Evergreen Terrace To Be Downsized Substantially

JOLIET, IL - It took three votes, including a pivotal tie-breaking vote from Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, before the the Joliet City Council finally approved a long-term plan for the controversial 368-unit Evergreen Terrace public housing complex. This is the troubled property on Broadway Street that former city leaders voted to spend upwards of $25 million on legal bills and to acquire. On Tuesday night, the council voted 5-4 to approve Option A. It calls for the non-renewal of 179 separate 20-year Housing Assistance Payment contracts and maintaining a total of 177 apartment units on Joliet's near west side.

Before the mayor cast the key vote in favor of keeping 177 units at Evergreen Terrace, the city council voted on two other measures. One called for maintaining only 115 units and getting rid of 241. Another called for keeping 128 units and removing 228 apartments.

A memo from city manager David Hales urged the council to go with Option A, which the council ultimately did. "It appears the most appropriate course of action is to proceed with Option A," Hales advised. "Non-renewal of 179 twenty-year Housing Assistance Payment contracts, maintain 177 units.

Nowadays, the Evergreen Terrace housing complex has been renamed the Riverwalk Homes although most people around Joliet still call it Evergreen Terrace.

Here's how the votes went Tuesday night:

Councilman Pat Mudron proposed Option C: keeping 115 units and getting rid of 241 units.

Votes in favor: Mudron, Mike Turk and Don "Duck" Dickinson.

Votes against: John Gerl, Larry Hug, Jan Quillman, Bettye Gavin and Terry Morris.

After that motion failed, Quillman proposed Option B: Keeping 128 units and removing 228 units.

Votes in favor: Quillman, Mudron, Turk and Dickinson.

Votes against: Gerl, Hug, Gavin, Morris and Mayor Bob O'Dekirk.

After C and B both failed, Morris motioned for Option A, keeping 177 units and getting rid of 179.

The votes in favor were: Morris, Quillman, Gavin, Gerl and Mayor O'Dekirk,

Voting against were: Mudron, Turk, Dickinson and Hug.

"I think with Option A, as for me anyway, is that it basically reduces the density by over 50 percent at the Riverwalk Homes," Gerl told the council.

"There's going to be a moderate rehab, which seems to be pretty extensive ... there's going to be a renovation of the existing buildings and existing units, which is going to improve the quality of life for the residents that are there. And the city is also going to get back a portion of its purchase price of a little more than $11 million."

When it came time to cast the tie-breaking vote, again, O'Dekirk commented, "Just to be clear, and I'm not going to call anyone out for grandstanding, but to vote no on Option A right now, you're voting to keep Evergreen Terrace as is. Because the first two options have already been knocked down. So that's not a good option either. I'm going to vote aye for Option A."

A city memo explains that Hales, budget officer Ken Mihelich, community development director Kendall Jackson and corporation counsel Marty Shanahan drove to Chicago recently to discuss the city's housing options with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"The time to provide the non-renewal notices, pursuant to the notice requirements and terms of the settlement agreement with (HUD) is upon corporate authorities," the city letter explains. "As such, corporate authorities authorize the manager of Riverwalk Homes LLC to timely notify the residents of Riverwalk Homes of the one-year requirements for the Housing and Urban Development renewal/non-renewal Housing Assistance Payment contracts."

RELATED COVERAGE: Evergreen Terrace Will Never Be Torn Down

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