Chicago Public Radio - Metro Desk

Charter School Debate Heats Up in South Chicago

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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The Chicago Public School Board will be voting whether to approve a new batch of charter schools at its next board meeting. One of those schools is set to open in an existing elementary school in the far Southeast side, in an area known as South Chicago, near the Indiana boarder. Some in the community believe the new charter school would do a better job of teaching area children. Others fear it’s the first step in pushing neighborhood kids out.

Latest Unemployment Numbers Bad for Chicago Area, But There May Be Reason for Hope

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hyatt Ranks Low for Workplace Safety

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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A Chicago-based hotel chain is getting poor marks in a new national study of workplace safety.

Permit Hearing for U.S. Steel

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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Environment officials are in the final stages of issuing a new permit to U.S. Steel in Gary, Indiana.

The permit limits the amount of polluted water the company can discharge into Lake Michigan.

Condo Owners Struggle to Salvage an Almost-Empty Building

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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Since 1997, Chicago has added almost 150,000 condos to its housing stock. The people who bought those units maybe didn’t fully realize it at the time, but they’re taking part in a big experiment in communal living. Everyone has to pool their money to fix the roof or keep the elevator working. And if your neighbors stop ponying up, you’re on the hook. Now the foreclosure crisis is pushing many condo buildings to the verge of collapse. And one expert says that here and around the country, the whole grand experiment may be falling to pieces. Today we continue our series, Facing the Mortgage Crisis, with a report on a couple of condo owners determined to salvage their building.

848: Expert panel takes your questions on condo ownership
Web Extra: Untangling Mortgage Fraud in Chicago Condo Buildings

Untangling Mortgage Fraud in Chicago Condo Buildings

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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All over Chicago, but especially in South Side communities like Washington Park and Woodlawn, people are coping with half-empty and sometimes completely vacant condo buildings. How did they get that way? Why did so many units go into foreclosure all at once? In some cases, the reason can be traced to mortgage fraud. But untangling that web of financial transactions and unearthing the reasons behind a building’s collapse are difficult and time-consuming.

Angela Maurello heads the Troubled Buildings Initiative of the non-profit Community Investment Corporation. They act as receivers for distressed condo buildings for the city of Chicago. The program originally began in 2003 to deal with apartment buildings that were repeatedly winding up in housing court. But then a few years ago, they started getting buildings that were condominiums, not apartments. Maurello, who used to be a bank executive, has turned into an amateur fraud detective. Here, she explains to WBEZ’s Ashley Gross the different kinds of mortgage fraud in condo buildings they’ve discovered.

Park District Picks Grant Park Designer

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ticket Prices Up at Museum of Science and Industry

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Police Continue Scott Investigation Despite Suicide Ruling

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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Chicago police detectives are investigating the death of Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott.

Bridgeport Neighborhood Sees Identity Shift

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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Bridgeport is best known for the White Sox stadium, political clout and a steady Irish population. But in the last five years this working-class community on Chicago’s South Side has shifted from majority white to majority minority. It’s not just the mix of Hispanic and Asian residents redefining the neighborhood, there’s also a budding art scene, funky restaurants and new condos.