The developer for the McMobil project, Mesa Development LLC, gave this presentation to the 53rd Street TIF advisory council meeting on May 7, 2013. Mesa also presented this to the Chicago Plan Commission on May 16, 2013. The last six pages of the presentation are the developer’s shadow study.

What is wrong with this shadow study? As with several other characteristics of McMobil, the developer has practiced deception. They have omitted key information that would change the appearance of McMobil and its impact on the community.

In particular this study shows shadow profiles at 9 in the morning, 12 noon and 3 in the afternoon in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Nothing else. There was no illustration of shadows in the Winter or in the late afternoon at any time of year. These are exactly when McMobil’s shadows will be the longest and will block out the sunlight to the greatest number of nearby buildings.

We asked Jim Hanson of Mesa Development to produce a shadow study that showed shadows at 4, 5, and 6 in the afternoon in the Spring, Summer and Fall as well as 9 in the morning, 12 noon, 3 and 6 in the afternoon in the Winter. Jim Hanson refused in an email dated May 22, 2013.

Mesa wants to leave Hyde Parkers with the impression that the shadows from McMobil will never cross Kenwood Avenue, for example. This is nonsense. They know better and they are just trying to deceive us.