7th Ward Alderman and Residents Oppose Pawn Shop
Representatives from a national pawn shop chain who wants to move into a strip mall in Chicago's Jeffery Manor neighborhood, tried during a meeting last week that included 7th Ward Alderman, Natashia Holmes, to convince residents they would be an asset to the area, pledging to be a "positive influence" on the community.
Their efforts however, were to no avail as residents made clear in no uncertain terms they were against the idea, telling Cash America, Inc. of Illinois they are against a pawn shop taking the vacant space at 2059-65 E. 95th St.
Cash America representatives told residents they incorporate crime prevention tactics including special training for store employees, video recorded transactions and a requirement of showing two forms of identification prior to any transaction.
Paul Rosenfeld, Government Community Relations for Cash America said that the company's pawn shops are clean and bright and that Cash America usually are involved in all the communities they set up shop and will hire people from the neighborhood.
Each pitch Cash America made to sell residents the idea they'll be good neighbors, met resistance.
Though one woman was for the pawn shop, the majority of others in the room spoke out against it citing a concern for an increase in crime.
Janice Lusk has resided in the area since 1985 and feels the pawn shop is a done deal.
"They're going to do what they want," Lusk said from the parking lot of the Greater Morning View Church, 2335 E. 100th St., the site where the meeting was held.
Some of the residents in attendance also took part in a May 27 protest at 95th Street and Clyde Avenue and are also continuing a petition drive against the pawn shop.
Mark Muenzer with the City of Chicago's Zoning Board of Appeals said Cash America has to meet five criteria to be approved.
"Because the pawnshop is a "special use" and can have an impact on the quality of life of the residents, it's deemed "special use," Muenzer said.
Muenzer referred to a recently passed City Council ordinance, the Zoning Restrictions for Pay Day, Titled-Secured Lenders and Pawn Shops that reads in part:
The overconcentration of alternative financial services such as pay day lenders and pawn shops have a deleterious impact on communities, including higher neighborhood bankruptcy rates, higher crime rates, and greater financial instability. In Chicago, these types of businesses tend to concentrate in the community areas with the largest proportion of low-income workers.
*To reduce the over-proliferation of alternative financial services in under-banked neighborhoods, this ordinance establishes new location restrictions for the placement of pay day lending, title-secured lending, and pawn shop storefronts.
*Under this ordinance, any new pay day or title-secured lending store must be at least 1,000 feet away from another pay day or title-secured lending store. Any new pawn shop must be at least 1,000 feet away from another pawn shop.
However, Muenzer also said, Cash America applied for permission before passage of the ordinance and therefore they do not have to consider the ordinance.
Some of the residents accused Terraco Real Estate Development and Management, managers of the Jeffrey property, of running out other businesses located in the strip mall.
"Some of them left on their own and some of them were not paying rent," Scott Gendell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Terraco, said in response to the comment. "No one who is paying rent in a timely fashion and wants to stay is being asked to leave."
Ald. Holmes, in a letter dated March 11 addressed to Muenzer, states she is not in support of Cash America's zoning appeal request for the 95th Street property saying she met with residents who expressed concerns about safety, increased crime, and retail establishments that take away from the integrity and character of the neighborhood. Residents during a Feb. 25 meeting, she stated, voted unanimously against the pawn shop. In the letter, Holmes requested the Zoning Board of Appeals deny Cash America, Inc.'s special use application.
"The residents of Jeffrey Manor and Calumet Heights have made their concerns heard regarding the pawn shop being established on 95th and Jeffrey," Holmes said via email. "I support them. We have to be deliberate about establishing the types of businesses in the 7th Ward that can be supported and beneficial to the residents."
By Deborah Bayliss
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