Ashland Ave What Happened ??? Gentrification Tour

Conversation ends with Kugler reflecting on the broader societal changes and wishing his audience a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

SubX.News® on-the-spot reporting

Under Renaissance 2010, Richard M. Daley (starting in 2005) and the Chicago Public Schools closed over 80 public schools, and sought to create 100 charter schools by 2010. These schools were to be held accountable for test score performance through 5-year contracts while following one of three governance structures: charter, contract, or performance.
https://web.archive.org/web/20090227041442/http://ren2010.cps.k12.il.us/general_info.shtml#gi1

Schools close, violence spikes. Chicago Sun-Times, pp. 20A-21A (2006, March 13)
http://informationliberation.com/?id=7858

Documentary: Re-forming Englewood [Radio Broadcast]: WBEZ 91.5 FM, Chicago. Oct 4, 2006 http://chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=406

Entrepreneurship Training for Inner City Youth Oct 19 2006 https://ijme.us/cd_06/PDF/EN%20401-114.pdf

Students as Collateral Damage? Preliminary Study of Renaissance 2010 School Closings in the Midsouth Jan 2007 https://scribd.com/document/29385888/Midsouth-Initial-Report-1-31-07

Entrepreneurship Training for Inner City Youth 2006 https://ijme.us/cd_06/PDF/EN%20401-114.pdf

Delayed Ren 2010 report offers lessons for school startups By John Myers On Tuesday, April 21, 2009
https://web.archive.org/web/20090509101045/http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/293/Delayed_Ren_2010_report_offers_lessons_for_school_startups

Daley-backed schools not standouts, study says
by Anthonia Akitunde April 23, 2009
https://web.archive.org/web/20090427114201/http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=127029

Daley school plan fails to make grade January 17, 2010
https://chicagotribune.com/2010/01/17/daley-school-plan-fails-to-make-grade/

You pray at the altar of greed! December 20, 2011
https://dailykos.com/stories/2011/12/20/1047454/-

Decade of Mayoral Sabotage of Bronzeville Public Schools January 11, 2012 https://dailykos.com/stories/2012/1/11/1052922/-

In the Loop 406, Part 1 of 3 – South Chicago Development (October 9, 2014) WYCC PBS Chicago
https://youtu.be/CRKgIsoAfKI

Chicago aldermen demand hearings on lead contamination in schools by John Kugler June 13, 2016
https://substancenews.net/articles.php?page=6416

Mis Amigas! Gentrification Sabotages Hispanic Programs in Chicago August 21, 2016 https://dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/21/1562390/-Mi-Amigas-Gentrification-Sabotages-Hispanic-Programs-in-Chicago

Chicago sabotaging swimming program and water polo teams at Harrison Park by removing the coach whose teams have dominated the city for years… Is gentrification behind it?… August 21, 2016
https://substancenews.net/articles.php?page=6493

Gang power in Chicago politics and Illinois prisons… Marching, prayers and tears won’t identify Chicago’s drug gang murder problems and therefore won’t solve them… Whether evasions of corruption, ignoring the PEOPLE and the FOLKs leads to the same results! George N. Schmidt – January 03, 2017
https://substancenews.net/articles.php?page=6633

With opening of new $85 million Englewood high school, hope amid decades of disappointment By Yana Kunichoff Sept 1, 2019 https://chalkbeat.org/chicago/2019/9/1/21108824/with-opening-of-new-85-million-englewood-high-school-hope-amid-decades-of-disappointment/

With zero students, another Englewood high school slated to close By Yana Kunichoff Nov 27, 2019
https://chalkbeat.org/chicago/2019/11/27/21109302/with-zero-students-another-englewood-high-school-slated-to-close/

[ Closed School Sold for $1 ] This is how gentrification works in a big city May 26, 2021 https://facebook.com/share/p/1XNUgSbSx4/?mibextid=Nif5oz

CPS Ends Renaissance 2010 But 17 Years Too Late For Lil Man by The Chicago Reporter June 22, 2021
https://chicagoreporter.com/cps-ends-renaissance-2010-but-17-years-too-late-for-lil-man/

Chicago Tribune: Violence spike of 2020 widened familiar safety gap between city neighborhoods, University of Chicago Crime Lab analysis shows 07/28/2021 https://civicengagement.uchicago.edu/news/chicago-tribune-violence-spike-of-2020-widened-familiar-safety-gap-between-city-neighborhoods-university-of-chicago-crime-lab-analysis-shows

No More Excuses – CAUSE: Press Conference 5/15/22 @ The Juvenile Temporary Detention Center https://facebook.com/share/v/1DuAqPoeTt/

Broken Promises – Abandoned School in the Heart of Chicago – 5800 South Throop Englewood Chicago (July 7 2022) https://facebook.com/share/v/1Ei3xJEvzP/?mibextid=Nif5oz

West side of Chicago Melody Elementary School closed down and abandoned Oct 11, 2022 https://facebook.com/share/v/15rGjxr9ma/

Gentrification of an Entire City … Changing History
December 5, 2022 3:20 pm on Location Closed Dett Elementary School 2306 W. Maypole Ave
https://facebook.com/share/v/1CzjyeNVDp/

Modern-Day Colonization: Chicago Public Schools Caught Lying and Replacing Black students with Migrants in a Closed School by john kugler Jan 2, 2023 https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1830864468630212668

Black Community residents are tired of being disrespected and ignored – 64th University Press Conference about migrants having a shelter in the closed Woodlawn Elementary School Jan 5, 2023
https://facebook.com/share/v/18iFQiA7tu/

Mayor Lightfoot is pausing plans now to house migrants in a vacant school building in the Woodlawn neighborhood Jan 5, 2023 10:14 pm https://facebook.com/share/v/15VMFhZhBi/

Chicago Public Schools grapples with a spike in after-school killings By Sarah Karp, Nader Issa, Ola Giwa and Matt Kiefer Feb 13, 2023 https://wbez.org/education/2023/02/13/chicago-public-schools-grapples-with-a-spike-in-after-school-killings

Climate Gentrification: Resilient Real Estate is the reason Chicago is Moving People Out for the New Folks Moving In by John Kugler – March 12, 2023 https://subx.news/climate-gentrification-resilient-real-estate-is-the-reason-chicago-is-moving-people-out-for-the-new-folks-moving-in/

Hump Day Night Ride: Gentrification of an Entire City it’s Here September 20th 2023 https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1704718888410263563

Development Council Choosing McKinley Park Migrant Housing Sites by Justin Kerr October 17, 2023 https://mckinleypark.news/news/4481-development-council-choosing-mckinley-park-migrant-housing-sites

Players of Change: Gentrification of an Entire City (part 2) Nov 29th 2023 11:45 pm https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1730181593770156117

Where the Money is At …Fulton market Street December 22nd 2023
https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1738370570524192833

Some crony ass shit 8:52 AM · Jan 22, 2024
https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1749444902960631902

Duplicity … Let it Go … Non-Union Non-CPS School … January 22nd 2024 approximately 11:00 am https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1749484886757360039

Migrant Agents of Gentrification …23rd and Halsted migrant update January 24th 2024-7:20 pm https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1750345272545231180

Crime is Up in Chicago according to the Department of Justice … “We are all in on reversing the rise in violent crime”… Said Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco (4/17/24) https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1780824422355456115

Lying Liberal Killers … Paying $100 Million for Black Blood on the Streets of Chicago 3:30 PM · Jul 11, 2024 https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1811498293567885390

Progressive Destruction … Dett Demolition … appx 8pm July 29, 2024 Oakley and Lake https://facebook.com/share/v/1MMveeLRiB/

Closed down Calhoun School 11:11 PM · Aug 13, 2024
https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1823573247914389844

Crime is Up, They Say So September 11, 2024 https://subx.news/crime-is-up-they-say-so/

Englewood High School student arrested for bringing guns to school, school says Sept 23, 2024
https://actionnewsjax.com/news/local/englewood-high-school-student-arrested-bringing-guns-school-school-says/RUORVCCA3RBBBGV5ZZWM2YGVP4/

Gentrification is Bad for Business in Chicago
October 8, 2024 https://subx.news/gentrification-is-bad-for-business-in-chicago/

Who’s Helping the Community … Night Run … Chicago Economy Crime and Migrant Update 10pm October 28th 2024 https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1851359085977092511

Yuppies In, Schools and Churches Out … Early morning ride 427 a.m. Chicago November 29th https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1863264467531804789

NGO Corruption … the Damen silo sale was allowed by the McKinley Park Development Council … a fake organization used as a front for gentrification and pushing out working families from the area 3:40 PM · Dec 5, 2024 https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1864786855213900075

‘Everybody started fighting’: At least 100 students in brawl at Englewood high school 5 arrested, 4 officers injured December 13, 2024 https://youtu.be/FUL_izf4U30

Abandoned Businesses Entire Corner 94th and Ashland

Abandoned Walgreens 87th and Ashland

Abandoned CVS 8025 S Ashland

Abandoned CVS 59th and Ashland

Sleeping in the rain outside of an abandoned hot dog stand 76th and Ashland

Burned Out Apartment Buildings 67th and Ashland

Scumbagg Politician Andre Smith and Pinocchio sign on abandoned building and empty lots 55th and Ashland

1 Comments

  1. Tommy Walton on January 1, 2025 at 3:22 pm

    I grew up in this part of town in the 70’s. It was beautiful then.
    It’s truly heartbreaking to see the sad and disheartening demise of the once great SouthSide of Chicago.

    It’s like looking at a lost city. A ghost town. The lifeless ruins of what once was a bustling black metropolis. An important and vital corridor of commercial activity, with churches, schools, community centers. A cornucopia of businesses, retail shopping, fabric stores, restaurants, record shops, beauty salons and movie theaters. All gone. Erased without a trace of the rhythm of life, and the sounds of music that once pulsated up and down Ashland from 95th street to 87th, to 79th and on up to the 63rd and Ashland Green Line El Station.
    This was my stomping ground as a kid. Piano Lessons, Ice Cream Parlors, Boy Scouts, Candy Shops, Bakeries, Roller Skating at Saint Sabina, and Block Parties with Dance Contests and Ice Cream Socials. Gone, and completely forgotten by almost everyone.

    We moved to Chicago in 1969 when I was 5 yrs old.. My mother was a very popular beautician, and owned The Classic Beauty Salon at 8004 S. Ashland for 40 years. When we moved to 1504 west 81st street, we were the first black family in the building. The landlord was a very strict German lady, and only rented our one bedroom apartment to my Mother, because she was pretty, had a light complexion and long straightened hair. I went to school at Timothy Lutheran School at 83rd and Hermitage.
    We attended two churches. One Black. One White.
    Providence Baptist Church, ( The big church with the steepleat 84th & Ashland, where I sang my first solo in the gospel choir) and Timothy Lutheran, where I attended 4th-8th grade, was taught by strict, and borderline cruel German teachers, and disciplinarians and became a Boy Scout. In 1979, I graduated 8th grade at Timothy. There were 15 students in that graduating class, the largest in the school’s history.

    The neighborhood was a vital and safe place to grow up. In the summertime, kids wandered freely from house to house, street to street, park to park and all ran home, when the street lights came on at 9pm. I graduated from Luther High School South at 87th and Kedzie in 1980.
    Carl Lewis, the Olympian Gold Medalist Track & Field runner came from LHSS.
    That once prestigious school, populated by the children of the city’s most sophisticated and well connected black families, and also the conservative and strict old-school German-American families of Beverly and Marquette Park, has since been torn down.

    It is now a tragic example of the failure of our educational system, municipal and government bureaucracy, and a diabolical, calculated neglect upon the very people of color who gave Chicago part of it’s soul and undeniable character.

    Thank you for highlighting the blight that has tarnished the once amazing Ashland Avenue.

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