“Mellis — affectionately nicknamed the “mayor of Lincoln Park” — spent more than 50 years shaping the neighborhood, pushing for development that balanced growth with community needs, pressing institutions like DePaul to work more closely with residents and helping build one of the area’s most influential neighborhood organizations.
“‘He wasn’t so political — he was more community-oriented,” Linda Mellis said. ‘He’s always been a change-maker. He liked the fact that it was a neighborhood and wanted to make sure you heard voices from everyone.’
“By the late 1980s, Mellis had become a regular presence in local organizing efforts, helping shape conversations about what Lincoln Park could — and should — become as more people and investment flowed into the area.
“‘Allan was doing this work for decades,’ said Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd). ‘It became clear to me just from the history he has in the ward, his direct impact on certain things has been for longer, more consistent years than any alderperson today.’
“Allan’s relationship with DePaul goes back at least to the 1980s when we were in our growth phase,” Coffey said. “His influence on DePaul’s planning is unmistakable. It can be a pain sometimes: his level of detail, his knowledge, his insistence, his repetition. But ultimately, it made DePaul’s plans better.”
Mellis helped negotiate development plans with DePaul University and Children’s Memorial Hospital, pushing both institutions to consider not just their own growth, but how that growth would affect the community.
“Mellis played a key role in establishing the neighborhood advisory structures that still guide those conversations today, ensuring residents had a formal seat at the table.
“‘Just having to work through that and change our thinking from something that might be good for the university to something that also has to be good for the neighborhood,’ Coffey said. ‘Left to our own devices, we probably don’t get there. But for Allan’s persistence, we do.’
“Mellis was, as many people have said, someone who holds power’s feet to the fire. He didn’t let anything go, nor did he forget much. He was big on precedent, Coffey said.
“Mellis’ persistence and unrelenting attitude toward neighborhood advocacy helped save the library with no books about spiders in it.
“At the time, the Lincoln Park library branch was at 959 W. Fullerton Ave. under the “L” tracks at Sheffield. The building was finished in 1962 and was a small, outdated branch that was increasingly at risk as DePaul expanded its footprint in Lincoln Park.
“Mellis also pushed DePaul to incorporate community-serving spaces into its campus, advocated for retail storefronts and helped save the post office at 2405 N. Sheffield Ave. from being relocated.
“‘Allan was a master negotiator,’ Knudsen said. ‘I always feel like the best projects, whether government or corporate, come from quality negotiation. He understood how the community can negotiate, and the work he did to bring the Lincoln Park Library branch back is just one example of something that changed the community.’
“‘I think him being so straightforward is what made him so effective,’ Knudsen said. ‘Things can get so divisive. If two sides are competing and not communicating, it becomes a zero-sum game. Allan really understood the beauty of compromise and the history behind it.’
“The Allan Mellis Papers, a collection of thousands of documents filling 93 boxes that span five decades of community service, is now housed inside the Lincoln Park branch.
“The archive includes meeting minutes, correspondence, development plans, grant applications and handwritten notes, offering a detailed record of Mellis’ work over the years. Together, the materials are Mellis’ paper trail of everything he fought against and for.
“Looking back on his career in public service, Mellis said he was inspired by making a difference in the neighborhood he called home.
“‘It’s very rewarding,’ he said. ‘The more you learn about what’s going on, the more you can influence what’s going on.’
“For those who worked alongside him, the moment marked the end of an era.
“Ken Feldbein, a longtime board member, called Mellis ‘one of the last of the old guard.’
“In a tribute to his departure, former board President Dan Varanauski wrote that Mellis “brought a rare balance of gentleness and grit” to the role and “was a guardian of our organization’s ethical compass.”
“For decades, Mellis helped shape Lincoln Park not just through big wins, but through the quieter, often invisible work of paying attention.
“‘The guy’s smart,’ Coffey said. ‘He knows city ordinances inside and out. He knows the history of the neighborhood. He’s been there watching Lincoln Park change, and in his way, influencing it.’
“For decades, Mellis made a habit of noticing what was missing and doing something about it.
“In Lincoln Park, the results are everywhere. (Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 5/1/26)
Ward and Allan worked closely together for decades on a wide range of preservation advocacy efforts. He was great preservationist and a good friend. He will be deeply missed!