Since I am a huge fan of movies, all types of movies, I wanted to respond with the images that were conjured up after reading the Skyline headline two weeks ago that screamed “Ald. Smith Succeeds” and then mentioned me by name. This Skyline headline was correctly countered in the Chicago Sun-Times with an accurate depiction of the situation — “Rahm Emanuel brokers deal for Lincoln Park Hospital project.”

All this media attention pertained to the latest in the redevelopment of Lincoln Park Hospital into Webster Square, specifically citing the Fresh Market store which will replace the current parking garage. The Skyline front page article was a regurgitation of 43rd Ward Ald. Michele Smith’s press release claiming victory and made me think of a tune from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The movie version features Charles Durning as the governor of Texas whose routine called “The Sidestep” draws a correlation to this grand ol’ grocery store battle in Lincoln Park.

As Smith’s opponent in the April 5 runoff election, I find it my duty to respond on behalf of myself and the 49 percent of the ward’s voters who voted for me. It was Smith’s campaign cry to shelve the Fresh Market, saying repeatedly that she would fight to kill the project because a grocery store on that specific corner, in that specific location would ruin the neighborhood.

As a candidate, she joined forces with the detractors and their attorneys and held press conferences blasting the Fresh Market. As alderman she tried to stop the plans in committee, she tried in the council and every effort failed. Lincoln Park’s toothless lion alderman continued to scheme without traction until Mayor Rahm Emanuel stepped in to the save the day and the City Council from further wasted time. Smith’s feeble attempts to save face are not lost on those like me who championed the Webster Square redevelopment as a project that was good for the 43rd Ward and great for our city.

So the biggest concession Smith has accepted was a delivery process on Lincoln Avenue … ever hear that before? Well, 49 percent of the ward sure did. While I may have been milked out of winning the aldermanic election by 2 percent, I wonder what those folks who counted on Smith to kill the Fresh Market are thinking right now. Some will blindly hail her the victor, but all else will read between the lines and know she failed.

Smith’s dance has done more than dismiss the campaign pledges she made. One forgotten stepping stone in this whole debacle is Carnival Foods, who Smith and the Webster Square opposition used as a shield. No one mentioned the salvation of Carnival Foods in all this “dance a little sidestep,” even though false lament was made for the longtime Lincoln Park grocer. Let’s see if she’ll follow my idea and offer Carnival diagonal parking on Dickens to increase business, then once again she’ll “sweep around the widestep.”

In the end, all this tells me two things: the redevelopment process of Children’s Memorial Hospital is in good hands — the hands of Mayor Emanuel — and that political spin continues to mean more than actual results. And when the Fresh Market opens, the 2 percent milk is on me.

Tim Egan is Vice President of Intergovernmental Affairs at Norwegian American Hospital in Humboldt Park. A two-time candidate for 43rd Ward alderman, he was defeated by Michele Smith in April’s runoff election.

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By Norman H. from Lincoln Park
Posted: 09/26/2011 9:40 PM

Sad. Tim should rename "43rd Ward United" to "Let's divide the 43rd!" First the slimy desperate ugly campaign flyers hatched from his office's rearend in the final weeks before the election. He is now our local Mitch McConnell questioning the legitimacy of our duly elected alderman, praying for Michele to fail and thinking sabotage in case she doesn't. Please don't torture us with another self centered campaign and if you do be honest and run as a Republican.

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By Boyee from Mid-North in Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/26/2011 2:42 AM

This article proves that Egan is a sore loser and has been 3 times in a row.

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By Noah Garcia from Cicero
Posted: 08/23/2011 2:00 PM

It's funny, there is no Robert Kirkwood registered to vote in the 43rd Ward. It's amazing how cowardly some people are that they have to hide behind aliases and computers. I will have a civilized discussion (or as civilized as a kid from Cicero can get) about the finer points of this election. Next time you call me out, be man enough to do it under your real name. Those NORTH of Fullerton will probably be in shining STAR alderman Tom Tunney's ward next time. There's a SOLUTION to your problem.

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By Boyee from Mid-North in Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/22/2011 4:59 PM

If they build a residential high-rise at Children's Memorial's site, where will the people park? Unless they get full control of Children's parking garage, they'll have to hope they can snag on street parking.

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By John Anderson from Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/22/2011 1:34 PM

It is clear Egan and his associates are having a conversation with themselves here via alias'. I will nonetheless remind the few others likely reading this, that despite the Rahm point in the op-ed, Egan and mayoral also-ran Chico supported each other throughout the last campaign along with their pal and fellow-machine insider Ald. Ed Burke. Smith was always for Rahm. Egan only 'saw the light' on Mr. Emmanuel after the outcome was clear to all. Dont'cha just hate people with memory Tim?

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By Robert Kirkwood from Old Town
Posted: 08/22/2011 10:29 AM

Boyee, if you think low-income housing will ruin Mid-North, you better move out now. Michele Smith was on the committee that demanded 30% affordable housing at Children's Memorial.

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By Robert Kirkwood from Old Town
Posted: 08/22/2011 9:48 AM

The parking option for the 75 residential units would have been used for the medical offices. Your point of less parking because of the amount of office space is a nonissue. If anything the resident's visitors or households with more than one car will add way more parking congestion to the streets 24 hours a day. There will also still be deliveries on Webster, just not by semi trucks. She is now indebted to Rahm and will vote his way when he says so. Are you still glad you voted for her?

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By Robert Kirkwood from Old Town
Posted: 08/22/2011 9:33 AM

Boyee, Smith may have gotten 40 units down to 8 and halved the medical offices, but she replaced those offices with 75 apartments. They haven’t said how many parking spots per unit, so I assume it is one per. That leaves a lot of two bedroom and 2 car families with cars parked on the streets. So instead of parking congestion only during office hours when MOST residents are at work, there will now be 24 hour congestion with more residential parkers. As for Children’s, 6 floor max is a pipe dream.

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By Bob Kirkwood from Old Town
Posted: 08/21/2011 11:24 PM

Hi Noah - nice account alias below :) Hope all is well in Cicero. The real Robert Kirkwood

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By John Anderson from Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/21/2011 9:06 AM

Egan - 1, 2, 3 strikes you're out. Three elections lost - few care about what what you have to say. Most of your '49%' were likely not people who truly supported you with knowledge of your 'positions', they were people in opposition to specific issues (like the hopspital), uninformed people succeptible to your marketing campaign / signs, and disgruntled supporters of the 9 other candidates in the race who also lost. For God sakes move on and do something else productive.

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By Boyee from Mid-North in Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/19/2011 9:56 PM

Michele Smith also gained a halving of the Medical Offices in the Webster Square plan that are replaced with apartments. Mid-North's small side streets would not have been able to handle parking for the original proposed 95,000 square feet of offices. There would have been no parking for those who live in the neighborhood.

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By Boyee from Mid-North in Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/19/2011 9:49 PM

I am still glad Michele Smith won. I am glad that I voted for her.

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By Boyee from Mid-North in Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/19/2011 9:47 PM

I can only hope Children's Memorial is redeveloped in a way that secures the existing property values by having market rate properties for the site. I hope they save the historic buildings at their original heights (some of the Children's buildings were heightened) and try to build low-rise everywhere but Lincoln Ave, where building up to 6 stories will not hurt the neighborhood's appeal and greatness. Low income housing here would ruin the Mid-North neighborhood.

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By Boyee from Mid-North in Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/19/2011 9:42 PM

I do not think Michele Smith succeeded in getting exactly what she wanted, but I do not consider it a failure for her. What is was was a compromise half way between what both sides wanted Smith won in getting rid of a 40 unit development on only 8 lots and having no semi trucks enter on Webster Ave., but lost in that there is still the lost parking and The Fresh Market and 2 stories added to the high rise around the mechanical penthouse that takes up only 1/3 of the 10 story tower's roof.

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By Robert Kirkwood from Old Town
Posted: 08/19/2011 3:37 PM

Adam, I think you missed Egan’s point. He is highlighting the fact that Smith campaigned on a platform of stopping the market and now she’s giving up because Rahm said so. He is suggesting that if the neighbors who paid money for attorneys to fight the grocery and donated to Smith’s campaign on her empty promises knew that she would lay down so easy, perhaps that 2% would have swung the other way. I know I’d be upset, especially if I had donated to her campaign or supplemented Oberman’s income.

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By Adam from Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/19/2011 12:41 PM

This is pretty pathetic, and a classless act from a sore loser. Mr. Egan, how do you think the other 51% of the voters feel about you saying that you were "milked" out of winning? Their votes were somehow not valid? So much for losing gracefully. What a shame.

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By Ian from LP
Posted: 08/19/2011 9:12 AM

Although Tim sounds a bit peeved, I have to agree. Some neighbors put a lot of faith in our Alderman to get this done and a certain attorney made- how much? There is an article for you Skyline- money on the fiasco. Rahm came in and took care of the deal, throwing a bone here and there. It's time to move on. If this was a victory for the Alderman I would hate to see what a loss is.

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By Josh G from Old Town
Posted: 08/18/2011 8:42 PM

I am not a Tim Egan fan but, now I really do feel sorry for him. Tim let go and move on. This was just sad.