I went to the community meeting last night at Jones College Prep, where officials from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Public Building Commission discussed the coming expansion of Jones. The meeting was well attended, and the presentation of the new facility (opening in the Fall of 2013 according to the officials) was impressive.

What did not impress me at all was the fact that none of the officials could answer my three questions:

1. Why has CPS neglected the facade maintenance of the main Jones Building (e.g. broken/chipped concrete at various points, exposed/rusted metal, and clear signs of water infiltration, all clearly visible from Harrison and State Streets)?

2. Is CPS exempt from complying with the City of Chicago's Facade Ordinance that every condo building in Chicago must follow, often to great expense to its unit owners?

3. Will CPS commit to not selling or disposing of the existing facility to another party once the new Jones facility is built (context: Think overcrowding/lack of school space in the South Loop)?

More to follow.....