Protests Over Maxwell St. Upcoming Demolitions: Hunger Strike,

12/23/98

Protests Over Maxwell Street Upcoming Demolitions: Hunger Strike, Blues Lament

60 old buildings and 30 businesses remain in the old Maxwell Street area, including the legendary Jim's Hot Dog Stand, the originator of the Maxwell Street Polish Sausage. All these remaining buildings, except for the old police station, are slated for demolition by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Demolitions could start as early as this coming January, according to an employee of A-Wrecking company.

A coalition of students, blues musicians, academics, architects, preservationists, business people, residents, and street vendors are trying to stop the destruction.

Among the first buildings to go are:

Shah's at 721 W. Maxwell, a building constructed during the Civil War. There are only three other buildings this old on the West Side.
The Johnny Dollar Thrift Store, a couple doors west of Shah's. Johnny Dollar was an African-American merchant who owned a catfish stand in the street and built a blues stage next to it, in the street in front of the Thrift Store. Many famous blues musicians played on that stage.
Across the street of Shahs is one of the first buildings of the Nabicso Corporation, then called the American Biscuit Company.
Next door to that is Hass Clothier, who sold suits to the Count Basie Orchestra.

All buildings are rehabable and represent one the last parts of Chicago with direct ties from the old world, and with links to the birth of Chicago Blues and Rock and Roll.

The only thing stopping the demolitions is the need for UIC and Mesirow Stein Real Estate Inc. to obtain a TIF designation for the neighborhood. Consideration of that is before the Eddie Burke's Finance Committee of the City Council.

Say's Steve Balkin, Secretary of the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition, "This isn't really about buildings. It's obvious that preserving these old buildings would enhance UIC's South campus expansion and be an asset for the city. We even got an endorsement for our plan from Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg, Here is quote from Lois Weisberg's letter to Mayor Daley, Sept. 9, 1997: I recently met with members of the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition. I believe their vision of a revitalized Maxwell Street District can be an exciting part of our city's cultural landscape and an important tourist destination.

Earlier this year a compromise was worked out. Says Bill Lavicka, an engineer and facilities manager for the Coalition, "The Mayor asked us to meet with UIC, the City Department of Planning and Development, and two outside architects, Howard Decker and John Vinci,. We came to a compromise plan to save 36 buildings. Everyone there agreed it was a win-win plan. Now UIC reneges on it and the Mayor is letting them get away with it."

Balkin says further, "UIC would save money by rehabbing these old buildings and Mesirow Stein could get a 20% Federal Tax Credit. For UIC and Mesirow-Stein, getting rid of the buildings and businesses is a means of getting rid of the people. This is rank classism and ethnic cleansing. It is old fashioned urban renewal equals people removal. They are elitists and opportunists and they don't understand or relate to working class or immigrant history. They certainly don't know that Blues and Jazz are America's only indigenous art form."

The only building UIC intends to save permanently is the old police station at Morgan. Balkin says, "It's only the social control and law enforcement history that these UIC guys relate to. They are control freaks. Maxwell Street was about freedom, diversity, and class and race integration. They hate that."

There are reports that UIC intends to save nine buildings on Halsted Street but the Coalition disputes that claim. Bill Lavicka comments, "UIC told us earlier this year they wanted to save a few buildings on Halsted for construction staging purposes, for a period of 5 to 10 years, and then tear those down too. They fought against placing those buildings on the National Register of Historic Places so they could demolish them when the time is right. UIC puts a spin they are going to honor the history of Maxwell Street yet they plan to save no building on Maxwell Street itself, and only permanently plan to save a police station so they can reuse it for their own police."

In response to the impending doom, 77 year old Blues legend, Johnnie Mae Dunson, has taped a personal plea to Mayor Daley and UIC Chancellor Broski, including an impromptu lament, a Maxwell Street Moanin Blues. That plea will soon be available on the internet, broadcast to the entire world. This complements the Maxwell Street protest hunger fast that fellow blues musician, 67 year old Jimmie Lee Robinson, is on. Say's Jimmie Lee, "I studied Gandhi as kid. He lived in my time. If he moved the British Empire by a fast, I can certainly move UIC with a fast. The people of Chicago won't let me die." Jimmie Lee is on the 53^rd day of that fast.

Copies of Johnnie Mae Dunson's tape (also as real audio files) are available for media broadcast as well as copies of Jimmie Lee's song, Maxwell Street Teardown Blues (words and a wav file). Both Johnnie Mae and Jimmie Lee are available for interviews. You can read a previous letter she wrote. Updates will be placed on the Coalition's website <http://www.openair.org/maxwell/preserve.html>.

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