A rendering of the development proposed for 2222 S. Michigan Ave. is displayed during a zoning committee meeting Jan. 9, 2025. [Livestream]

The City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards on Thursday approved new land use allowances for the Elston Corridor, a rezoning for a Motor Row District property owned by a former Chicago Bears player that is planned to become a mixed-use development. The committee also approved multiple other zone change and variation requests to accommodate new developments. 

The committee deferred an ordinance (O2024-0014096) from Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) that would expand the Northwest Zone for the city’s additional dwelling unit pilot program and an ordinance (O2024-0014002) sponsored by Ald. Desmon Yancy (5) that would change the city zoning code to give the zoning administrator the power to approve or deny applications for special use permits in a broad array of cases.

The zoning committee also deferred multiple zone change and variation requests, including a planned development amendment (O2024-0014456) to allow a hotel to be constructed at the properties at 1465-1483 N. Kingsbury St., 835-919 W. Blackhawk St. and 1450-1472 N. Dayton St. in the 27th Ward; a zone change request (O2024-0014025) to build an eight-story, 109-unit residential building at 3037-3063 W. Grand Ave., 810-832 N. Sacramento Blvd. and 3044-3050 W. Chicago Ave. in the 27th Ward; and a zone change request (O2024-0014012) for the property located at 350 N. Morgan St. in the 27th Ward to accommodate a 39-story residential building with 573 rental units.

Additionally, it appears a controversial Sterling Bay development (O2023-0002763) at 1840 N. Marcey St. in the 32nd Ward that was voted down at the December zoning meeting could come back up for a vote at the committee next month. 

After the project received a do not pass recommendation from the committee, the negative recommendation was pulled from the agenda at the subsequent City Council meeting, according to Block Club Chicago. This ignited criticism from Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), who has opposed the project, that the mayor was violating the tradition of allowing alderpeople say over projects in their wards. The development would include 615 residential units across two towers. 

“After further discussion with Ald. Waguespack, it was decided that there may be a path forward for this project if the developer agreed to work with the community in the 32nd Ward” and fulfills some other requirements, zoning chair Ald. Walter Burnett, Jr. (27) said at the end of Thursday’s meeting. 

The committee voted by voice to reconsider the item at a future meeting. 

The committee approved an ordinance (SO2024-0011209) sponsored by Burnett that would allow eating and drinking establishments located in the Elston Corridor planned manufacturing district to have a maximum 8,000 square feet of floor space, to be exempt from prohibitions on entertainment and to be given an expanded maximum floor space and outdoor patio allowance through the special use permitting process.   

Currently, the Elston Corridor district must keep its eating and drinking establishments to 4,000 square feet of space and cannot allow entertainment on site.  

The committee also approved an ordinance (O2024-0013531) from Waguespack that allows shared housing units in manufacturing (M) zoning districts to apply for and be granted shared housing licenses despite being nonconforming for M zones.  

Alderpeople approved a request (O2024-0014078) to change the zoning of the property located at 2222 S. Michigan Ave. in the 3rd Ward. The property owner, former Chicago Bears defensive end Israel Idonije, asked to sunset the existing Residential Business Planned Development No. 1558 and revert it to its previous zoning classification, DS-5 Downtown Service District, to accommodate a 154-room boutique hotel, speakeasy, rooftop pool, fitness center, restaurant, co-working space and event space.  

Idonije previously received approval from the City Council in 2022 to develop the property into a mixed-use space with apartment units, hotel rooms, retail, restaurant and event space. The project was also approved in 2023 for $10 million in city tax increment financing (TIF) assistance, but last month the City Council approved an amended TIF redevelopment agreement (O2024-0014205) in accordance with the new direction of the project. The project’s estimated budget is $75.4 million.  

The committee approved an ordinance (O2024-0014033) requesting variations for the property located at 2250-2256 W. Irving Park Rd. and 4009 N. Oakley Ave. in the 47th Ward. Several variations are being requested through the Type 1 application process to accommodate a planned mixed-use development that would have 38 residential units on floors 2-5, including six affordable units, 2,780 square feet of ground floor commercial space and 19 vehicle and 42 bike parking spaces. 

Alderpeople also approved a zone change request (O2024-0014047) for the Care Manor project located at 4531-4551 W. Washington Blvd. in the 28th Ward, where United for Better Living, Inc. plans to build a three-story building with 44 affordable rental units, 21 on-site parking stalls and 10 bicycle spaces. United for Better Living is asking for the property to be rezoned from an RM-4.5 Residential Multi-Unit District to an RM-5 Residential Multi-Unit District.  

The committee also approved a series of variations (O2024-0014453) for the property located at 2907-2917 W. Irving Park Rd. in the 33rd Ward. Full Circle Communities Inc. is asking for several variations to the zoning and building standards for the site, currently zoned a B3-3 Community Shopping District, to allow for the construction of a 45-unit affordable residential building, seven-story mixed-use building with approximately 2,729 square feet of ground floor commercial space and 16 parking spaces. Project attorney Steven Friedland told the committee it will be the first housing development in the city to target Native American residents. 

Finally, the committee approved an ordinance (O2024-0013021) to rezone the property at 2429-2431 W. Fullerton Ave. in the 1st Ward from a B3-1 Community Shopping District to a B2-3 Neighborhood Mixed-Use District to accommodate a five-story, 38-dwelling unit residential building with 19 parking spaces. The development will have eight affordable units. 

The approved items will go before the City Council next week for final consideration.