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Tuesday, July 29,2008
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Bauman signals it’s OK to change zoning for wealthy residents B Y L I S A K A I S E R
“ZONING IS NOT INVIOLATE,” BAUMAN RESPONDED. “IT’S NOT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. IT’S NOT THE CONSTITUTION. ZONING IS WHAT EIGHT ALDERMEN SAY IT IS. WE CAN CHANGE THE ZONING AT ANY TIME.”
Million-Dollar Condos Could Be Added to Prospect AvenueBauman signals it’s OK to change zoning for wealthy residents B Y L I S A K A I S E R
East Side Alderman Robert Bauman has indicated that he’d OK zoning changes to allow New Land Enterprises devel oper Boris Gokhman to build a 27-story luxury condo development on the site of the historic Goll mansion at 1550 N. Prospect Ave. A New Land representative argued that the zoning change merely represents a “reallocation” of square footage currently allowed on that site. Bauman, whose district includes the east side of Prospect Avenue and the Goll man sion, seemed to buy that line of reasoning.
“Zoning is not inviolate,” Bauman responded. “It’s not the Ten Commandments. It’s not the Constitution. Zoning is what eight aldermen say it is. We can change the zoning at any time. We can change the zon ing so that you can build 60 stories. We can do that, too.” “Who are you representing?” the incred ulous questioner asked. “The developer or the neighborhood?” “I would be very happy to debate the pol itics and we can shut off the presentation and they can go home,” Bauman said. New Land’s PowerPoint presentation
was shut off briefly, and there was scattered applause throughout the increasingly com bative audience.
Million-Dollar Condos Overlooking the Lake
The proposed high-rise, which would be built between the mansion and the bluffs overlooking the Oak Leaf Trail bike path, would include 35 loft-style condos—two on each floor, although units could be com bined—with an estimated 2,500 square feet per unit. The “price point,” according to New Land architect Scott Kindness, is at least $1 million per condo.
The skyscraper would also include five floors of above-ground parking, nine out door visitor parking spaces and a private
CONDOS continued on next page >>
Historic Goll mansion on Prospect Avenue | Photo by Kate Engbring
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