Failed Comparison? |
One speaker at the Board of Trustee meeting held on May 24, 2016 shared his personal story about another nearby retirement home that was built despite opposition from residents living in the area.
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Comparison to Mercy Circle
One union representative (an Evergreen Park resident) mentioned Mercy Circle on 99th Street and Central Park Avenue, which operates as a NOT-FOR-PROFIT retirement center within the city limits of Chicago. While there are single family homes located north of 99th Street and east of Central Park Avenue, those homes are actually located within the Village of Evergreen Park. As a result of the municipal border issue, the elected officials that voted to approve the construction of Mercy Circle were not the elected officials representing the interests of the homeowners in the neighboring village across the street.
The rest of that particular area to the southwest of 99th Street and Central Park Avenue is for the most part occupied by the academic campuses of Southwest Elementary School, Mother McAuley High School, Brother Rice High School and Saint Xavier University. Those large facilities encompass an total land area that is over 130 acres and Mercy Circle is part of that campus.
By comparison, the entire PUD/R-1 zone in Oak Lawn consists of somewhere around 100 acres total with roughly 85 of those acres being occupied by single family residences. Two churches occupy 4.5 acres along Central Avenue while Southwest Chicago Christian School occupies the remaining 10.5 acres. That's where they are now going to sell off 2.28 acres to build a FOR-PROFIT commercial facility that abuts the other 85% of the PUD/R-1 zone containing single family residences.
Mercy Circle is caring for retired clergy members that have sacrificed personal wealth while dedicating their lives to serving others. In effect, Mercy Circle is essentially paying them back for their service and continuing on with their mission.
Anthem Memory Care will serve only those that can afford to private pay or have long term insurance coverage for their care. For those that do have the financial resources they must then also meet and maintain whatever patient admission/retention standards that are set by Anthem Memory Care.
The rest of that particular area to the southwest of 99th Street and Central Park Avenue is for the most part occupied by the academic campuses of Southwest Elementary School, Mother McAuley High School, Brother Rice High School and Saint Xavier University. Those large facilities encompass an total land area that is over 130 acres and Mercy Circle is part of that campus.
By comparison, the entire PUD/R-1 zone in Oak Lawn consists of somewhere around 100 acres total with roughly 85 of those acres being occupied by single family residences. Two churches occupy 4.5 acres along Central Avenue while Southwest Chicago Christian School occupies the remaining 10.5 acres. That's where they are now going to sell off 2.28 acres to build a FOR-PROFIT commercial facility that abuts the other 85% of the PUD/R-1 zone containing single family residences.
Mercy Circle is caring for retired clergy members that have sacrificed personal wealth while dedicating their lives to serving others. In effect, Mercy Circle is essentially paying them back for their service and continuing on with their mission.
Anthem Memory Care will serve only those that can afford to private pay or have long term insurance coverage for their care. For those that do have the financial resources they must then also meet and maintain whatever patient admission/retention standards that are set by Anthem Memory Care.
Not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison to begin with from a financial or business operation perspective and then factor in that both 99th Street and Central Park Avenue are thru streets that allow for a regular heavy volume cut-through traffic flow whereas the entire PUD/R-1 zone in Oak Lawn is basically a dead-end street grid used primarily by local residents to access their homes or get to Central Avenue.