>> and >> the band and relay in Pilsen may be getting a new look.

The purpose, the sale trail project has been stalled for several years now.

The city's transportation department is working with community members to transform the area, but some worry it will create some more gentrification and displacement in the largely Mexican American neighborhood.

Joining us now with more, our DePaul University professor Winifred Curran who studies efforts the effects of gentrification on the urban landscape and cloudy.

I got Sanchez, a coordinator for women for green Spaces and Eva had to do a lot.

A lifelong polson resident and former candidate for the aldermen.

We also invited the city's transportation department to send a representative, but they declined.

Thank you all for joining I want to start with you for those who are familiar with that area.

How would you describe it?

The but the trail?

if it's project that they see days working on.

That, everything would have mean if that we're going lead would be about But how does it look like right now?

>> There are no from the end of the base now it's on them and the they swim get that Landstuhl.

They still really take in.

How got advance now that he's did not know going to you guys have a garden space near the trail.

No, we're looking Putin, faith.

Okay.

Look at space.

We have house.

That's about listen to it.

Expecting for because that is now bases in a nice base to get in for guy if that is basis published their out of Inc. And that's what would your vision your vision was to have to have a butterfly century?

>> In a place to guard and you would say, yes, I know houses about of listen to it.

But the weather looking for space to much faith do have the and that will keep going without a mission saving them on that.

But a fly.

>> And David, what are your thoughts on the vision for in a sale?

Do you agree that it should be Bill?

Yeah, it was part of the quality of life study in 2006, a university, UIC.

>> Had had.

>> Said it would have improved the quality of life and actually pilsen historically has not only is that area blighted because it's in all the emotional core.

>> That is the fewest amount green space per capita per person in the entire city because of the high density.

sun doesn't outdoor parks like some of the other communities like Lincoln Park Double Park.

So additional green space is definitely needed in that community.

And this would provide essentially a trail bike trail, additional green space.

There's a ways to work with the community through community feet, community benefits, agreement where the community can have a say how the development will take shape.

>> Are you worried about gentrification?

You think so makes a difference that people have an input this time.

>> I think there's an that benefit here.

There's a gain.

Obviously there's going to be an impact.

this was proposed at 20 years ago I was halted by current aldermen and 2022 says it hasn't really been much prop progress last 2 years, but my preference would be that.

Do we want all of the growth and development to happen downtown, which is really the man a shun of the city or do we want to spread the word the wealth and have development in our backyards now as part of kind of Lori Lightfoot's mandate where it was in vast, vast southwest, right, the south and west community.

So week.

I have this barboa fact where manual it was Manhattan icing, high-rise development and that really.

Benefits while fear pension fund investors or do we want your traditional 2, 3, 4, for our communities to be?

You know, having renovation, those communities, which provides opportunity for your local mentioned mostly this is an opportunity.

>> When you heard I want to bring you in, this project is over 10 years in the making.

Several studies have examined how to best improve the area.

How could a trail potentially impacting defecation and displacement in pilsen?

>> Yeah.

But that's and that's, of course, the big fear is that we already have in Chicago, the example of the 606 trail of a trail that was put in place without considering the effect that it would have on affordability.

And we saw a tremendous increase housing De Paz Institute for Housing Studies did a study on the effect housing values increased anywhere from 40 60%.

Even more.

So that's the great fear.

You know that when when it comes to the 606 child the people have input.

>> I know mean some on the design, but they're definitely and there are many people saying displacement is going to be an issue and it wasn't really addressed by the city until after the fact.

And of course, once people are displaced, it's much harder to get them to come back than it is to prevent that displacement in the in the first with projects like this.

The thing is not not necessarily not to build, right.

As David said, this is area that absolutely needs green space.

But but how do we do it in a way that doesn't attract more real estate speculation.

What would be your suggestion?

I think we need to do it in partnership with very active policies around preserving affordable housing in creating more affordable housing.

So there's an opportunity do that right at the end of E-pass sale at the 18th and Peoria site that the city purchased to be affordable housing.

So that still in development, it would be great to see that be 100% affordable and affordable at a lower income rate than a lot of other.

You know, part part of the problem with the housing affordability is how do we define affordable?

So we look like exactly.

And so we want we want to see affordable housing for families, right?

Because that's really who needs it.

Most impulse.

you've got multigenerational families that if you're building studio apartments, one bedrooms, that's not going to cut it.

Then the for years you've been a lifelong resident, correct?

My family, lifelong pulse and lifelong West town sides pulse and my mom sites question are passionate about the neighborhood where I grew up in the cement.

Her life might use to have a restaurant >> Rylan 18th Ps to pop on and they were actually cover.

The from book in 19, 8280 to have a photo of it out.

Send it over to interesting.

>> And clouds you are at last week's community conversation about residents who would like to see and sale.

What do you want to see happen with this project?

Yes, we have.

We have an uptick now we don't have get in the faces when you So we we really to getting this basis.

But the thing that's what and what it means is that.

>> We to getting this basis.

We have the benefit of of them on at the moment about a flight by those.

So we need to put us in about from leasing them neighborhood and that s expecting weapon worry about how we going to put a said that that specious by kidded to get in basis by those.

So humans I know I got up.

I mean, is that they have lit neighborhood in.

Some of and they want to come back.

But it's hard.

coming back for too many that ace that mugginess that property taxes, everything is going up.

so Because I helped the team that and then our high with life and try basin from the Mexican, you see on the coats, U.S. bank that that.

But I that they So excited about the trail.

But also there's concerns.

Yes, I'm so excited.

I'm getting this basis.

on that battle for that, I will a thing, but I'm always come say about the families, the families, especially with to that especially indebted people at Tyler able to stay there.

When you something that many residents still want is a bike specific trail.

Why?

>> Because bike lanes have basically been understood as gentrification leans right, that that bike lanes have been built.

initially by the city and very specific areas with very specific demographic that doesn't look like people in polson.

So there's this real concerned that bike lanes have become a tool of gentrification and that they could quite literally connect Wilson with other infrastructure.

Again, like the 606 that has led to displacement.

So I think there's been more concern about kind of what the environmental improvement that can be here rather than sort of amenities like a bike lane, which again can on can be a great thing, but just has been representative of kind of change that people want to avoid.

Impulse an even and of course, to education is in Pilsen right.

And where where L to sail is is the most gentrified section of the neighborhood.

So it's it's