Out for a stroll in the South Loop on Sunday afternoon, Yo stumbled across a rousing protest by a mighty throng of concerned citizens. Ok, so there were only six of them. Ok, so one of them was in a stroller. The mini-mob had gathered outside the Terrapin Properties sales center for Residences at Burnham Pointe (pictured), a planned 298-unit condo development on the 700 block of S Clark St.
Terrapin has yet to break ground on the Pointe, but some neighborhood residents are worried the 28-story high-rise will obstruct their views. Their collective outrage was expressed through hand-written picket signs reading, “Don’t buy, they lie.”
Michael Ezgur, principal at Terrapin, says the Burnham Pointe project has been “a compromise from the get-go,” and that the company has met with community groups whenever they’ve asked. The developer consulted the Chicago Department of Transportation to find the best traffic-flow patterns for the building and added additional parking for retail traffic, according to Ezgur, who says that the project’s 16,000 square feet of retail space will make it a “win-win” situation for both the community and Terrapin.
Developers have faced less resistance and fewer obstacles to building in the South Loop over the years partly because their projects had fewer neighbors whose views might get ruined or streets altered. Six protesters isn’t exactly a movement, but is it a sign that the South Loop is starting to resemble a real neighborhood?