Neighborhood meeting says, “Keep the cul-de-sac!”
By Ed Felien

Neighbors on the west side of Powderhorn met with Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA) staff and City officials Monday, June 24 to talk about making the cul de sac at Lake and 10th Avenue permanent or opening the Avenue and making it a one way street. 10th Avenue has been closed temporarily at Lake Street for almost 4 years. Former Council Member Brian Herron had committed his office to making it permanent after the neighborhood and downtown staff had time to study it. When Council Member Robert Lilligren took office last fall, he was immediately besieged by two contending forces regarding the cul de sac. David Rubedor, Executive Director of PPNA, tried to reach him to inform him of the neighborhood association’s continued support for a permanent cul de sac at Lake and 10th. But U. S. Bank on the corner of Lake and 10th (and through them the Lake Street Council and the Chicago Lake Business Association) began lobbying the Council Member to open the Avenue to through traffic and make that traffic one way going north. This would help people exiting from the bank drive up tellers and parking lot. That concept was presented to nearly forty neighbors meeting that night, and they unanimously rejected the proposal and voted to continue to press for the permanent cul de sac.
The issue of cost came into consideration, and Council Member Lilligren suggested the larger paving project that is going to re-pave Lake Street, provide new curbs and gutters and make storm and sewer drain repairs, might be expanded to include the work on the cul de sac. There is another cul de sac on Elliot at Lake Street. There has never been a question about making that one permanent.