Renderings show phase one of The 78 project featuring the Chicago Fire Football Club stadium. [Chicago Department of Planning and Development]

Following approval at last week’s Chicago Plan Commission meeting, a massive proposed mixed-use development that will include a new soccer stadium cleared another hurdle Tuesday when members of the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards voted to advance the development plan to the City Council for final consideration.

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) is pictured during a City Council meeting on April 7, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

An ordinance that would establish employer standards and procedures to protect employees that mostly work outside from heat-related illnesses during extreme temperatures was approved by the City Council Committee on Workforce Development Monday despite opposition from some in the business community.

The City Council’s economic development committee on Tuesday will hold a hearing on the fiscal impact of a multimillion-dollar bond package for infrastructure projects passed earlier this year. The transportation committee will consider expanding the number of instances where passengers on recreational boats can forgo lifejackets.

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1), chair of the pedestrian and traffic safety committee, is pictured at a City Council meeting on Feb. 19, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety on Monday will hold a subject matter hearing on the findings of an interagency working group that was established to examine the socioeconomic impacts of enforcement of speeding and other traffic violations and potential reforms to increase equity.

The committee will meet at 10:15 a.m. in council chambers.

Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22), chair of the Committee on Workforce Development, is pictured during a City Council meeting in March 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Members of the City Council Committee on Workforce Development on Monday will consider an ordinance to put in place heat illness protections for employees who primarily work outside during stretches of extreme heat. 

The workforce development committee will meet at 12:30 p.m. in council chambers.

Ald. Maria Hadden (49), chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, is pictured during a City Council meeting on April 7, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy on Monday will consider a resolution to reaffirm the city’s commitments to an international climate change plan and a measure to prohibit restrictions on residential composting. The committee, which meets at 12:30 p.m. in Room 201A at City Hall, will also hold a subject matter hearing on lead service line awareness.

Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling responds to questions from Ald. Nicole Lee (11), budget vice chair, during a hearing Sept. 17, 2025. [Livestream]

During mid-year budget hearings on Wednesday, members of the public urged the City Council to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent funds from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to fill the gaps in the public health and violence prevention budgets that will be created by federal budget cuts.

But CPD Supt. Larry Snelling dismissed the arguments and told alderpeople that there weren’t many places to cut.

Through May 31, CPD spent about $754.1 million, or 40 percent of its non-grant-funded budget, which was more than $1.8 billion. Additionally, CPD was appropriated a $100 million overtime budget in 2025 and spent about $128 million through August.

Renderings show The 78 project featuring the Chicago Fire Football Club stadium. [Chicago Department of Planning and Development]

The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday approved updated plans for a massive new stadium development in the South Loop and a new office-to-residential conversion downtown.

Chicago City Hall is pictured. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

A group of two dozen business, nonprofit and civic leaders unveiled their preliminary recommendations Tuesday to address the city’s $1.2 billion estimated budget gap for 2026, which include both ideas to raise new revenue and cut spending.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9) is pictured during a City Council meeting Feb. 19, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on License and Consumer Protection on Tuesday narrowly advanced an ordinance to legalize video gambling in Chicago, a measure that, if approved by the City Council later this month, would allow many establishments with liquor licenses to add virtual poker, blackjack, slots and similar machines, although the proposal currently excludes taverns from participating. 

While some members called on the committee to wait another month to allow the city more time to prepare for implementation, proponents said the city has talked about legalization for years without any action. The committee voted 8-6 to advance a substitute version of Ald. Anthony Beale’s (9) proposal to establish a local licensing and regulatory structure for video gaming. 

From left, renderings of the 135 S. LaSalle St. and 105 W. Adams St. office-to-residential conversion projects. [Department of Planning and Development]

The City Council Committee on Finance on Monday approved a landmark $90 million settlement to resolve 176 lawsuits filed against the city tied to a disgraced ex-police sergeant and two massive tax increment financing (TIF) allocations to LaSalle Street Reimagined projects.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9) is pictured during a City Council meeting Dec. 16, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on License and Consumer Protection on Tuesday will consider an ordinance that would establish a local licensing and regulation structure for video gaming terminals, allowing the city to opt in to the state Video Gaming Act.

The licensing committee will meet at 10:30 a.m. in Room 201A at City Hall.

Finance Chair Pat Dowell (3) is pictured during a City Council meeting on June 12, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Finance on Monday will consider measures to allocate millions of dollars in tax increment financing (TIF) funds for two adaptive reuse projects downtown and to settle scores of police misconduct cases in a single, massive legal settlement. The committee will also hold a subject matter hearing on city pensions. 

The finance committee will meet at 10 a.m. in council chambers.

The seal of the Cook County Forest Preserve District is pictured. [Michael McDevitt/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners on Tuesday referred an appointment to the district’s Conservation and Policy Council to a committee and approved other items, such as a habitat restoration grant and a new contract for energy delivery consultation.

Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry speaks at a news conference flanked by Mayor Brandon Johnson on Oct. 9, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Finance next week will consider approval of a “landmark” $90 million global legal settlement to close 176 federal police misconduct lawsuits against the city as a result of the conduct of disgraced former Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts and other Chicago Police officers that were part of Watts’ tactical team. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry announced the proposed settlement, the first of its kind, Thursday morning.  

If approved by the full City Council, the corporation counsel said it would reduce the city’s long-term legal liability by hundreds of millions of dollars.