Afternoon Edition: Where federal tax credits will boost affordable housing in Chicago

The Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp. is developing 5853 N. Broadway (left) in Edgewater into an estimated 90 affordable housing units. The Janet L. Smith Apartments in West Pullman (right) are being developed by the Interfaith Housing Development Corp.

Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶

In today’s newsletter, we’re looking into how two housing developments on opposite sides of the city are aiming to increase the number of affordable units for families in Chicago.

Plus, we’ve got reporting on the still undecided state’s attorney race, a Holi celebration and more community news you need to know. 👇

⏱️: A 7-minute read

— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)

TODAY’S TOP STORY

Affordable housing developments in Edgewater, West Pullman among those awarded low-income housing tax credits

Reporting by Elvia Malagón

Support for Chicagoans: Two housing developments on opposite sides of the city are aiming to increase the number of affordable units for families in Chicago.

The developments: The Janet L. Smith Apartments in West Pullman and the 5853 N. Broadway development in Edgewater are among 13 projects that will receive funding through the city’s allotment of federal low-income housing tax credits, according to an announcement from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office earlier this month.

Questions linger: The city did not respond to questions about how many total units the 13 projects — estimated to cost $562 million — will add to the city’s stock of affordable housing. In past years, it was estimated the city needs 120,000 affordable units.

Key context: The city continues to grapple with how to fund services to address homelessness. The Associated Press reported that the mayor’s “Bring Chicago Home” referendum officially failed Friday evening, after thousands more outstanding mail ballots for the March primary election were counted. The referendum would have raised the transaction tax on high-end property sales to generate $100 million in a year to combat homelessness.

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WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Ravenswood Shooting — Chicago police work the scene in the 5900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue where an 11-year-old boy was killed and his mother was stabbed on March 13.

Parole official quits: LeAnn Miller, a state parole official, has resigned after approving the release of a convicted felon who allegedly stabbed a former girlfriend and killed her 11-year-old son just a day after leaving prison.
State’s attorney race undecided: Clayton Harris III keeps chiseling away at Eileen O’Neill Burke’s lead in the race for Cook County state’s attorney as Chicago election officials continued counting mail-in ballots Sunday.
After referendum’s failure: “When voters send a message through their vote, we have a responsibility to listen, even if we disagree,” the city’s Progressive Caucus said in a statement released Monday after news of the “Bring Chicago Home” referendum’s defeat.
Boeing CEO departing: Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will step down at the end of the year, capping a tumultuous five-plus years that have shaken faith in the manufacturer, the Associated Press reports.
Remembering David van Dyck: Mr. van Dyck, a former Sun-Times journalist, was one of the most respected sportswriters in Chicago. He had a gift for getting to know behind-the-scenes people who tipped him to scoops and gave his reporting depth. He died at age 76, his family said.
On trading Justin Fields: Bears general manager Ryan Poles told reporters Monday that trading the Bears’ quarterback was “probably one of the harder things I’ve had to do.”

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR 👋

Stephanie Cristello, curator

Curator Stephanie Cristello at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum at 40 E. Erie St. in River North.

Reporting by Stefano Esposito

Stephanie Cristello, 32, is the curator of the Driehaus Museum’s recently opened contemporary art exhibition “Twin Flame, Double Ruin.”

Cristello embraces the daring side of assembling contemporary art in places where you probably wouldn’t expect to see it — like the Driehaus Museum, where silk damask wall coverings share space with polished walnut and oak.

Last year, Cristello wanted to start showing art at her home. So she invited a Switzerland-based artist to Chicago. They embedded glow-in-the-dark “radioactive” crystals in the concrete floor of her two-car garage in Wicker Park. She says that was to re-create a portion of the cosmos.

Then, she tosses this out: “I want to do an underwater, underground exhibit — that would be great.”

Cristello isn’t going for shock. Her strength lies in her ability to connect with artists whose work she wants to display.

As a kid, Cristello, who is Canadian, traveled to Italy and Greece to see family and got to see the artistic treasures at the Vatican and the Uffizi gallery in Florence and experience the architectural power of the Acropolis in Athens. That helped form the lens through which she views contemporary art — connecting the ancient past to today.

She studied contemporary art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. But she was a writer first — for arts magazines and journals — before moving into curating more than 10 years ago.

“I’m the curator you call when you’re doing something really weird and want to make it work,” Cristello says.

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BRIGHT ONE ✨

Colored powder floats in the air as an attendee laughs during a Holi celebration Saturday at Navy Pier.

Holi festival brings celebration of color, community to Navy Pier

Reporting by Erica Thompson

If you ventured to Navy Pier on Saturday afternoon, you may have seen splotches of bright colors on coats or vibrant handprints on hoodies as Chicagoans celebrated Holi — the Hindu festival of colors that marks the beginning of spring.

Chromatic clouds rose from the Navy Pier Beer Garden as a crowd of people slung bags of brightly dyed powder at each other.

Hosted at Navy Pier since 2018, the free Holi celebration also featured DJs spinning Indian music and American pop songs, as well as performances inside the Aon Grand Ballroom. Part of the pier’s Global Connections series, the event was presented by ComEd and supported by several organizations, including the Patel Brothers Indian grocery chain.

Organizers said 4,000 to 5,000 people usually attend, depending on weather, which was at least sunny despite the chilly temperature this year.

But the event is deeper than an excuse to party. Attendees said that Holi is a time to celebrate the triumph of good over evil and praised the festival for bringing people together from all walks of life.

Holi attendee Priyas Patel said he was happy to see other people beyond those of Indian heritage at the event.

“I think that’s how we should celebrate all of the festivals from all cultures,” said Patel, 22, of Albany Park, who also said that Holi — officially celebrated Monday — reminds him to “find happiness in small things.”

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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

In your opinion, what city — in the U.S. or worldwide — is most similar to Chicago? Tell us why.

Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!

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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
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