Editor's Note: In yesterday’s story we incorrectly state there were four Fulton Market projects up for consideration. There are actually five.

With minimal public opposition, the Chicago Plan Commission unanimously approved site plans for five large-scale development projects in the city’s historic Fulton Market District. The applications now advance to the Council’s Zoning Committee, scheduled to meet Monday, ahead of the full City Council meeting on Wednesday.

This includes

• Taris Real Estate’s plan for a new 10-story, 22-unit apartment building at 900 W. Washington, a $30 million project located two blocks from McDondald’s new Chicago headquarters.


• Shapack Partner’s planned a 20-story office tower with ground floor retail for the corner of Lake and Halsted. The building would be located at the entrance to the landmark district, and across the street from the new 29-story Parker Chicago condo building.


• Bridgford Food’s planned 17-story, 314-unit residential building for 170 N. Green Street, on the same block as the new Nobu Hotel currently under construction.


• Sterling Bay’s planned 12-story office building for 210 N. Carpenter. Their planned development application includes a two-story commercial building (1039 W. Lake), so they could expand the project site area and transfer the unused development rights for that property to the new office building.


• Peerless Real Estate’s planned twin 9-story condos, each with 28 units. One will front 1115 W. Washington, the other 19-27 North May Street. It’s located a block away from McDonald’s new headquarters.

The Council’s License Committee approved an ordinance lifting the ban on food trucks in the Illinois Medical District and another proposal to ban future tavern licenses at the Six Corners shopping district in Portage Park.

Calling it a “very stormy time” for the city and the Chicago Police Department, members of the Council’s Public Safety Committee approved the appointment of John P. O’Malley, a Director of Corporate Security for private investment banking firm William Blair and Company, to the city’s nine-member Police Board. With the shadow of the Department of Justice’s recently released report into the Chicago Police Department, aldermen spent most of the meeting cautioning O’Malley of what to expect as a member of the mayor-appointed board tasked with recommending disciplinary actions against police officers accused of misconduct. The appointment advances to the full City Council, scheduled to meet next Wednesday.

Four out of the ten large-scale zoning applications on the Plan Commission’s agenda today are located in Fulton Market, highlighting the development surge in the area. This includes a proposed 322-unit residential building for North Green Street, twin nine-story condos planned a block away from McDonald's new Chicago headquarters, and two office towers: one from Sterling Bay, another from Shapack Partners.

The City Council’s Housing Committee approved all 13 items on their Tuesday agenda, including a 21-acre parcel in North Lawndale to Clarius Partners, in a meeting that stretched on for nearly two hours.

Attendance: Chair Joe Moore (49), Vice Chair Gregory Mitchell (7), Sue Sadlowski-Garza (9), Raymond Lopez (15), David Moore (17), Michael Scott, Jr. (24), Deb Mell (33), James Cappleman (46), Ameya Pawar (47).

Highlights of items approved:

• A $1 million land sale to Clarius Partners, a development firm known for its large-scale suburban office complexes, received unanimous approval. The company is purchasing 21 acres of city-owned land in North Lawndale at a discounted price–the land was appraised at $2.6 million–because Clarius is putting $1.5 million in escrow to cover the cost of site remediation. The area, bounded by Roosevelt Road, Kostner, Kildare and Fifth Avenue, was once an illegal dumping site, part of the infamous Silver Shovel investigation that led to the indictment of six aldermen.

• Greenline Development, Inc. received approval to purchase four parcels of city-owned land in Woodlawn for a total of $4 ($1 per parcel). Similar to the Clarius sale, Greenline is purchasing the land located directly North of Oakwoods Cemetery for a discounted price–it was appraised at $62,000–because they’re covering the cost of site remediation, which is estimated to cost upwards of $200,000. Greenline plans to build eight eco-friendly single family homes (renderings from their website). According to Brian O’Donnell with the Department of Planning and Development, the developer has agreed not to sell any homes until they’ve received an official NFR letter, “No Further Remediation”, from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

• A $450,000 land sale in Pilsen that would support the construction of a new 75,000-square-foot wholesale food warehouse at 2639-59 South Damen Avenue was also approved. Banner Wholesale Grocers is purchasing the vacant parcel from the city, as well as a neighboring vacant parcel owned by the Chicago Produce Marketplace Corporation, to construct the new $10.5 million facility. Once complete, the food company, which has been in operation since 1926, will move from its existing Near West Side location at 3000 South Ashland Avenue. In addition to paying for the land at its appraised value, Banner will also place $350,000 in escrow to cover potential environmental remediation costs.

• A substitute ordinance approving the sale of a vacant lot in Pullman for $12,500 to North Carolina-based telecommunications infrastructure company, Eco Site. The parcel located at 400 East 107th Street is next to Countee Cullen Elementary School and was once a gas station. The substitute ordinance addressed the need for site remediation, according Assistant DPD Commissioner Robert Wolf.

• A $1 lease agreement with the Salvation Army, which is renting space at the Garfield Center, a Department of Family and Support Services-run community center. The lease agreement expires in December 2019. The Salvation Army will be using the space to provide services for the homeless while they construct a new facility.

There was nothing but praise for Anna Valencia as she sat before members of the Council’s Rules Committee for her official confirmation hearing as the new City Clerk, replacing newly-elected Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. After reading prepared remarks, Valencia was mostly showered with praise for about thirty minutes before the committee unanimously approved the appointment by voice vote. The appointment advances to the full City Council for a vote January 25th.  

A new Police Board appointment and another resolution affirming the city’s status as a Welcoming City for all residents are just some of the many items on tap for today, as five City Council Committees are scheduled to meet.

A $1 million dollar North Lawndale land sale to Clarius Partners, a development firm known for its large-scale suburban office complexes, is the largest item on the Council’s Housing agenda today.

Anna Valencia, Mayor Emanuel’s former Director of Legislative Affairs, will go before the Council’s Rules Committee this morning so aldermen can officially appoint her as City Clerk.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch listens to a reporter's question at the press conference releasing DOJ findings on an investigation into Chicago Police Department practices on Friday, January 13, 2017. Pictured at right, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and at left, Mayor Rahm Emanuel. (Photo: Aaron Cynic)

The Department of Justice’s 161-page Findings Report of its 13-month investigation into the Chicago Police Department reveals disturbing cases of excessive force; outdated and poorly-managed training; and a bureaucratic quagmire in the city, the Chicago Police Department, and the agencies charged with police oversight. The most egregious findings of the report dealt more with the institutions themselves than the actions of the individual officers. In fact, DOJ noted that systemic problems in outdated training; poorly-articulated policies; and rushed, “ad-hoc” policy changes like the recent Taser rollout have led to disastrous results.

As City Council prepares for the new year, and with it new legislative priorities, a lot of legislative loose ends remain. There are hundreds of ordinances and resolutions that have been languishing away in committee. Some, like plans to strengthen oversight of the Chicago Housing Authority, to create a public matching financing system for city elections, and to legalize video gambling in Chicago, have been stalled for more than a year.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has named Deputy City Clerk Carina Sanchez as the Public Building Commission’s new Executive Director, replacing Felicia Davis, who was appointed to the role in 2015.

Marilyn Katz

Marilyn Katz, founder of PR firm MK Communications, sat down with Daily Line publisher Mike Fourcher. Katz has a long history in Chicago starting with leading media efforts for Harold Washington's 1983 mayoral campaign to serving as an advisor to both Mayor Richard M. Daley and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. She talks with Mike about her relationship with Mayor Emanuel, President Barack Obama, rumors around a possible Valerie Jarrett run for mayor or governor, what it will take to defeat Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018 and much more.

Got suggestions for other political or policy experts we should interview? Send us your suggestions at [email protected] or on Twitter @thedailylinechi.

Interim Fourth Ward Alderman Sophia King, appointed to the City Council less than a year ago to replace Will Burns, has 52 days to convince voters to officially elect her into office for the remainder of the term. With more than $100,000 on hand, a key endorsement from SEIU, and the backing of several influential South Side politicians, including the ward’s Democratic Committeeman, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, King appears to have a distinct advantage over her challengers. On February 28th, King will face four opponents, including:

Our publisher Mike Fourcher sits with City Treasurer Kurt Summers at his City Hall Office to talk about Summers' first two years on the job managing the city’s money, specifically Chicago’s $7 billion investment portfolio, and a new investment fund Summers designed to help connect struggling neighborhoods with some much needed capital.  Be sure to listen to the end, where he talks about his political ambitions.

Mike Noonan (on right), Victor Reyes (on left), recored on Dec. 20th, (Photo Credit: A.D. Quig)

This week, our publisher, Mike Fourcher, sat down with two clued-in Chicago politicos: Mike Noonan and Victor Reyes. You might know them as the co-founders of the Roosevelt Group, a public affairs and lobbying firm that works in both Chicago and Springfield. In this hour long special episode, Reyes and Noonan talk about the upcoming gubernatorial race, ongoing dysfunction in Springfield, and reflect on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s second term in office following a year in turmoil over fractured community-police relations in the wake of the Laquan McDonald video release.

A former assistant and director of intergovernmental affairs under Mayor Richard M. Daley, Reyes later created and managed the now-defunct Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO). Noonan, a native of the South Suburbs, worked under Illinois Speaker Mike Madigan, and managed a slew of local races, including Lisa Madigan's 2012 election for Illinois Attorney General and John Stroger’s 2006 election for Cook County Board President.

South Side Alderman Willie Cochran was indicted on federal corruption charges–right in the middle of a City Council meeting. Accused of pocketing money from a charitable ward fund to pay his daughter’s college tuition and feed his gambling habit, Cochran bolted out of the council chambers, and refused to comment on the merits of the allegations. The Council’s Progressive Caucus, often known for butting heads with the Emanuel Administration, is down a member: Ald. Nick Sposato (38), citing health reasons, resigned from the group this week. Ideology played a role, too. And the City Clerk vacancy is no more: Mayor Emanuel has appointed Anna Valencia, his 31-year-old director of legislative affairs, to the seat. We’ll discuss what the mayor’s expectations are for his new appointee, and some new programs she’ll have to handle.

The Chicago Plan Commission approved all items on their December agenda with minimal public opposition. Only one project, a proposal to construct a 252-unit apartment building in Old Town sparked opposition, albeit with only five witnesses. The projects now advance to the Council’s Zoning Committee, followed by the full City Council.

252-Unit Mid-Rise Building In Old Town

1415 N. Sedgwick (27th Ward)

The oldest application on the agenda, and the only one to receive opposing public testimony, advanced out of the Plan Commission, giving LG Development the zoning change they need to build a seven-story residential building with 252 units and 89 parking spaces at the corner of Orleans and Schiller.

The Chicago Plan Commission is finishing off the year with a slate of highly contentious zoning projects, including a huge residential development in Old Town that has gone through at least three revisions since it was first introduced in January.

Lathrop Protest

An hour before the meeting, a coalition of community, housing and social service organizations will hold a press conference outside the Council Chambers to protest the redevelopment plan for the Julia C. Lathrop Homes–a project the Plan Commission approved in February.

The 525 Task Force, named after the 525 public housing units that’ll be eliminated from the northwest side public housing complex as part of a massive redevelopment initiative, is requesting the city replace all lost public housing units. Of the 1,208 units planned by Related Midwest for the 30 acre site, only 400 will be public housing. Former Plan Commissioner Juan Linares, the Executive Director of LUCHA, is part of the task force, even though he voted in favor of the planned development application during his short nine-month stint on the board. One of the most vocal proponents of affordable housing on the Plan Commission, he resigned April.

38th Ward Alderman Nick Sposato is stepping down from the Progressive Caucus, Sposato and fellow members told The Daily Line this week, claiming that the groups intensive meeting schedule is too much for him to handle. Sposato suffers from multiple sclerosis and has been strictly wheelchair-bound for the past few months.