South Loop advisory council forms

11/04/2009 10:00 PM


10 Comments - Add Your Comment

South Loop residents have organized an advisory council to help shape the South Loop Field House, a Chicago Park District facility locating in 1801 S. Indiana. The building was used for the last few years by the Vietnam Veteran’s Art Museum.

Jeffrey Ayersman, president of the advisory council, wrote in an e-mail that the organization will start articulating objectives, forming committees and seeking input about conversion of the building to a community space.

The other executive members of the board:

  • Rick Seiler (vice president)
  • Elain Layden (secretary)
  • Tina Feldstein (treasurer)

Seven people sit on the advisory council as directors:

  • Alicia Bird
  • Cynthia Flowers
  • Pattie Heniff
  • Kim McNeece
  • John Ro
  • William Tyre
  • Nicole William
The board includes leaders from other neighborhood organizations. Ayersman is treasurer of the Prairie District Neighborhood Association, while Feldstein is that group’s president. William Tyre, a director, is the executive director of the Glessner House Museum.

A survey conducted by the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance found that 57 percent of 512 respondents imagined the new field house as focusing on arts and educational activities, with 43 percent understanding it as a space primarily offering athletics and exercise space.


10 Comments - Add Your Comment



By JMEJ from Near South
Posted: 11/07/2009 9:53 AM

So all views and personalities should get involved in building YOUR community. The few of those who are turned off to the strong but blunt leadership with integrity are those who, don't want inclusion of others in the decisions, don't like to see the community being asked what they think, because it makes their job harder and gets in the way of exposing what is going on behind the scenes. They think residents should pander for services and facilities that our taxes already pay for; crazy.


By JMEJ from Near South
Posted: 11/07/2009 9:36 AM

People could care less about personality, and are thrilled to have the leadership in the community that is organized, persistent, and trying their little part to help bring facilities, events, and excitement to the neighborhood. Other 'community organizations' and officials are trying to trying to bulldoze any community input to parks, development, infrastructure, etc. The focus is creating a top notch cultural and community facility with vision that goes beyond the typical city expectations.


By JMEJ from Near South
Posted: 11/07/2009 9:24 AM

The only thing that can be taken away is the comment of one person whose feather is ruffled the wrong way by someone and instead of handling it face to face, cries about it. Saying this as a man, there is a double standard of how women are perceived when they are in leadership positions and communicate. Get tougher skin and find a way to deal with it. Instead of whining about it attend an event and find out the truth of all the good things going on that you fail to participate in.


By Anonymous from South Loop
Posted: 11/06/2009 1:26 PM

We all deserve to be ignored because we're neighbors but none of us is using our names. I don't think the issues people take with Tina stem from the fact she's a woman. JMEJ's statement was a stretch and that kind of exaggeration doesn't do any good. I think the only thing that can be taken away from these comments is that the community is polarized in their opinion of Tina. Can't say how this translates into perception of us.


By Southlooper from Prairie District
Posted: 11/06/2009 10:47 AM

To anonymous from South Loop, people like you deserve to be ignored.


By JMEJ from Near South
Posted: 11/06/2009 7:31 AM

To first Anonymous: Poor little guy; to bad you have trouble with woman in leadership positions. Don't let the fact that your wife bosses you around all day, controlling your life like a little puppet, affect how you deal with other women with passion and commitment. Perhaps you could join a flag football league to deal with your emptiness and powerless feelings, without getting hurt.


By Anonymous from South Loop
Posted: 11/05/2009 5:35 PM

I agree with the first guy. Just because someone wants to lead doesn't make them good at it. Jeff's great but Tina likes to ignore and exclude her own neighbors. Yeah she gets stuff done but she doesn't do it the right way. More could be getting done. She turns people off to the neighborhood's concerns. We are a small chunk of the city and SLoop stuff gets done with or without us; we need a group leader that doesn't turn people against the PDNA. The second post was probably from Tina herself.


By Make your voice heard from All across the city
Posted: 11/05/2009 4:17 PM

As I said in my Northerly Island post, you must get involved. If you don't like Tina's leadership, then run against her. As the saying goes: "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way!" The world is going to happen, with or without you, me, the women next door, or the man down the street. If you don't like something, then "take the bull by the horns" or get out of its way. Leaders will rise up amongst us whether we like it or not. Our job as Average Joes is to keep them focused, not stop them.


By Anonymous from Prairie District
Posted: 11/05/2009 3:42 PM

At least Tina Feldstein has a passion for the neighborhood and actively tries to make it a better place for all of us who live here. Some people may think she has a \\\"dictator\\\" style, but from what I can see, she gets the right stuff done. Knowing that Jeff and Tina are involved, I will bet we end up with one of the best community centers in Chicago.


By Anonymous from Prairie District
Posted: 11/05/2009 10:04 AM

Great! Now Tina can play tiny dictator of the advisory council too.