Superior Street "Blow Up" Rolls 4-5

Transcript (Download)

They closed him, I said about 13 years ago, the hood has promised the people of the 600, 700 family that they will be back in its location.

Right now, the hood has never made any preparation of trying to do anything to get the folks back over here and be a part of the redevelopment.

So right now some of those people have moved, never been able to come back.

And the residents over there, some will be put over there, but not how they like it.

This is a land grabbing to show that they could be close to the lake and put folks into the city of Chicago that Richard Daly is trying to do.

As a matter of fact, tear all the CHA hood property down and don't do anything to help the residents in there and turn it into a one on one replacement.

And we've been fighting this issue for the last 10 years.

Empty buildings and bad buildings.

But in the process of emptying these buildings and making the plans that have led to today, the residents who used to live here were lied to and manipulated and promises were broken for the last 13 years.

So we're out here today simply trying to raise that issue and remind people that yes, families did used to live in those buildings.

They were promised that they would come back and then they were promised that they would get replacement housing.

13 years later, very little progress has been made to identify that replacement housing.

We're out here today and trying to raise the issue.

We're working to educate other residents and other distressed CHA developments about what the process is and what is happening to them.

And hopefully to build their power so that the residents will be able to have a meaningful say in the makeup of what the new communities will be.

And the order of the day is mixed income.

That's what we keep hearing.

We're looking for mixed income communities.

And the residents and the Coalition to Protect Public Housing are simply saying mixed income is fine.

Don't mix out the people who have suffered through the disinvestment.

For the first time in years, new money is coming into these communities.

And unfortunately, as plans shape up, the folks who have suffered because of the disinvestment will not be among those to celebrate the reinvestment and will not take part in those benefits.

Thank you very much.

This is some of the other problems she made was redevelopment in the area of the neighborhood.

Tearing down those soil sites and bringing in good new property.

So do you know what kind of stuff's coming? Well, they got to take the settlement process before they actually decide what they're going to put there.

What they're hoping to bring, affordable housing, is one that I'm sure they're talking about bringing in here.

Affordable housing for the people that was replaced prior to closing it down.

They may have problems with certain people that if they ever develop this land or refurbish those apartments, they will have a first choice.

So I'm sure it will be affordable housing.

You think that's going to happen? Yeah, I do.

Are you from this neighborhood? Yeah.

My mother still stays right over there today.

Oh really? Why are they? Because they don't want public housing to exist like it is now.

The Hutt to Chicago is really angry about the way they got housing stacked up like that.

So where are they going to replace it with? They're homeless.

Most of them homeless.

Well, where are they going to replace the houses? It was 13 years ago and they don't have any residents here because they never had the intention to bring them.

I heard that they're taking down all the public housing over here and they're going to build big condos.

And who's going to do the building? The people that are going to do the building, who's going to live in those homes? No, like rich people and it sucks.

Great, you're right.

They're doing everything for the rich people.

They don't think about people who can't afford people.

And what is Chicago doing? It's not fair.

They're making preparations for folks that they should make preparations, scientific preparations, put a government in, put scientific education, educate young people to be carbon, electricians, plumbers, maintenance, stuff like that.

This is a very sad day.

Three, two, one.

Right afterwards, a heavy cloud.

Let's start again.

Three, two, one.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy cloud of dark ash and dust started spreading toward the lake.

People started fleeing.

And let me tell you, it is ugly.

Three, two, one.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy dust.

Three, two, one.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy and dark cloud of ash started spreading toward the lake.

It is dirty and people started to flee.

You done, huh? Look through that hole.

Look through that hole.

You might see the water.

I don't care, mom.

Just let them see, okay? Hey, did you all see the implosion? Yep.

What did you think of it? It was cool.

Yeah, why? I just never saw it before.

Yeah, me neither.

It's pretty wild.

Do you live in Hyde Park? No, we live over in Bolingburg.

How'd you hear about this? News.

What do you think about that big cloud? You can still see it out there.

We were down here.

Yeah? Under a blanket, so.

You watched from here? No, we watched from up there and then we went down here.

Yeah, because of the smoke.

Yeah! Well, thanks.

Can you just snap your fingers in front of the camera for me? Oh, man.

Okay, can you tell me your name? Adam Cohn.

And Adam, what brought you out here today? See the buildings come down? Have you seen anything like that before? Not in live.

That's why I came out here to see it live.

I figured this would probably be one of my only chances to see it, so I came out.

Also, it was big.

There was four buildings.

That's kind of interesting.

I don't know that they do four buildings that often.

I figured I could waste 24 seconds on a Saturday morning.

What did you think of the explosion? Pretty, uh...

Did you think of all the people coming out here? Yeah, I was surprised by how many people there were here.

It was interesting.

I thought that they'd be just along the lakefront.

I'm kind of mad that I didn't, uh, sort of check the thing off beforehand, figure out the best place to see it and all.

There's a company that does this, you know, that blows up buildings.

And before, when they go in, they always...

One of the things that they have to do is they really prep the buildings.

Like, you know, I saw the windows were taking off and stuff.

Is it known that this was prepped? Because CHA was mandated by Britain to make sure that they ensured environmental justice.

So, did they? Well, CHA basically just paid these people to do it.

Did you get that? You roll sound, please.

And, uh, can I ask your names? Shirley Hammond.

Lester Coleman.

And, uh, what brought you out here today? Well, uh, it was a historic occasion.

These buildings have been standing for a long time.

And it signified the beginning of a new start in Chicago housing.

These buildings were built and ill -conceived at the time of conception.

But now they've noticed mistakes of the past and they're trying to correct them.

So I think that's why I was here, to be a part of that history.

Part of that historic moment.

And, uh, did you feel the same way? Oh, my sentiments exactly.

And it's a new beginning for CHA.

You know, the government moving in the right direction.

You know, uh, people, uh, government for all the people.

You know, not segregated by class and economic diversity.

You know, so with the new multifamily housing and multi -income housing that they're building here, it's going to be great.

Thanks, fantastic.

My name is Bob Vogelsang.

And what brought you out here today, Bob? Well, I came out to see it in a historic event.

And I don't think there's too many times where we've had, uh, an opportunity to see something like this take place.

Most of us have watched, oh, like, Fruite Ego, I think it's the way, uh, what they call it in St.

Louis and a lot of demolitions.

So great viewing stage, great light.

I mean, what's not to like? There you go.

Thanks for your time.

Identifier

F.2019-05-0003

Date Of Production

December 12 1998

Abstract

16mm footage of the implosion of the Lakefront Properties public housing high rise, and the crowd that gathered to view (and protest) the demolition.

Description

The footage was shot on the morning of Saturday, December 12, 1998, as the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) demolished a collection of four 16-storey public housing high rise buildings known as the Lakefront Properties. These buildings were located in the North Kenwood / Oakland neighborhood of Chicago, IL on about 39th Street and the shores of Lake Michigan. This was the first time the CHA had demolished buildings in this way.

This demolition was part of a larger project, by 2000 called The Plan For Transformation, whereby the CHA, under Mayor Richard M. Daley, demolished many of Chicago’s notorious high-rise housing projects, which were constructed under the administration of his father, Richard J. Daley.

The demolition became a public spectacle. This film includes other scenes of the area, the crowd gathered to watch, and interviews with spectators. Members of the Coalition to Protect Public Housing express criticism of the CHA’s actions. A grandstand was erected, and interested members of the public as well as local politicians and celebrities attended, including the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Once the buildings imploded, an enormous dust cloud rolled east towards Lake Michigan, exactly where the crowd was gathered. Most people quickly dispersed, but a few remained, including an intrepid TV news reporter from Channel 7, the Chicago ABC affiliate.

Format

16mm

Extent

750 feet

Color

Color

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Notes

Sound was recorded separately on a Nagra. The audio featured in this access file is from a Digital Betacam transfer.

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Negatives

Form

Unedited
Interviews

Subject

Buildings
Construction and demolition debris
Public housing
Political Activists
Wrecking

Related Collections

Joe Winston Collection

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago ➜ Oakland

Main Credits

Winston, Joe (is filmmaker)

Additional Credits

Zerlin, David (sound)

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