Chicago has a brand new ward map today, and political representation in the South Loop is shaping up to be much different than it used to be.

It’s unclear exactly when the new map will take effect — some say not until 2015, others say immediately. But while Ald. Bob Fioretti says he’ll be hanging around the 2nd Ward until 2015, he’ll probably have some company over the next three years as Ald. Will Burns (4th) tries to ingratiate himself to his new constituents in Dearborn Park and Printers Row and Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) works with voters in her newly expanded turf south of Roosevelt Road.

Chicago Journal had a chance to talk to both of them about their new wards on Thursday. Here’s what they had to say.

“I feel very comfortable with representing folks in the South Loop. I represented them as a member of the [Illinois] House of Representatives and was very active in the South Loop, and I’m familiar with some of the major institutions — the Greater South Loop Association, Columbia College…

“You have to be visible, you have to be out in the community and sit down with folks and talk to them and listen to what their issues are. I would hope that folks in the South Loop remember my time in the house, and stances I took, and recognize that in many respects there are similarities between me and Bob Fioretti. We’re both hard-working aldermen who care about their community and work hard to ensure that the city’s responsive to the demands of constituents. So I’m looking forward to getting to know the folks in the South Loop over the next three years.”

“I’m satisfied with the new 3rd Ward map. Obviously, I’d like to have had things remain the way they are, but there are a lot of good residential areas, some school issues I’m aware of. I believe I’ll be busy.

“I think Fioretti is going to have to talk to his constituents about his perspective on what happened. I can’t speak to that. I can only speak to the high level of services, and that I am going to be an alderman who’s successful.

“I’ve represented my portion of the South Loop well. I think that the votes that I received in that community in the last election indicate that, and I anticipate that I’ll be providing the same or better services to my new constituents.

“I don’t think anyone likes this map. But it’s a map that we had to deal with and make some changes because the population’s changed over the last 10 years.

“I didn’t negotiate with Bob. I don’t know where Bob was during the process. I was part of a caucus, the Black Caucus. I talked to him about it. I told him I didn’t blow up his map.

“I have to really look at that new area in more detail, but the first thing I plan to do is reach out to some of the organizations, condo associations, civic groups, choices, and make sure they get to know who I am.”

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By Another SL Parent from South Loop
Posted: 02/01/2012 2:56 PM

NTA is a low performing school. SLS was a failing school not 8 years back. There is no magic formula for turning a school around. The change in student population led to the rise in expectations and challenges that the administrators and teachers are meeting. The same can happen in NTA if the schools are merged and people start placing their kids there and getting involved to make things better. I'm not the use of Jones building, just not sure how realistic it is.

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By Another SL Parent from South Loop
Posted: 02/01/2012 2:40 PM

"You spent years tearing down any potential white leaders in the South Loop community. The black politicians laugh at you, rip your community..." is a racist statement, even if the reverse wasn't true. It does not promote dialogue and certainly does not represent me or any of my white neighbors here. I'm glad people like him are gone also. I do agree that newspapers still misrepresent votes in the style of the 80's based on race and that needs to stop.

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By Randy from Sloop
Posted: 02/01/2012 0:04 AM

Those of us that live in the Sloop things just got worse. These two alderman only care about their racial political agenda. Mariano is a Perfect example. We lost Daley and now to aldermen that could care less about the sloop. We got bent over. Fioretti, who could care less about the sloop, just got better looking. Don't be surprised if these empty condo's in the sloop go section 8. First we lost Daley and now this.

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By A parent from South Loop
Posted: 01/27/2012 10:03 PM

NTA is a low performing school with great school rating of 2 out of 10. SLS has rating of 8. These rating primarily based on Illinois standard test. Current SLS parents strongly opposed the idea moving to NTA in 2010. I support the idea moving students to current Jones College Prep. Now they are in different ward. Those who cheer because you like current 3rd or 4th ward alderman, there is no guarantee they will be elected for the next 10 years. We have no voting power as a neighborhood.

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By JP
Posted: 01/27/2012 1:44 PM

Not many in boundary. Numbers that have been tossed around are about 100 in boundary out of a total pop. Of 400 or so in a school that could accommodate 1000 students

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By Curious about NTA from South Loop
Posted: 01/27/2012 9:11 AM

Speaking of NTA, what % of students are coming from other neighborhoods? It seems that the folks who actually live in the South Loop will not send their kids there for some reason (no one in our building sends their kids there and it would be about 1.5 block walk for them). Are there plans to move up the boundaries or build a new school?

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By Brad from South Loop
Posted: 01/27/2012 6:30 AM

Whoever Matt Wos is, it sounds like he has a guilty conscience. That Former SL post sure got under his skin. I didn't see anything racist there, just an observation about racial politics. Calling someone a racist because you don't agree with them does not advance dialogue, but is clearly meant to try to shut people up. This weeks editorial is another example. That type of race baiting and shaming from this paper and others only maintains barriers and nurses resentments.

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By Skeptic from Which ward?
Posted: 01/26/2012 11:25 PM

Regarding School situation, Dowell needs to get out of the way of NTA and let the market need determine what the build for. She seems to care more about "black caucus" than Chicago citizens.

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By Claudeah from United Center
Posted: 01/26/2012 6:48 PM

To Former SL, if you are so glad to be gone, why do you still care?

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By Matt Wos from South Loop
Posted: 01/26/2012 6:10 PM

To Former South Loop Resident-I am so glad your ignorant racist self has moved from this wonderful community. I grew up in this area (I happen to be the race you mention) and I have no idea what you are refering to. Clearly, you are a bigot who couldn't handle the diverse multi-cultural community we have here. Fioretti deserves credit. All Alderman do. That is a difficult, often thankless job. My opposition to him has been based on his positions & nothing else. "Baaa" signed- the sheep.

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By Former South Loop Resident from Outside of Chicago
Posted: 01/26/2012 1:07 PM

Sorry to feel sorry for the white residents of the South Loop. You spent years tearing down any potential white leaders in the South Loop community. The black politicians laugh at you, rip your community to shreds, empty your pocketbooks, and then demand your vote. And you give it to them because you now have no choice. You are sheep. Your past shortsightedness and jealousies are the cause of your current ruin. Good luck with that. I'm glad to be gone.

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By Another SL Parent from South Loop
Posted: 01/26/2012 11:04 AM

I have to agree with Informed Voter. The problems of overcrowding at SL School may be better addressed now that SLS and NTA are in one ward. Let's face it. We are not building a new school anytime soon and there won't be any way to expand SLS. Some form of NTA merger is our quickest rout to not cramming 40 kids in each classroom and perhaps bringing the gifted program back. We have lived in the 3rd ward for a decade and have personally found Dowell to be engaged, informed and active.

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By Informed Voter from South Loop
Posted: 01/26/2012 9:02 AM

South Loop Parent, it is the case now that most of the South Loop School attendance boundary is not in the 2nd Ward. School attendance boundaries do not match exactly up to ward boundaries. All of Chicago has this issue. An advantage of the South Loop School moving to the 3rd Ward is that the Alderman will be able to advocate for both SLS and NTA - both elementary schools that serve the South Loop/Near South Side area.

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By A parent from South Loop
Posted: 01/26/2012 0:21 AM

I agree that the new map purposely divide our community so that we have little voting power in any of the wards. For example, the south loop school is in new 3rd ward, but the school admission boundary is north of 18th street. It only covers about 1/6 of the 3rd ward area. Why would the alderman care about our school if little voters in the ward go to that school? If we all agree that this map is terrible, anyone has any idea how we can organize and fight?

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By Informed Voter from South Loop
Posted: 01/25/2012 11:21 PM

Anon/SLR/name-of-the-moment - my bad, sorry for attempting to bring some intelligence and rationality to this discussion. I have no agenda, what is yours? I'm just saying 1) there were no "good old days" when the South Loop wasn't divided into multiple wards and 2) give Alderman Dowell a chance. What is so controversial about that? If Fioretti was so great why did he do so poorly in the South Loop in the last election? Look up the election results if you don't believe me.

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By Anon from 1:01 from The Original South Loop
Posted: 01/25/2012 9:44 PM

Pluto, I want to apologize, you and I actually agree on this 100%. I meant that Dowell thought that the south loop stopped going north at Roosevelt. I do t care what anyone says about her being involved in the south loop, she couldn't be. She doesn't know where it is. Informed voter- you clearly work for dowell. Please don't insult us with a denial. the best evidence of this is that you also clearly do not understand how to read a map or know where the south loop.  The greater community has been divided into 3 wards, not 2.  This was done not to better serve the community, but to preserve the number of African American representatives on the city council.  Thats straight from dowells mouth. Mike- were trying, this dialogue is part of it. Mot sure where you are from, but we voted out one alderman who didnt do what we wanted and now the black city council reps and Latino city council reps, who our ward cannot vote for, divided up our community so that we represent a very small % of the population in each of their 3 wards.  We're fighting, trust me

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By Informed Voter from South Loop
Posted: 01/25/2012 9:02 PM

No spin, SLR, and no Chicken Little here. Just a rational, independent resident of the South Loop. I'm looking forward to a change from both Haithcock and Fioretti. Although I do agree that it would have been nice to have all of the South Loop in one ward.

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By South Loop Resident from South Loop
Posted: 01/25/2012 7:05 PM

Looks like alderman dowell has her spin masters working these boards... Dowell was recently quoted in the tribune as only being concerned about black political power... Not good news for South Loop people who are not preoccupied with the same thing.

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By Informed Voter from South Loop
Posted: 01/25/2012 1:37 PM

Second of all, please give Alderman Dowell a chance. I currently live in the 2nd Ward, across the street from the 3rd Ward. I have dealt with the ward offices of both the 2nd and 3rd wards. Dowell's office has been great, even though I don't live in her ward. I have also attended CAPS meetings for my district that spans both the 2nd and 3rd Wards. Dowell's staff attended the CAPS meetings I attended, while Fioretti's did not. You will be impressed by the responsiveness of Dowell and her staff.

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By Informed Voter from South Loop
Posted: 01/25/2012 1:30 PM

Wait a minute, guys. First of all, the South Loop/Near South Side is already split into two wards, the 2nd and the 3rd. In the new map, we will be split into the 3rd and the 4th. There was never was a time in recent history when we were all in one ward. Additionally, the current 2nd ward was already a gerrymandered mess of the Near West and South sides. At least going forward the 3rd and 4th wards are all in the Near South Side.

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By Dave from South Loop
Posted: 01/24/2012 11:24 AM

This is going to be worse then even Haithcock. At least with Haithcock the ward residents had power because they shared one Alderman. Here they divided us into three. South Loop disenfranchised by dividing us then anchoring us to distant wards.

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By mike
Posted: 01/23/2012 5:37 PM

Even Detroit has higher standards than the SL. http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120123/METRO01/201230378/Suspended-Inkster-judge-s-hearing-draws-large-crowd?odyssey=mod|mostview

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By mike
Posted: 01/23/2012 5:33 PM

I find it very typical of Chicagoans to constantly whine and complain when your politicians control your lives without your say in the matter. If you all "claim" to be so smart and educated why don't you protest or unite to make your politicians work FOR YOU? in any other "educated" city this wouldn't be happening. Stop whining and do something about! TAKE ACTION or be quiet!

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By Zeke from SL
Posted: 01/23/2012 5:13 PM

I live in the SL and think Dowell has been a responsive alderman so far.

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By Pluto from Near South
Posted: 01/23/2012 2:11 PM

Allen, can you read and Comprehend? "The CAAP builds upon the vision for the central area articulated in the 2003 Central Area Plan..... It was adopted by the Chicago Plan Commission on August 20, 2009." They hosted many pulic presentations on this throughout Chicago in 2009. Theey go through this process every 10-20 years (you can find growth versions from 1960-'s through the 2003) and revise or build on previous plans. The 2009 is latest and greatest based on 2009, not 2003 as you state.

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By Allen from South Loop
Posted: 01/23/2012 2:04 PM

Pluto - the plan is from 2003 and they "adopted" it in 2009 with no changes to it yet. It's been almost a decade. It is not the end all be all of documents, it's just a guide. You must be the only person from this planet that thinks South Loop ends at Roosevelt, so what it is, 3 square blocks from Congress only? Oh, that's right, you're not from here.. Pluto.

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By Pluto from Near South
Posted: 01/23/2012 1:41 PM

Anon, 1/23 1:01am - A small nit, but here is some official information that supports what the city planners use, and this is from 2010. http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/central_area_action_plan.html........................................You might want to research your claims before decrying people wrong. Whether we like it or not, the ones extending 'South Loop' past Roosevelt were Developers & Real Estate agents who want you to feel better about your purchase.

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By Jon from South Loop
Posted: 01/23/2012 7:37 AM

Well said Cole. This map is terrible and was only drawn to protect incumbents (except apparently for Fioretti) and to make sure that the City Council has the "proper" racial balance. The voters who wanted their neighborhoods in one ward as much as possible got screwed.

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By Cole from South Loop
Posted: 01/23/2012 7:13 AM

Neither Burns nor Dowell has any interest in representing the South Loop. The South Loop is a small part of each of their new wards. These maps were just drawn to put enough South loopers into their wards to make up for the African American voters who left the city in the last ten years. Instead of keeping neighborhoods together, the council decided to protect incumbents and perpetuate racial politics. So sad.

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By Anon from South loop
Posted: 01/23/2012 1:01 AM

Pluto, you are just plain wrong. The city planners used to say that the south loops southern boundary was roosevelt and south of Roosevelt was the near south. Now, everything from congress to the expressway is considered the greater south loop

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By Allen from South Loop
Posted: 01/22/2012 10:29 PM

Map? The world was flat at one point; city planners comment you are incorrect.

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By Pluto from Near South
Posted: 01/22/2012 8:23 PM

Actually, as much as I agree on all the comments here, Dowell is correct in one thing, the South Loop technically stops at Roosevelt in the eyes of city planners and maps.

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By D & I from South Loop
Posted: 01/22/2012 8:14 PM

Eve, u are correct; the 2nd Ward has become model diverse neighborhoods based on one thing, responsible professionals of all age, race, and backgrounds striking out for a unique neighborhood. Now, we are a mix of red & blue dots on the census map. The reward for our belief in diversity, patience, and tolerance is to become expendable pawns for the protection of cowardly segregationist Alderman in other AA, Hispanic, and Caucasian. Yet we are told voting (D) means progressive & enlighted...ok

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By Allen from South Loop
Posted: 01/22/2012 3:29 PM

It's not about Dowell caring more for the South Loop, in reality this is where the focus has been recently as investors come out of the worst economy of our generation. The support for affordable or Public Housing in the 3rd/4th ward MUST STOP NOW. IT'S ENOUGH. It will continue to stop development in your neighborhoods as well as ours. Even within the South Loop itself there is a huge stigma with the former ickes site that people only recently see the vision/potential now that it is gone.

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By Concerned Mom from 3rd ward Region Homeowner
Posted: 01/22/2012 2:29 PM

Paul we do not believe that Pat Dowell is working for the best interests of homeowners in our area either. She wants to drown our area with low income public housing residents. We feel like she cares more for your area than ours. Why was her base extended to people who did not vote for her. Let me guess, it was the black caucus. Well I\'m black and I would prefer an alderman that supports the homeowners on both ends of her ward.

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By Janet from South Loop
Posted: 01/22/2012 11:48 AM

It's racist plain and simply. haven't we moved past segregation and racist politics? The city councilmen seem to think we citizens vote based on race and elect councilmen based on race. Citizens of Chicago have proven otherwise. www.examiner.com for similar thoughts.

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By Boxer from South Loop
Posted: 01/22/2012 11:02 AM

Paul - good point; however Motor Row was not split up into two. You will see that 4th Ward has everything from Roosevelt down to 24th Street including Michigan and Indiana (West Side of the Street). 3rd Ward grabbed everything EAST of Motor Row.

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By Paul from Near West
Posted: 01/22/2012 9:48 AM

I do not believe that Pat Dowell or Will Brown will work for the South Loop's best interest. For example, I think they may abandon the Motor Row redevelopment in favor of FAR SOUTH projects, while using SL as bargaining tool with other concerns. I have noticed that Motor row is now SPLIT between these two wards. The people of SL will just have to get them out of office.

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By Eve Kronen from South Loop
Posted: 01/21/2012 6:13 PM

My initial post has not posted. So here we go. Did they ever ask the constituents what they thought of the remap? Holding a few meetings does not cut it. Want diversity? Have they looked at the 2nd ward? South of Roosevelt 17 years ago nothing here. Then a few came to Wabash & before you knew it, a gem in the rough appeared. SL great place to live work play & we do. Every culture you can imagine is here. Every income level is here. So why is it changing? It's not broke; what's to fix?

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By Eve Kronen from S Loop
Posted: 01/21/2012 3:56 PM

Let me clarify..so annoyed I wrote confusing dialogue. I know we are currently split. Just think what this will cost in changing all the stationary, websites, business cards, etc etc anyone recognize we do not want to spend more on government then we have too? Okay I'm done. Sorry I missed the meeting today at GSLA - personal emergency.

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By Matt from South loop - new 4th
Posted: 01/21/2012 12:49 PM

Pat said she didn't know the south loop extended beyond Roosevelt. Awesome. Burns didn't bother to show up to the GSLA meeting. Sweet. Pat said that the black caucus made the changes (divided up the south loop) because African Americans were going to lose 2 seats. Thankfully, Ald. Fioretti reminded the audience that we voted out Haithcock because she cared more about serving developers that residents. 5 years ago, the south loop and west loop residents decided we needed someone to represent our interests, and now, the black caucus has responded by dividing us up to take away our representation in the city council

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By Boxer from South Loop
Posted: 01/21/2012 8:25 AM

I like Dowell, but I had an issue about her holding us and Mariano's hostage for over a year in not allowing them to move forward with their 16th/Clark store until things were settled with Mariano's plans for 35th street area. She will need to learn how to serve both communities together, but understand there are 2 separate, if not 3 (Motor Row) neighborhoods that have different needs.

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By SReginald from South Loop
Posted: 01/20/2012 7:07 PM

This is all you need to know where Dowell is in regard to serving residents. It will be a long few years. Will see what she has to say tomorrow. “I didn’t negotiate with Bob. I don’t know where Bob was during the process. I was part of a caucus, the Black Caucus. I talked to him about it. I told him I didn’t blow up his map.