Likely Final Weekend to Ride
This weekend is likely your final chance to ride the South Chicago Velodrome.
Jim will have the gate open today at 1pm with Carl closing around sunset (8:30ish).
Carl volunteered to be gatekeeper tomorrow too- 10am until he’s too worn out to continue.
SCVA’s land lease and insurance policy expire Sunday night and the way things are developing- it doesn’t look like renewing is viable.
Yesterday afternoon was the final negotiation for SCVA’s land lease before expiration (tomorrow, Sunday at midnight). The land owner only wants to extend the lease until Oct 31 with no reduction in insurance requirements. Negotiations were delayed until the last couple weeks and USS didn’t discuss any material details (or hint at a lease-shortening or rejection of the proposal for a reduction in the insurance requirement) until yesterday.
Continuing the existing insurance policy would require a $6091 payment up front followed by monthly payments in the $2.5K range. The insurance company won’t insure a this policy for fewer than 12 months.
Signing the three month lease and insurance policy would cost about $1K/week from now until Oct 31 and that doesn’t include any track payments (still only partially paid).
If the track doesn’t have a future home, if we don’t have a longer-term agreement with the land owner and if the track structure hasn’t been paid in full- I don’t see how we can continue. If one of those conditions existed, this velodrome would have a chance.
Whomever the coming developer/broker is- if they wanted to have a velodrome on the land- maybe a lease can be worked out. But I don’t know who the developer is or if US Steel has even decided yet (USS is telling me nothing).
Thursday July 21 is Intelligentsia Cup’s South Chicago bike race which is partly on the road along the South edge of the track. We’re not sure what the track status will be at that time but will explore a short-term land-use agreement and insurance with USS. If you want to volunteer to help at the races for a couple hours June 21st- let me know.
If you have any thoughts about these things, suggestions or want to help with the effort- please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
There is no back-up plan. This is likely the end of the road.
I hope you get a chance to visit the South Chicago Velodrome this weekend. We can’t take this for granted especially knowing the circumstances.
Thank you, -Marcus 872-588-7282 (Luv-SCVA)
Email subscription click here