Cleo Elders was my mentor and partner on the West side of Chicago "V Building and Design project".
He worked directly with the building contractors. They were all from the neighborhood.
Mr. Elders is well known and respected in the Community the contractors did an excellent job.
The building shown was almost totally gutted and re-done. Our office was on the first floor. Four additional offices and a
conference room was on the second floor. As part of BP's effort to discredit me, this was the first Property that BP's
executives went to the bank without my knowing claiming Donlyn owed them money.
BP pulled all the equity out, throwing the property into foreclosure. My bank did not even call me to ask if BP was correct.
Because I had assigned $50.000 toward the purchase of fuel to BP, against a credit line, they just assumed BP had the
right to take the money if they wanted. I proved that I did not owe BP money, but of course that did not matter. They were
not paying me back. In fact, I proved that they owed me money.
BP was God before the explosion April 2011.....
He worked directly with the building contractors. They were all from the neighborhood.
Mr. Elders is well known and respected in the Community the contractors did an excellent job.
The building shown was almost totally gutted and re-done. Our office was on the first floor. Four additional offices and a
conference room was on the second floor. As part of BP's effort to discredit me, this was the first Property that BP's
executives went to the bank without my knowing claiming Donlyn owed them money.
BP pulled all the equity out, throwing the property into foreclosure. My bank did not even call me to ask if BP was correct.
Because I had assigned $50.000 toward the purchase of fuel to BP, against a credit line, they just assumed BP had the
right to take the money if they wanted. I proved that I did not owe BP money, but of course that did not matter. They were
not paying me back. In fact, I proved that they owed me money.
BP was God before the explosion April 2011.....
The above photo of me and. Mr. Elders, and one of the community workers was after a community
meeting. We were trying to keep the building photographed below from being torn down,or if it was to be
torn down, to rebuild a building on the corner facing the park to the North and West befitting to the
beautiful park views.
One Alderman supported me and my efforts. He knew and respected my sense of purpose, style and curb
appeal. He knew the corner would be developed into a property befitting to the beautiful view of the park.
He wanted that as well. Another alderman wanted to tear the building down and put a $300.000 house on
the lot. My Company "V Building and Design" cleaned (Photos below also, the details in the book) up the
empty property trying to buy time. We went to court and won. However, I needed approved building plans
and financing within 30 days to keep the building from being torn down . Ultimately the Alderman who
wanted the house built on the lot won.
All I can say is Oh well Chicago politics!!! When I say I have living proof examples of how , in this time in
history, steel is put over the glass ceilings to prevent the middle class from rising, often with the' Select"
politician cementing the steel in place,, I have examples plus.........
My thinking was all of the big cities were built about the same time. All of them would be falling down
about the same time. There will be so much construction work to do. Why would politicians be hoarding
work for special political favor when there is so much need.
The reason both Donlyn and V Building did so extremely well is because when there was a person really
interesting in their work, I worked with them with the same enthuaism. The crew that worked with the
clean-up and board-up of the building below. worked with such enthuaism . I was there every day, but
they told me there was thing that I should not see and I said okay. I appreciated the respect. The one with
the patch over his ey asigned himself as my body guard. The idea is they were doing some of the ditrest
work I could imagine, but I respected them and they respected me.They felt like they were appreciated as
they were, and they did an excellent job in a record period of time.....
meeting. We were trying to keep the building photographed below from being torn down,or if it was to be
torn down, to rebuild a building on the corner facing the park to the North and West befitting to the
beautiful park views.
One Alderman supported me and my efforts. He knew and respected my sense of purpose, style and curb
appeal. He knew the corner would be developed into a property befitting to the beautiful view of the park.
He wanted that as well. Another alderman wanted to tear the building down and put a $300.000 house on
the lot. My Company "V Building and Design" cleaned (Photos below also, the details in the book) up the
empty property trying to buy time. We went to court and won. However, I needed approved building plans
and financing within 30 days to keep the building from being torn down . Ultimately the Alderman who
wanted the house built on the lot won.
All I can say is Oh well Chicago politics!!! When I say I have living proof examples of how , in this time in
history, steel is put over the glass ceilings to prevent the middle class from rising, often with the' Select"
politician cementing the steel in place,, I have examples plus.........
My thinking was all of the big cities were built about the same time. All of them would be falling down
about the same time. There will be so much construction work to do. Why would politicians be hoarding
work for special political favor when there is so much need.
The reason both Donlyn and V Building did so extremely well is because when there was a person really
interesting in their work, I worked with them with the same enthuaism. The crew that worked with the
clean-up and board-up of the building below. worked with such enthuaism . I was there every day, but
they told me there was thing that I should not see and I said okay. I appreciated the respect. The one with
the patch over his ey asigned himself as my body guard. The idea is they were doing some of the ditrest
work I could imagine, but I respected them and they respected me.They felt like they were appreciated as
they were, and they did an excellent job in a record period of time.....
Cleo Elders and Barbara Mitchell
| Barbara Mitchell with one of the community workers |
| AFTER THE CLEAN-UP BOARD-UP AND PAINT |
 |
 |
