The City Council’s budget committee approved more than $12.8 million in grant allocations. The proposal to use TIF funding to help rehab the Congress Theatre could move a small step forward Tuesday.

BUDGET COMMITTEE — The City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations during its meeting Monday approved a substitute ordinance (O2023-1387) that if approved by the City Council on Wednesday would appropriate $12.8 million in grant money within Fund No. 925 for the city’s Department of Housing, Department of Public Health and Office of Public Safety Administration. Under the ordinance, the housing department would accept $4 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the CDBG program, $2 million from HUD for the South Shore Homeownership Preservation program and another $2 million from HUD for the Prairie District Affordable Housing program. The public health department would allocate $133,000 from the Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation for its Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement — Behavioral Health program and another $200,000 from the National Football League Foundation for its Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement — Social Justice program. The public health department also stands to allocate $199,000 from the Illinois Department of Public Health for the Tobacco Free Communities program and nearly $1.7 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Public Health Crisis Response Program.  Additionally, the city’s Department of Family and Support Services is accepting $1.2 million from the Illinois Department on Aging for the Area Plan on Aging program. The Office of Public Safety Administration was awarded $702,000 by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency for the Emergency Management Assistance program. 

CONGRESS THEATER TIF — After facing an initial delay, the ordinance (02023-1340) allocating $27 million in tax-increment financing dollars to redevelop the Congress Theater in Logan Square is set to take a step forward Tuesday. The City Council Committee on Committees and Rules will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to consider rereferring the proposal to the proper committee after Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) banished it to the rules committee in March citing concerns about whether the development would bring quality jobs, according to reporting from Block Club. The developer plans to renovate the building at 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave. in the 1st Ward as a live performance venue with affordable residential units, retail and restaurants space and office space. According to the ordinance, 14 of the proposed 16 residential units will be built to be affordable.