A 10-year celebration of community violence intervention in Chicago highlights community outreach success
By EMMA BRADFORD Intern Reporter
Austin remains one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago. But while it is still among the top 15 for firearm-related homicide mortality rates in Chicago, Austin is becoming less violent with the help of community outreach organizations.
On June 10, leading groups in community violence intervention (CVI) gathered to celebrate a decade of progress, innovation, and leadership at the Epiphany Center for the Ar ts for an
Fashion meets disabilities at the Runway of Change
Personal stories of inclusion and empowerment
By HECTOR CERVANTES Contributing Reporter
Disability advocates, survivors and community members gathered Sunday at the Columbus Park Refectory for the “Runway of Change” fashion show, an event designed to celebrate inclusion, representation and empowerment for people with disabilities.
The “Runway of Change” fashion show was organized by Azalia Mallory, founder of Limitless Free and United, and Jamaal Johnson, CEO of the Stay Up Foundation, both of which focus on disability empowerment and inclusion. The event featured adults and youth with disabilities modeling, sports-inspired fashion, while also providing reco gnition, resources and opportunities that highlight confidence, dignity and representation within the disability community. Throughout the event, speakers shared personal experiences related to their
EMMA BRADFORD
Journalist Laura Washington, Chicago CRED Founder Arne Duncan, Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities Executive Director Esther Franco-Payne, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago Founder Teny Gross, and Metropolitan Peace Initiatives Executive Director Vaughn Bryant were panelists at “ e Art of Peace: 10-Year CVI Anniversary Celebration & Expo” on June 10.
Juneteenth on the West Side
How Gar eld Park celebrated
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
West Siders visited their local parks and paraded down main thoroughfare on June 19 and 20 to celebrate Juneteenth.
The federal holiday, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the day in 1865 when, about two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers told nearly 250,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas that they were free.
In honor of Juneteenth, residents in Austin and Garfield Park gathered to enjoy food, music and community, celebrating Black joy and resilience.
Honey Pot Performances celebration on June 19 at 425 S. Central Pa rk Blvd. in East Garfield Park
The second annual Juneteenth celebration put on by Honey Pot Performances in partnership with the First Church of the Brethren
The groups’ inaugural Juneteenth was one of the activation events for Honey Pot Performances’ Pleasure Power Portal —- a performance experience that collects and records stories from West Siders as a way
to celebrate pleasure and create meaning and liberation.
This Juneteenth, Aisha Josina Jean-Baptiste, Honey Pot Performances’ co-founder and the group’s marketing and communications director, said she enjoyed the second line procession led by the Windy City Ramblers, where New Orleans met Chicago in a celebration of liberation.
“We have that same soul, heart and spirit,” Jean-Baptiste said.
Teresa McNeal, also a co-founder and artistic and managing director of Honey Pot Performances, said this Juneteenth she was especially appreciative of the Fifth City movement. The movement started in the 1960s and created a new model for community organizing on the West Side of Chicago, which McNeal said created the infrastructure to sustain Juneteenth today. 1865 Juneteenth Festival on June 19 and June 20 at 100 S. Woodward Dr. in Garfield Park
12th annual Juneteenth parade on June 20, hosted by St. Joseph M.B. Church and The Chicago Juneteenth Project, starting at Madison Street and Sacramento Boulevard in East Garfield Pa rk
Fun on a slide at the Gar eld Park Juneteenth Festival on Juneteenth.
Basketball hoop game in Gar eld Park
Power 92 radio table
A future police o cer poses in front of a green screen
PHOTO S BY TODD BANNOR
Malcolm X West campus poised to open this fall
Community Center for Teaching and Learning expansion is set to construction by summer’s end
By EMMA BRADFORD Intern Reporter
Malcolm X Colle ge, one of Chicago’ Colle ge’s, is working to complete its $19. million investment in reno expanding its satellite campus in Gar field Park. Previously known as the Side Learning Center, it is now the Malcolm X West Campus. opment is set to be completed of summer in preparation to dents on campus in the fall.
New expansions will include an tional 7,000 square feet with meeting spac es for students and capacity to host credit courses and career certificate pr in community-involved healthcare ca reers like nursing, patient cians, medical assistants and community health workers.
AU STIN WEEKLY news
Malcolm X’s main campus is conveniently located in the Illinois Medical District on the Near West Side and offers health sciences de grees. However, President David A. Sanders said he reco gnized a heavy concentration of incoming students from the Garfield Park area, so he wanted to reduce one of the largest bar riers in education: transpor tation.
Sanders said the new campus will ensure both prospective and current students are provided with the opportunity to home in on what they love to do to create a livelihood for themselves.
“It is our hope that we, in some way, contribute to lowering that unemployment rate and giving opportunities to students we know have the ability to do great things,” Sanders said. “At least that’s what data has shown us.”
After graduation, students put their talents towards becoming practitioners and professionals within their communities, he said.
By the end of construction, there will be a new community center with a lobby, circulation spaces, two new restaurants, an assembly hall, movable partitions and an outdoor patio space.
T he project was phased, the first being the new roof and new air handling units, completed as of December 2025, said Ray Giderof, executive director of the Public Building Commission of Chicago, which is overseeing construction of the new campus
This next phase, predicted to conclude by the end of the summer, addresses selective interior renovation work and site improvements such as a new parking lot and landscaping.
“The project is tracking on schedule to be 100% complete by the end of August to allow for the Se ptember academic year to star t,” Gidero f said.
Malcolm X Colle ge and PBC worked
to g ether to avoid or mitigate any delays in construction by addressing discovered discrepancies in the project and resolving issues as they arose, Giderof said.
“We couldn’ t have asked for a better situation,” Giderof said. “Because of this team, we we re able to, and we will continue to, overcome those challenges, so that we can deliver this investment.”
At this year’s Community Day on Aug. 14, there will be a ceremony for the naming of the community center after retiring Cong. Danny K. Davis, with food and drinks provided.
“I can’ t tell you the amount of joy and support that we have had in having him as our cong ressman and supporting the work that we’re doing at Malcolm X,” Sanders said.
Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Re port for America’s Local News Internship Program.
General Manager
Max Reinsdorf
Sta Repor ter
Jessica Mordacq
News Intern
Emma Bradford
Contributing Editor
Donna Greene
Senior Audience Manager
Stacy Coleman
Reporting Partners
Block Club Chicago
Design/Production Manager
Andrew Mead
Editorial & Digital Design Lead
Javier Govea
Design and Production Associate De Sergio Villalona
West Sub foreclosure suit seeks control of River Forest campus
Daily mor tgage interest on Lake Street and Chicago properties is $8,560
By BILL DWYER
Contributing Reporter
A Miami-based commercial mortgagebacked securities trust, or CMBS, that holds the bonds tied to a mortgage on two properties owned by the landlord of West Suburban Hospital, has filed a $33.8 million lawsuit that seeks to take back properties in River Forest and in the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago.
The Real Deal Real Estate News reported Monday that Miami-based Rialto Capital Advisors, which is the special servicer for a $22 million loan to West Sub landlord Rathnaker Patlola, filed the lawsuit after attempts to work out a resolution with Patlola failed after repeated attempts to contact him failed.
According to the Real Deal, the foreclosure lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Friday. It seeks a $6.2 million “yield maintenance premium” and $1.4 million in default interest.
The Real Deal says the lawsuit would effectively bypass the ongoing legal tangle between Patlola and West Sub CEO Manoj
Prasad. It does not target the one square block West Suburban Hospital property on Austin Boulevard, which is owned by Patlola but registered under a different corporate name
A status hearing is scheduled Monday morning downtown in the Daley Center courthouse.
The Real Deal coverage suggests that Patlola is between a financial rock and a hard place. A key challenge facing Patlola, the newspaper found, was that with CMBS debt, “once a loan reaches special servicing it cannot be refinanced, which means equity cannot be taken out of the property to pay down debt.”
The lawsuit names the corporate entity for a 945-space parking garage in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood — Clarendon Realty, LLC — and River Forest Realty LLC, the name under which the parcels that comprise the River Forest Campus — 7420 Central Ave., 420 William St. and 7411 W. Lake St. — are re gistered. All are controlled by Patlola as “sole member.”
The Uptown site is part of the shuttered
Concordia Cemetery – Forest Park, IL
Side by side mausoleum crypts available in the Sanctuary of Remembrance. Paid $7000 $2000 each or $3500 for both
Weiss Memorial Hospital campus which is also owned by Patlola.
According to The Real Deal, and confirmed through the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, the loan originated in October 2023, for $22 million. According to Cook County Recorder of Deeds records, Patlola’s River Forest Realty, LLC and Clarendon Realty LLC received a $22 million mortgage from Argentic Real Estate Fin 2 LLC.
In the latest filings with the Illinois Secretary of State, Patlola is listed as the President of Clarendon Realty, with an address in Princeton, New Jersey. River Forest Realty, LLC is managed by River Forest Realty Holdings, LLC, of which Patlola is listed as president.
Argentic, headquartered in New York City, with offices in Chicago and five other cities, manages commercial real estate lending and investment vehicles focused on providing fixed-rate and floating-rate debt financing
solutions to property owners throughout the United States.
The mortgage note was signed by Patlola as “sole member.” The debt has since grown to $33.8 million and is accruing interest obligation at a rate of $8,560 per day, due to the Patlola controlled entities allegedly not paying property taxes on the real estate parcels beginning two years ago in mid-2024.
The Real Deal reported that that non-payment of real estate taxes forced PNC Bankowned master servicer Midland Loan Services “to advance $3.4 million to protect the collateral.”
The Real Deal said Patlola told them he was “informing his attorneys of the foreclosure lawsuit and intends to resolve it amicably,” but declined to comment further.
As reported by The Real Deal and other media outlets, for mer West Sub owner Pipe-
BILL DWYER
West Sub River Forest campus
Settlement in the works between West Sub CEO, landlord?
Com Ed now threatens to shut o electricity due to unpaid bills
By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter
Attorneys for both sides in the ongoing legal battle between West Suburban cal Center CEO Manoj Prasad and his landlord and West Sub co-owner Rathnaker lola Reddy ag reed in court Mond settlement is currently in the wo They pointedly disag reed, ho how soon any settlement might be finalized, and on the appropriate de gency re garding the matter.
In the meantime, Commonwealth Edison is reportedly preparing to shut of Sub’s electricity in July if it doesn payment.
Attor ney Scott Kaplan, re Reddy’s Ramco real estate compan peared in person in Cook County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Stanton’s c Martin Tasch, attorney for Prasad ience Healthcare, appeared via Zoom.
Kaplan said the two sides are making progress towards settling but still had details to work out. He said another meeting is planned for this Tuesday.
“Hopefully we’ll iron out most of the issues,” Kaplan said.
rties were moving quickly toward esolution and asked the judge for another meeting later this week, saying “If anything is (still) unresolved, it can be discussed in (the judge’s) chamber.”
Time is of the essence,” Kaplan addasch, however, did not seem to share that sense of urgency, telling the judg e, “It cannot be done quickly.”
asch also told Stanton that he didn’t care for Kaplan’s approach to the negotiations, saying “Mr. Kaplan has been sending out ultimatums if we don’t (move as quickly as he’d like).” Tasch suggested another court hearing in 10 days
dge Stanton appeared to side with Kalan, saying, “This needs to be done with all eliberate speed,” and set the next hearing hursday, June 25, at 10:30 a.m.
asch also expressed unhappiness with he said was the disclosure of confidential information re garding the case
“Confidentiality is very important to us, and that seems to have been lost here,” said Tasch. “It’s out there in the community being talked about.”
Numerous vendors have sought to recoup money owed by Prasad and Resilience, with several filling lawsuits. Commonwealth Edison may soon join that list. Kaplan told the judge the utility company had posted a sign on the hospital doors, stating that the building’s electrical service would be cut of f as of July 8 due to unpaid electric bills.
Continued from page 4
line Health holds a subordinate mortgage note that is tied to Resilience Healthcare’s operations. The publication cites court records indicating that Patlola’s tenants, which “are affiliates of the Resilience Healthcare operator group run by Prasad,” defaulted on the $67 million note in December 2024. Pipeline then attempted to reclaim control of Resilience Healthcare’s books and records. When Resilience refused, that froze the “debt stack.”
A 2023 Real Deal article sheds light on Patlola’s financial situation. The mere fact that he needed to utilize a commercial mortgagebacked securities trust indicates he had lim-
The utility’s notice joins a notice from the Village of Oak Park, notifying the pub-
ited financing options.
As The Real Deal says in its December 2023 article, and other real estate and legal websites confirm, CMBS borrowers “have to go through a lengthy process with their special servicers before the debt can be modified,” unlike with a conventional bank mortgage. In order for modifications to go through, “bondholders must approve the changes through a trust, a process that the newspaper said, “can take borrowers up to a year or more.”
The longer a loan sits in special servicing, The Real Deal article said, “the larger the fees and interest it ha(s) to pay…” The default interest, the paper said, goes to the special servicer, not the bond holders.
lic that the hospital is closed due to having no working elevators.
“There’s a plan in place to try to get that resolved,” Kaplan told the judge regarding the elevator situation. He said
“We’re fully aware of confidentiality,” Kaplan said.
“All right,” Stanton said before moving onto the next case. “Everybody gets to take the temperature down.”
TODD BANNOR
Not Approved for Occupancy sign on door of West Suburban Hospital on June 22.
INTERVENTION
Celebrating 10 year from pa
“Art of Peace” celebration and exp
Panelists and hosts ofthe CRED, Metropolitan Peace Initiati Safe and Peaceful Communities and the Institute violence Chicago (INVC)
The Institute is an organization focused on gun violence prevention, intervention, and reduction Park, Back of the Yards and has its main of
After being established in 2016, the first outreach began operating in Austin because it had one ofthe highest homicide rates and highest shooting rates in the city time, according to Shunda Watts development and communications at the org
While the organization is the leading group for violence prevention in Austin, there are other organizations, such as BUILD Chicago and Life Changing Community Outreach, that operate and provide resources and progr ams to individuals in the area.
At the expo, during a panel discussion following the showing ofa short film, Watts Collins and other speakers praised the help they receive in collaboration with other org anizations.
Shunda Watts Collins, vice president of Communications & Development at the Institute of Nonviolence Chicago introduces a short lm at “ e Art of Peace: 10-Year CVI Anniversar y Celebration & Expo” on June 10.
“We move in one unit; we build the trust around each other,” said Nekenya Hardy, associate director ofoutreach and intervention.
T he victim count in Austin from Jan. 1 to June 20 of this year, compared to the same time period last year, has dropped in all categories except non-fatal shooting victimizations (+8.5%) and ag gravated assault victimizations (+19.7%), according to data from the City of
duction Dashboard.
hang e,” Watts Collins said. “That’s nterventions, the daily eng agement, as hen there is an incident, we are consistently wing up for families and for communities .” ts inception, the institute has seen a 72% decrease in shootings within Austin, down to 132 in 2025 from a count of 432 in 2016.
While outreach organizations have done a lot for Austhere is still a way to go. For example, following a eekend ofviolence across Chicago, an 18-year-old man died after being shot in Austin Saturday, on the 4800 est Quincy St. anks 14th out ofthe 77 neighborhoods in Chithe shooting victimization rate by community re about 145 shootings per 100,000 een June 2025 and May 2026.
ccording to the perceived neighborhood 50.1% ofadults in Austin report they feel safe in their neighborhood “all ofthe time” or “most ofthe time,” making it the 54th perceived safest neighborhood Chicago CRED Founder Arne Duncan, at the panel discussion, said doing work on the streets can be dangerous and risky, but there is an even greater risk in not doing this work. Duncan served as Secretary ofEducation in the Obama administration.
“It’s never done,” said Dennis Stanley, an outreach specialist for the institute in Austin. “It’s an ongoing process, and you gotta keep working.”
Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Report for America’s Local News Internship Program.
TODD BANNOR
Blue Line Central station reopenin pushed to 2031
Deadline also pushed back to reopen Cicero station
Lavergne Avenue entrance
By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Austinites will have to wait at least two additional years for the Blue Line Central Avenue station to reopen.
As the re gular Illinois General Assembly legislative wrapped up at the end of May, both houses passed a bill that made some changes to the transit funding and reform bill passed in the dead of night last Halloween.
The original bill mandated several projects throughout the Chicago area. On the West Side, it required CTA to reopen the Central Blue Line station, which was closed in 1973, no later than Jan. 1, 2029. It also required reopening of a “Leclair Avenue location” entrance by the same deadline. Leclaire Avenue doesn’t cross the Blue Line, but the Cicero Blue Line station’s west entrance, which has been closed since 1977, leads to Lavergne Avenue.
State Rep. Camille Lilly (D-78th) previ-
ously told Austin Weekly News that, as the transit bill was being developed, a of legislators got together and list of projects they beli neighborhoods and suburbs that ha seen much investment. The two Austin projects were on the list.
When asked about issue last December, Lilly said there was a possibility that drafting er the bill as legislators scrambled to it before the end of the 2025 veto session. She indicated that the General Assembly would clean up the language this year.
The trailer bill passed on May 31 mainly fixed typos and er rors, including correcting the location of the western Cicero Station entrance. But it also made more substantial changes, including moving the deadline for both projects to Jan. 1, 2031.
The Central station is located near Loretto Hospital, where Lilly is a long-time employee. It’s also within walking distance of Columbus Park and the factories and
Fire breaks out at Central and Division
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
A fire broke out Friday morning before 6:30 a.m. at the corner of Central and Division in Austin.
The blaze seemed to start in the kitchen area of Jay’s Backyard BBQ at 5604 W. Division St., causing the roof to col-
lapse. The fire then reportedly spread to three neighboring businesses, including another restaurant, a hair salon, and a smoke and vape shop
According to ABC7 Chicago, nearly 100 firefighters responded to the scene and there were no re ports of injuries.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
Cicero Blue Line el station’s Laverg ne Avenue entrance has been abandoned
50 years.
other industrial businesses south of the Eisenhower Expressway.
T he Laver ne Avenue entrance is closer to Michele Clark Magnet High School and Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development (BUILD) Chicago headquarters than the main Cicero Avenue entrance.
T he C entral station closed on Sept 2, 1973, as pa rt of the series of servic e c uts that mostly affected stations on the S outh and West Side s. CTA made the
Lave rgne Avenue entrance exit-only on Jan. 12, 1973, and closed it c ompletely on May 16, 1977
Since then, both structures have been sealed of f and left to decay.
Both versions of the bill require CTA to either renovate or rebuild the new structures. CTA would most likely need to bring the Central el station into Americans with Disabilities act compliance. Unlike most West Side Blue Line stations, it had stairs rather than ramps.
IGOR STUDENKOV
for almost
FASHION
Stories on the runway
from page 1
disabilities.
Kaelin Hall, a two-time gunshot survivor who traveled from Louisville, Kentucky, to attend Runway of Change, spoke about overcoming adversity and finding purpose, sharing how what he once thought was his ending ultimately became his beginning
“We’ re here to remind the world that God exists. The proof is right here in this room. Most of us have traveled from different places and come from different cultures, but we have one thing in common: we’re all disabled in some way,” Hall said.
Hall credited Mallory and Johnson with being guided to help create something larger than themselves and ultimately bigger than all involved, both individually and collectively
“I got on that Greyhound and you all don’ t even want to know what I had to go through on that Greyhound. That’s another story. T hank you all for advocating for us and for speaking up for us. T hank you all for creating space for us and for joining us and making us feel important today,” Hall said.
Tajea McCoy is a career leader and motivational speaker who addressed the audience at Runway of Chang e.
“Back in 2021, at the age of 19, I was shot in an attempted robber y. My mom was in the car and I was shot twice and grazed by a bullet. T he bullet that hit my shoulder is the one that caused my back injury. I have a spinal cord injury and I am paralyze from the chest down,” McCoy said.
Reflecting on becoming paralyzed, Mc Coy said she initially struggled to mak sense of the experience and came to understand that the hardest part of trauma is not the event itself, but the process of recovery and continuing forward.
Over time she found strength in maintaining a positive outlook, even whil questioning when it would be acce ptable to stop appearing strong for others.
“I realized that, by looking at the glass half full, you can always make everything better. When I was in the hospital, I always had this question, like, ‘Is she okay?’ Not because I was hurt, but because I was smiling,” McCoy said.
As McCoy adjusted to life in a wheelchair, she connected with many people who were going through similar experiences. Although she had known many of them through social media for three to five years, this was her first time meeting them in person.
“Getting to meet everybody in person makes it feel much more heartfelt. It gives you a better understanding of what everyone actually goes through behind the scenes. It made me realize how much the mental health aspect plays a role in the recovery process because I had never
stopped moving until I did,” McCoy said. McCoy said the depression eventually led to stress, illness and additional challenges that required her to return to rehabilitation to re gain her strength. She emphasized that mental health struggles had as much of an impact on her recovery as the physical injuries she sustained McCoy said visible aids such as wheelchairs, crutches and glasses are only
tools and that many of the most significant challenges people face are not immediately visible to others.
“Each injury is different. Every aspect of each and every one of us, our individuality, makes us who we are. So make sure you ask somebody who they are before you just look at them and assume you know. You might see a chair, but that’s not who we are or how we are,” McCoy said.
PHOTO S BY HECTO R CERVANTES
Austin residents share their concerns about housing
High proper ty taxes, rising rents and vacant lots also discussed
By IGOR STUDENKOV
Contributing Reporter
Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps got an earful from Austin residents who came to a meeting to discuss their concerns about housing and to find out what she can do to help
Stamps (D-1st) listened to about 25 residents and homeowners who assembled June 8 at Northwest Austin Council office, 5730 W. Division St. While she made no promises of solutions, she did promise to follow up with other relevant agencies.
Communities United, a social justice advocacy organization based in the Hermosa neighborhood, convened the meeting to give Austin homeowners and renters a chance to air their concerns. It invited Austin area elected officials to attend, but only Stamps, who lives in Austin, showed up. She arrived an hour into the evening meeting, something she blamed on a scheduling conflict with her day job at the Chicago Teachers Union.
Residents lamented rising property taxes and complained that they haven’t seen any improvements in service to show for it. They also complained about rising rents they struggled to afford, and county-owned lots. Stamps said that she would be willing to convene meetings that will include officials from the Cook County Land Bank Authority, Office of Cook County Assessor and other agencies that might be able to address their concerns directly.
Communities United describes itself as a “survivor-led, intergenerational racial justice organization” that “[develops] grassroots leadership to build collective power to achieve racial justice and transformative social change.”
According to organizer Fabian Cisneros, they have been working in Austin for the past seven years. He said that they mostly worked
in Austin schools, such as Michele Clark Magnet High School, but around 1 ½ years ago, they decided to expand their efforts to the broader community
Organizer Roxanne Smith said that the meeting was a culmination of months of “knocking on doors, speaking with residents about their housing concerns.” She also mentioned that they reached out to local schools She said that they found as many as 900 students are homeless – not necessarily in the sense that they don’t have any roof over the heard, but in the sense that they temporarily stay with friends or family members and don’t have a place to truly call their own.
“Tonight is the opportunity for neighbors to share their lived experiences,” Smith said.
Speaking through a translator, Maria Alvarez said that she and her husband were able to buy a home in Austin about two years ago. They were raising young children who simply didn’t have a space to play without disturbing their neighbors.
“During the first year of home ownership, we felt relief,” Alvarez said. “We felt proud because we were paying for something that belonged to us. The taxes were affordable and, for the first time, we felt stability.”
But since then, their property taxes almost doubled, and utility costs went up.
“We ask ourselves, where is [the property tax] money going?” Alvarez said. “Are they fixing Austin’s flood problems, improving our parks, fixing our streets or making the neighborhood safer? And I have more questions, like you, for the public officials, but, as you can see, they are not here.”
Maurice Todd said that as a single father he struggled to find an apartment with enough space for himself and his child that he could afford. He said that, as someone who mostly worked gigs that didn’t provide steady income, he struggled to show proof of stable income landlords wanted, let alone proof that he could make at least three times the rent on regular basis.
While there were periods where Todd could stay with the family, “due to some conflicts at home” he ended up homeless for 10 months Getting a steady job at Chicago Public Schools
created new problems – at $20 an hour, he was earning more than the maximum required to qualify for Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, so he had to spend more money on food and healthcare, and had less money available for rent.
“Affordable housing isn’t about just having a roof over your head – it’s about stability,” Todd said. “It creates an opportunity for families like mine to move from surviving to thriving.”
Cook County Land Bank Authority is a county agency that buys vacant properties and lots, tries to wipe out whatever debt may be attached to the property and sell it back to developers that would be willing to put it into productive use. CCLBA is governed by a 17-member board appointed by the Cook County Board President and confirmed by board commissioners, but commissioners don’t have much say over the organization’s day-to-day operations
Todd was one of the several residents who complained that CCLBA-owned lots seem to sit empty,
After Stamps was first appointed to the county board in 2023 to fill the vacancy created when Brandon Johnson was elected mayor, she kept her job as CTU’s administrator of New Teacher Development, and she continued to stay on after winning the 2024 election. She told the residents that she was late because she had to wrap up some virtual meetings connected to that job.
Stamps also said that she wasn’t notified about the meeting until earlier that day, something Smith denied. Still, she apologized for not making it earlier, adding that she makes every effort to be responsive and available.
“I show up, and I continue to show up,” Stamps said. “I have a very strong track re-
cord of being available to my constituents, my neighbors. “
Responding to the CCLBA question, she said that there have been several developments on authority-owned land in Austin and West Humboldt Park. But she suggested that it would be helpful to set up a meeting where residents could hear from land bank officials directly.
When asked about property taxes, Stamps noted that the county’s share of the property is relatively small compared to Chicago Public Schools and the City of Chicago. According to the Civic Federation analysis, as of 2023, CPS accounted for a little less than half of the tax bill, while the City of Chicago accounted for a little over 24% and the County’s share accounted for 10.3%.
“The county has not raised property taxes in 30 years,” Stamps added
Still, Stamps added that she recognized that the increasing property tax burden was a serious problem, and pointed to her record of holding workshops for residents to help them apply for exemptions and, in case of seniors, the “senior freeze.”
When asked about affordable housing, Stamps acknowledged that it was another important concern. But she also pointed out that the City of Chicago uses the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development definition of affordable rents, which is based on the average income in the entire six-county region rather than Austin specifically. This has historically meant that, in some South and West Side communities, the “affordable” rents were higher than rents in market-rate apartments.
“You have to be careful when you use terms like affordable housing,” Stamps said. “Affordable to whom?”
IGOR STUDENKOV
Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps (D-1st) addresses the crowd as organizer Roxanne Smith (middle) and Maurice Todd (right) look on
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3360 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION
CITIGROUP MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST INC. ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES
2007-AMC4, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE
Plaintiff vs. TERRY A. WATT AKA TERRY WATT; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendant 20 CH 1574 CALENDAR 63 NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on July 20, 2026, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell, in person, to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-02-115-035-0000.
Commonly known as 1424 North Central Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60651.
The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% (or 25% if so ordered in the Judgment of Foreclosure) down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property is sold AS IS subject to all liens or encumbrances. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the circuit court case record, property tax record and the title record to verify all information before bidding. IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563. (630) 4536960. 6710-188361 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3288684
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION SERVBANK, SB Plaintiff, -v.-
TASHIA GAINES, SEDRIC B
SMITH, JR. A/K/A SEDRIC B
SMITH, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendants 23 CH 06914 4203 WEST HARRISON STREET CHICAGO, IL 60624
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on September 9, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 20, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 4203 WEST HARRISON STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60624
Property Index No. 16-15-404046-0000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 333 West
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
Wacker Drive, Suite 1820, Chicago, IL, 60606. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc. com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC
333 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1820 Chicago IL, 60606
312-346-9088
E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com
Attorney File No. 22-09336IL_956098
Attorney Code. 61256
Case Number: 23 CH 06914 TJSC#: 46-1286
NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Case # 23 CH 06914 I3288839
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION NEIGHBORHOOD LENDING SERVICES, INC. Plaintiff vs. SHERIEKA T. LEWIS; HARRISON ROW TOWNHOME ASSOCIATION NORTH; NEIGHBORHOOD LENDING SERVICES, INC.; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON­RECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendant 25 CH 11847
CALENDAR 63 NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on July 27, 2026, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell, in person, to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate:
P.I.N. 16-13-132-017-0000 (old); 16-13-132-073-0000 (new). Commonly known as 2850 W. Harrison St., Unit B , Chicago, IL 60612. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection(g-1) of Section 189.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% (or 25% if so ordered in the Judgment of Foreclosure) down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property is sold AS IS subject to all liens or encumbrances. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check
the circuit court case record, property tax record and the title record to verify all information before bidding. IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563. (630) 4536960. 2970-220501
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION
TOWD POINT MORTGAGE TRUST 2018-5, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE Plaintiff, -v.-
MARIA CARMEN DEL CID, HOLGER A. DEL CID, UNIVERSITY VILLAGE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, US MORTGAGE RESOLUTION TRUST
Defendants 2024 CH 10948 947 W. COLLEGE PARKWAY CHICAGO, IL 60608
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 27, 2026, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 29, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 947 W. COLLEGE PARKWAY, CHICAGO, IL 60608
Property Index No. 17-20-232066-0000
The real estate is improved with a townhouse.
The judgment amount was $459,028.99.
Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees
required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, contact JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 30 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 3650, Chicago, IL, 60602 (312) 541-9710. Please refer to file number 24 1068. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc. com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC 30 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 3650 Chicago IL, 60602 312-541-9710
E-Mail: ilpleadings@johnsonblumberg.com
Attorney File No. 24 1068
Attorney Code. 40342
Case Number: 2024 CH 10948 TJSC#: 46-1085
NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Case # 2024 CH 10948 I3289313
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.
The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.
This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.
Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.
To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.
Submit events and see full calendar at austinweeklynews.com/events
Thursday, June 25 • 7pm 19th Century Club • 178 N. Forest Ave, Oak Park
LIFE AFTER THE BROADVIEW 6
A Community Conversation
Join Oak Park Trustee Brian Straw and attorney Chris Parente for a candid conversation about the Broadview 6 case, the dismissal of all remaining charges, and the personal, legal, and civic impact of a prosecution that drew national attention.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25 AT 7 PM
Moderated by veteran journalist Charlie Meyerson, the discussion will explore what happened, what was learned, and what comes next. Free and open to the public. Brian Straw
