CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An 11-day “occupation” of a lot slated for development in Uptown ended Wednesday morning when Chicago police evicted a group of housing activists.
They’ve been occupying what had been a parking lot at Weiss Memorial Hospital at Wilson Avenue and Marine Drive, which was sold to a developer.
The activists included Adam Gottlieb with the Chicago Union of the Homeless.
“We are saying, ‘Enough is enough’ to gentrification,” Gottlieb said. “We are saying that gentrification is genocide, that we’ve seen it for over 50 years in this community.”
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Some people who live in a nearby camp under DuSable Lake Shore Drive joined the activists. Gottlieb said any development on the site should prioritize them.
“We need community access to housing and health care,” he said. “That means affordable housing, low-cost to no cost. If they’re going to build any housing on this lot, they should give it, for free, to the people living under the viaduct right there.
The site has won city approval for a 314-unit development by Lincoln Property Company — with eight affordable units.
“We’re here to make some noise, because they might have kicked us out today, but this ain’t over,” Gottlieb said.
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