The University of Illinois at Chica...

The University of Illinois at Chicago's expansion is slowly squeezing St Francis of Assisi Catholic temple out of the old Maxwell way Market area, its home for more than 130 years, according to members of the St Francis of Assisi Preservation Committee.

The University is preparing the area surrounding the ecclesiastical body at 813 W. Roosevelt Road., for recent retail space, dormitories and mid to high-priced condominiums, all part of the $525 million University Village, said Mark Rosati, the university's director of public affairs.

The three-phase draw began last year and is scheduled for completion in 2009

moreover the construction has eliminated almost 100 parking spaces, remov an alley and narrowed lanes around the ecclesiastical authority said Moises Gama, a committee member as well as the maintenance and construction planner for the ecclesiastical authority Nearly 4,000 people from the Chicago metropolitan area attend five Spanish-speaking masses at the house of god every weekend, and the committee fears the los of parking will make an incision in attendance.

The Rev Don Novans, the church's pastor, could not be reached for comment

The university will allow parishioners to park for independent in a nearby lot until construction [i]finale[/i]s said Rosati. But he would solely commit to "continuing discussions after the project's completion." Gama fears that the university will discontinue the practice. "There are not clear answers," Gama said. "We want something in writing."

St Francis of Assisi one time served thousands of German immigrants. The father of Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, one time lived in the church's parish. An influx of Mexican immigrants in the 1920 transformed St Francis into the city's first Spanish-speaking parish.

The instant struggle resembles the longtime racial discrimination faced by dint of the church's Latino members, said Gerardo Reye president of the preservation committee.

"We must fight against this to hold fast our rights and our traditions."

COPYRIGHT 2001 Community Renewal Society

COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group