The council wrestled with a tough trade-off: push ahead on a greenway or hold the line for long-promised 19th Street rail corridor work. Staff warned that slowing greenway work during the 19th Street feasibility study could risk losing $2.7 million from a $10 million grant. One alderman pushed back hard, saying the east side has waited long enough and only results — not promises — matter.
Also in the mix:
- Finance update: a $3.578 million Series B bond is separate from the $10 million grant. A $500,000 ordinance for the 19th Street feasibility study is slated for first reading on Nov. 18, with talk of a greenway if the rail line is vacated.
- Upcoming: Police Community Review Commission meeting on Nov. 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the chambers — open to everyone.
- Public comment heat: questions about speech rules and respect in the chambers; a data-heavy challenge to “black-on-black crime” narratives, pointing to policy, poverty, and illegal guns; and a call to give the police review board real independence and power.
If you care about the Third Street greenway vs. 19th Street — and who gets prioritized — this one’s worth a watch.
