Has an On-line Petition Ever Done Any Good?

I just ran across a post on Twitter asking if a any on-line petition has ever done any good (Hi Andy!):

Well, I should say so! Our petition to Save The Ramova began to circulate on September 21,2005. More than three years later, the Ramova is still standing. If any of you have driven down South Halsted you would agree that that is amazing! Seriously, parts of South Halsted, running through Bridgeport and Canaryville look like blighted like Detroit.

Secondly, Alderman Balcer thought it worked and here's why I know that for sure. The Alderman ran for re-election on the "Save the Ramova" platform! This was the one civic issue that he mentioned time and time again during his last re-election campaign. Alderman Balcer was quoted in both the Sun Times and Tribune about how the Ramova should be saved, plus other publications.

I don't believe the theater would have been mentioned at all if not for our presentation of our on-line petition. We really were not taken seriously until we went to see Alderman Balcer with a printed copy of the hundreds of petition signature and comments from the form pleading with him to save the theater.

Furthermore the petition was what got the owner (a city department) to admit us into the theater to inspect it.

Also, the petition was instrumental in convincing local architect Rob Vagnieres to draft the plans we created for the theater's renovation.

Need I go on? The short answer is: yes, online petitions can work and can change the status quo!

-Maureen

We're back.....

Hello Everyone,

It's been way too long but the home fires are still burning.

At least a few times a month I pass the Ramova on the way to Citibank and get a sick feeling. She's still standing!...but now what? Promises of a developer waiting in the wings. Reportedly a few real estate deals that fell through for this shadowy lurking developer, so limbo for the Ramova? Why aren't the TIF funds being used to rehabilitate her? God knows we are all paying for them (more about that later).

I have to say, I have been more than disgusted with the lack of progress and lack of answers about her future. Basically..no answer except.."If I wanted the theater torn down, it would be torn down!"-Alderman James Balcer.

Well, we are once again finally able to pick up the reigns of STR and re-ignite our campaign to not only SAVE THE RAMOVA! but actually make her a place we can all enjoy. Make her a place we all need! That is a center for our struggling business district and community.

Some of you know that if we had our druthers, we would want her to be restored and made into a Community Arts Center much like the Beverly Arts Center. Rob Vagnieris, a local architect-www.vagnieresarchitects.com, was incredibly generous and translated our dreams into amazing formal plans. Now we need to find some investors to execute them!

This time around, we are not going to be so nice!

Maureen
-STR

7 Days and Counting...

Almost time for our Sox to be back in our backyard.

I'm so excited!

Spring has Sprung and She's Still Standing!

Well, another winter has come and gone and our old girl is still standing!

As far as I know (have been told) The Ramova's future is in limbo. Unfortunately, the bad market is not helping her one bit since it is driving down new re-development of sites just like The Ramova.

Hopefully, the commercial development of 39th and Halsted and the rumors of the new Jewel on 39th and Wallace (from a recent interview in The Chicago Journal with Ald. Balcer) will allow the south side of the neighborhood to get the attention we deserve. Development south of 35th St. has been a longtime coming and with the market down the properties are ripe for the pickin', so ironically the faltering market may be just what we need to get some new development in our area. So, please keep The Ramova and her neighbors in your prayers during this difficult time.

Here's to a great year for the White Sox and The Ramova!

-Maureen

Landmarks In Chicago Get Special Consideration?

Landmarks in Chicago get special consideration, eh? Tell that to Soldier Field (lost it's landmark status in the process) and the former Comiskey Park (we lost it completely!)that have been destroyed by the greed of their owners and the city officials involved in the process.

Oddly, somehow they (The Landmarks Commission)and the owners of the Cubs expect us to believe that Wrigley Field will be respected. Hmmmmmmm

See article below posted today on ESPN.com

******************
Cubs will add 70 'bullpen box seats' at Wrigley
ESPN.com news services

Updated: January 4, 2008, 11:22 AM ET

The Chicago Cubs have received permission to add 70 "bullpen box seats" along the third base line and install additional digital signage at Wrigley Field.

The additional seats had to be approved by a permit committee of the city Commission on Chicago Landmarks, as the city council gave the 93-year-old stadium historic landmark status in 2004.

City Hall approved the changes because "landmark buildings aren't frozen in time, need to be maintained and can be improved while respecting their history," said Peter Scales of the city's Department of Planning and Development.

The changes were approved as Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Mayor Richard Daley mull the Tribune Co.'s request to have the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority acquire and renovate Wrigley Field.

"These will be great seats and, just like the seats behind home plate, will blend in with the architecture and history of Wrigley Field," said Mike Lufrano, the Cubs' vice president of community relations.

Adding new seats to an historic park such as Wrigley is not without precedent(UNLESS IT'S OLD COMISKEY PARK!-Maureen-). The Boston Red Sox have added a number of seats throughout Fenway Park over the past few seasons, including field-level box seats and a seating area perched over the stadium’s famed Green Monster.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Where Are The Tiles????

Okay, what happened to restoring the space above the store fronts to their original condition? I am really disturbed by the fact that the Spanish tiles have been replaced with cheap asphalt shingles. Those tiles are used inside the theater too and are an integral part of the design of the complex.

Come on owners of the store fronts and property, you can do better than this!

I'm trying to get to the bottom of this gross oversight.

Maureen-

Construction on Facade of the Buildings Connected to the Ramova

As some of you may already know, there is some restoration work being done on the facade of the second floor of the store fronts that are just north of the Ramova. These store fronts were built at the same time as the Ramova, but were sold to individual owners in either the 1950s or 1960s, so they are not connected to the theater's future at all.

I have been told by some of the tenants that the restoration work is being done because there is a new gym being built on the second floor. I am not sure if this gym will be owned by the same tenants who had the gym before or by new tenants. I just went over and looked at this work this morning and so far it does seem as if this is the case. There was a company out fixing the truss roof today too.

As far as I can gather, the facade of the store front buildings will be restored to it's original form (roof tiles and terracotta are being restored) during this process and the brick work will be cleaned and left in tact.

I have contacted Alderman Balcer and the Department of Planning and Development, but have not been given an official answer about this construction work yet.

Hopefully this will help clear up some of the confusion about the facade of the store fronts and all of the scaffolding in front of the building.

City Seeks Landmark Status For Stock Yards Bank!

Hey, this is great news!

The city seeks landmark status for 13 banks. One of those banks is the Stock Yards National Bank at 4150 S. Halsted. Yes!


Full text below:


City seeks landmark status for 13 banks

ARCHITECTURE | Designation would protect unique buildings

November 11, 2007
BY DAVID ROEDER droeder@suntimes.com

Chicagoans know them as foursquare dependable anchors of old commercial streets and also the most ambitious architecture in their neighborhoods, except maybe for the churches.

They are the bank buildings, festooned with arches, balustrades, columns or soaring first floors. They were designed to convey security and permanence. Some even placed the bank vaults front and center so the customers could see exactly where the money went.

City officials believe they merit landmark status. Acting on a recommendation from city planners, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks has opened the landmark designation process for 13 bank buildings.

The process takes months, and while it doesn't require consent of the property owners, getting it can avoid a public hearing. Once the City Council grants official landmark status to properties, owners are eligible for tax breaks, but they can't tear down their places or start unapproved renovations.

Brian Goeken, deputy planning commissioner, said the 13 buildings are symbols of their neighborhoods' ethnic histories and times when booming real estate markets allowed for grand banking centers. Most were built after a financial panic in 1907 and before the Depression hit in 1929.

"They were often visual landmarks within their communities," Goeken said. "Typically, they were corner buildings. They had the finest in materials and craftsmanship."

But they couldn't guarantee permanence. Chiseled into some of the buildings are the names of their founding banks that have long since disappeared, maybe in the 1930s panics or maybe in a more recent buyout.

If approved as landmarks, the 13 buildings will join five other bank buildings that already have that honor in Chicago or are further along in getting it.

For a photo gallery and map of the historic banks, go to suntimes.com

HISTORY IN THE BANK
City planners are proposing landmark designation for these former neighborhood banks:
Calumet National Bank, 9117 S. Commercial. Organized in 1883, it was the first bank in South Chicago.

Chicago City Bank and Trust Co., 815 W. 63rd St.; completed 1930. The first-floor banking hall has 28-foot ceilings and original marble and bronze finishes.
Cosmopolitan State Bank, 801 N. Clark. The two-story building completed in 1920 "modernized" classical design standards such as columns, pilasters and a frieze.
Hyde Park-Kenwood National Bank, 1525 E. 53rd St. The 10-story Art Deco building completed in 1929 used to be the largest Chicago bank property outside downtown.
Kimbell Trust & Savings Bank, 3600 W. Fullerton. The extensively ornamented 1925 building housed a bank for only seven years until it closed in the Depression.
Marquette Park State Bank, 6314 S. Western. The 1925 building includes a rotunda with a high domed ceiling and a skylight.


Marshfield Trust and Savings Bank, 3325 N. Lincoln. Built in 1925.

Mid-City Trust and Savings Bank, 801 W. Madison. The now vacant building was completed in 1912, with remodeling in 1928.

North Federal Savings and Loan, 100 W. North. Completed in 1961, the youngest building in this group rejects masonry in favor of glass curtain walls and spare details.

Pioneer Trust and Savings Bank, 4000 W. North; completed 1926. Features include an elaborate first-floor hall and friezes showing men at work.

Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building, 4753 N. Broadway. A rare neighborhood "skyscraper" for its era, the 12-story terra cotta building was long occupied by Uptown Bank.

Stock Yards National Bank, 4150 S. Halsted. Built just east of the Union Stock Yard Gate in 1935, the building mimics Philadelphia's Independence Hall.

Swedish American State Bank, 5400 N. Clark. The highly decorated 1913 building includes a keystone that incorporates Chicago's municipal "Y" symbol.

In addition, the following have already received landmark designation or are in the hearings process for getting one: Laramie State Bank, 5200 W. Chicago; West Town State Bank, 2400 W. Madison; Logan Square Trust and Savings, 3061 W. Logan; Home Bank and Trust Co., 1200 N. Ashland; Noel State Bank, 1601 N. Milwaukee.
Source: City's Department of Planning and Development

What Is Needed For A Nomination To The NRHP?

You ask, what is needed for a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places?

Well, what we'll need to illustrate is the Ramova's role in our community. Essentially, we will need to argue its aesthetic and local function as inimitable and irreplaceable.

The good news is that Dom feels that a strong argument can be made on the basis of the Ramova's unique and noteworthy design integrity (the degree to which it's current form doesn't deviate from it's original form), and the role the theater played in the community during a sustained historical period. I couldn't agree with him more!

The nomination is a lengthy process, but not one that is beyond us on behalf of the Ramova. I will be posting our progress as it unfolds.

Maureen-

Donations Needed For Operating Expenses Too

Also, if anyone would be open to making a cash donation to support our operating expenses that would be greatly appreciated too. Please email me for a location to send your donations at maureen@savetheramova.com

As you all know, we have tried to keep the home fires burning and can use any monetary help our supporters can provide to continue our website hosting, duplication fees for photos from the Historical Society/Theater Historical Society to use for this nomination and any other associated operating expenses.

After this nomination is prepared, I plan on preparing an exhibit of all of the collected historical materials to display in the re-developed Ramova or a site nearby. We are also working on a short film about the Ramova and it's relationship to Halsted St and Bridgeport as a whole.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Maureen-

Want To Help With The Nomination Process?

Consider donating or loaning any historical material you have about the Ramova or of Halsted St. from 31st St down to 43rd St. I'll be calling this part of Halsted, the Halsted corridor for all future discussions.

These materials will be necessary to develop our nomination in Springfield in the next few months.

Basically any photos, news clippings or other relevant material would be of great help.

These materials will be copied and returned to you as soon as possible.


Thanks in advance,
Maureen-

Welcome Domenico!

I am pleased to announce that the Ramova has been blessed with yet another passionate supporter!

His name is Domenico Ferri. Domenico currently teaches American and Chicago History at Harold Washington College. He is also working to complete his Ph.D. in History at Loyola University.

Dom is taking his final course toward his Ph.D. this semester. This final course is focused on Historic Preservation and the National Register of Historic Places.

As an requirement for this final class, Dom was given the task of selecting a site that is worthy of the register and to prepare a nomination for it. Given this task he has selected The Ramova.

I am honored that Dom has chosen to support the Ramova and our cause. For the past few weeks I have been providing him with all of the research and documentation that I have prepared over the last two years. During this process I will also be sharing additional historical information about our community, based on my research, personal experience and input from the supporters of STR. By doing so, I will help Dom paint an accurate picture of what the Ramova means as a piece of historic architecture and what she has meant to our community in the past, present and future.

Dom and I are meeting weekly to work on this nomination. Watch for future postings about our progress and the outcome of this work in Springfield in the early part of 2008.

Maureen-

She's Still Standing!

Hi Everyone:

Well, it's been a while since we've posted...but she's still standing.

This week, I have again been told that the city is still speaking with the same developer they have been speaking with since we started this campaign in August of 2005. Seems that the slow real estate market is part of why there hasn't been progress. In the words of Roseanne Roseanadana..."if it's not one thing it's another".

Fortunately, the Ramova is still standing and for now she is still fairly safe.

More news from our camp is on its way.

The home fires are still burning!
Maureen-

I'm back.......

More to come very soon.

M-

April 11, 2007 Chicago Journal article about Ramova

Here is the latest interview from the Chicago Journal from April 11, 2007


Sorry folks, this link is no longer available. I am contacting The Gazette for a copy of it and will post it as soon as I can.

Nov. 22, 2006 issue of Chicago Journal, "Wither the Ramova"

Here is an interview I just had with the Chicago Journal about the current status of the theater

Text version below:

Wither the Ramova
Fate of Bridgeport movie palace still uncertain

By YOLANDA PERDOMO, Staff Writer

When asked about the status of the 77-year old Ramova Theatre, 3518 S. Halsted in Bridgeport, Maureen Sullivan answers with a sigh.

"She's still standing. I'm glad that she is because everything around her is being torn down."

For Sullivan, it could be good or bad news, depending on what the city's plans are for getting a developer to take over the 1,200 seat theater. But Sullivan doesn't know who the developer will be.

The city owns the theater, and has bought the property next door to it and is working on getting the property across the street. This would be for a developer that, according to Connie Buscemi, a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, can't be named yet.

"Until we get closer to finalizing the deal, we need to keep that information [the identity of the developer] confidential," Buscemi said this week. "Hopefully we'll announce something soon. This person has a lot of experience and enthusiasm for the property."

For Sullivan, who began a petition to save the theater (www.savetheramova.com), preserving as much of the theater as possible is her main goal. Earlier this year, after a lot of prodding, Sullivan was able to go inside the theater for the first time in over 20 years. Some of the things were still in great shape. Others were in various states of decay.

"The main lobby is intact. In the theater portion, the original detail of the walls has survived in the ceiling. But the original seats have all been taken out," says Sullivan, who was disappointed with some of the things she saw. "With the seats gone, the original heating system was composed of circular holes in the floor...radiator heat. You're basically walking into a landmine. It was dark. There was plaster falling when we were there. I was thinking how sad it was that this poor building has sat here for twenty years without being taken care of," she says.

Sullivan says while it may be too late to renovate the Ramova as a grand movie theater, it can still serve the neighborhood as a mixed-use building, possibly as as a cultural center.

"I'd like to see it split into two small theaters. We've been kicking the ideas around for seventy five seats, one hundred fifty seats, something in that range for live performances and films," says Sullivan, who was told that a complete top to bottom restoration of the Ramova would cost millions of dollars.

"We'd like a café on the empty lot connecting it to the building. Leaving the lobby, doing some gallery space inside for local artists, as well as some classroom space."

One thing the city and Sullivan agree on is the need to preserve as many architectural elements as possible for the future building.

"The developer has stated before that if there are elements, he is amenable to keeping them. The building is in bad shape. But he's interested in retaining the salvageable elements because he knows it's important to the community," Buscemi said.

Sullivan says she still wants to meet with whoever is buying the building to discuss the importance of keeping as much of the Ramova intact.

"I would like to have our say and let them know how much it means to our neighborhood and our community. I have so much documentation showing what it means to us. And how important it would be if they preserved at least part of it so that it could work for them too," says Sullivan. "If they want people to embrace the business, as Macy's is finding out, I think it's important to pay attention to who your clientele is going to be and how they feel about what's coming into their neighborhood."

Sullivan says she's gotten a lot of support, both in and out of the community, as well as on the street and through her website. People ask her about the preservation efforts, about updates, and what more can be done. But she's worried that if the building takes on a completely different form, that it will no longer honor the neighborhood's history.

"If they wipe that theater out, they've taken the last vestige of who built that neighborhood. What type of entertainment they had, possibly a little space for a cultural center saluting the people who worked in the stockyards, and who built the neighborhood," says Sullivan. "I believe that the Ramova could come back in somewhat true form, it may actually revive the surrounding area."

The Sisters at Maria High School would be so proud!

This is really cool and I had to share it! The following information was sent to me by Jim Indreika, a fan of theater history and the Ramova.

A copy of an article from a book published in Lithuania mentions our efforts and believe it or not calls me a hero(in) for my efforts related to the Ramova. I am not alone folks! Labas diena, Maureen-

DPD claims the city has secured the vacant lot..

Hi, everyone:

Well, I've been quiet, but not completely dormant on the Ramova front. We have had quite a bit of positive feedback from our neighbors and the city's Deparment of Planning and Development since my last post. I am also planning to schedule another meeting with the Alderman in the next few weeks.

The city's John Molloy of the DPD tells me that the city is in the final stages of acquiring the vacant lot just south of the Ramova. According to John, this is one of the main stumbling blocks that is delaying the development of the theater He went on to say that the city is trying to acquire all or at least a third of the parking lot across the street and just south of the Ramova, (which ironically was formerly a city lot).

DPD calls the developer a "dream developer", but won't tell us who it is. Dream or nightmare or something in between? When I find out, I'll let you know.

I will report what I find out as I continue my conversations with the city and some inside sources.

Until then,
Maureen