Residence Corporation Elects Officers for 2009/10
September 16, 2009 - The Oak Park Residence Corporation has elected its officers for 2009/10. Wayne Pierce, Managing Director of Melvin & Co., an investment banking firm, was elected President. Kelly Clarke, an independent real estate consultant, will serve as Vice President. Marge Greenwald, a Realtor with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate/Gloor Realty, will serve as Secretary. Bradley Beile, Managing Director of Transwest Investment Company, was elected Treasurer.
Other members of the Board of Directors are Joi Cregler, Steven Ginsberg, and William Marshall.
The Residence Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation, was established in 1966 to prevent blight in Oak Park's apartment buildings and to promote the development of affordable housing for the Village's low and moderate income residents. It also has developed housing for low-income elderly residents and persons with disabilities. The Corporation is governed by a seven-member board of Oak Park citizens who serve without compensation.
For additional information, please contact Edward Solan at (708) 386-6061.
Residence Corporation Announces Storm Water Management Project
June 25, 2009 - The Oak Park Residence Corporation today announced that it has entered into a partnership with the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) to use innovative green infrastructure approaches to manage stormwater. CNT will assist the Residence Corporation in implementing environmentally and ecologically effective green best management practices to minimize flooding and stormwater run-off at its buildings. Partial funding for these projects is being provided by the Home Depot Foundation.
Included among the projects are the planned construction of a bioswale at the Residence Corporation's apartment building at Pleasant & Kenilworth; development of rain gardens at the Ryan Farrelly Apartments and Showalter House; and installation of a "superbarrel" at the Harrison and Highland building. The "superbarrel," a 330-gallon industrial liquid container designed to capture rainwater, has already been installed and was featured during the Oak Park Arts District's annual What's Blooming on Harrison Street event in May.
The bioswale project at the Pleasant and Kenilworth building will be installed this summer to address a serious flooding problem that occurs in the parking lot at the rear of the building during heavy rainstorms. A bioswale is a shallow trench that is planted with both water and drought resistant plants that will absorb the water run-off from up to 80% of storm events that occur in the Chicago area.
The rain gardens are landscaped areas that will collect rain run-off from the roofs at the Showalter House and Ryan Farrelly buildings. This will prevent the water from entering the stormwater system and will clean the water as it re-enters the water table. Construction is expected to take place this summer.
The "superbarrel" is a 330-gallon industrial container that was placed on site at the Harrison and Highland building to collect roof run-off water for future use in watering the rear garden of the apartment building. Its purpose is also to detain rainwater and to prevent it from entering the Village's sewer system. Superbarrels represent an expansion of 50-gallen rainbarrels that are becoming a standard approach to stormwater management, extending the possiblility of rainwater harvesting to larger multi-family buildings.
Residence Corporation Executive Director, Edward Solan stated, "We are pleased to partner with Center for Neighborhood Technology. CNT is a well established and respected institution that has been a pioneer in developing sustainable solutions to the area's energy and resource management challenges. The projects to be developed at our buildings will help us in addressing various flooding issues and will also improve the quality of life of our residents."
"Green infrastructure saves money by saving water, reducing run-off that can overwhelm our sewers and treatment plants," said CNT Natural Resources Program Director, Steve Wise. "Oak Park Residence Corporation is pioneering these techniques to bring their multiple benefits to multifamily housing in Cook County." The Center for Neighborhood Technology is a Chicago-based "think and do tank" that combines rigorous research with effective solutions. CNT works across disciplines and issues, including transportation and community development, energy, natural resources, and climate change.www.cnt.org
The Oak Park Residence Corporation is a community-based, non-profit housing development corporation. Its primary mission is to promote Oak Park's historic strength as a diverse and economically-balanced community by providing quality rental housing at an affordable price. The Residence Corporation carries out its mission principally by acquiring older apartment buildings, rehabilitating them into assets that contribute to their neighborhood, and providing quality property management services. www.oakparkrc.com
For additional information, please contact Edward Solan at (708) 386-6061.