available in
Parking Permit Office at Village Hall, 123 Madison St., each
key can be pre-programmed in $10 increments up to $100. A
$10.50 deposit is required. Users just insert the key into the
meter, which then debits the account for the time they wish to
use the space. For details call 358.PARK or email publicworks@oak-park.us.