The Committees on Pedestrian & Traffic Safety and Transportation and Public Way are scheduled to meet this morning to discuss mostly routine parking and traffic matters. The only non traffic matter the Transportation & Public Way Committee will take up is the mayoral reappointment of Terrance P. Fitzmaurice, the business manager of the Painters’ District Council #14, to the Illinois International Port District Board. The nine member board is the governing, administrative, and policy making body for the port district. Board members issue construction permits, regulate waterways, and designate and oversee foreign trade zones. Fitzmaurice was first appointed to the board by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2007.

Several proposed mixed-used residential, commercial and office buildings are listed on the Plan Commission agenda for today, including a 6-story commercial and residential apartment building that will have direct views of the new elevated Bloomingdale trail and a draft plan to turn a century-old brick building in Ravenswood into a loft office space and residential housing complex. We go through the individual large-scale applications below. The Commission is also scheduled to review and approve the $1 sale of 100 city-owned vacant lots in the Austin Community Area as part of the City’s Large Lots program.

Proposed Apartment-Office Space Complex in Ravenswood - 47th Ward
4801 N. Ravenswood Ave. | O2015-5333 | Introduced: 7/29/2015

Hayes Properties has a plan to transform a nearly one hundred year-old, four-story brick building in the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor into a mixed-use apartment and office building. The subject site is on the Northeast corner of Lawrence & Ravenswood Ave., adjacent to the METRA Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Plans include 36 residential units, a little over 90,000 sq. ft. of office space, and enough parking for 69 cars. Hayes acquired the building in 2014 after the property’s former tenants, Newark Corporation, an electronic company, relocated to the West Loop. The $6 million rehab is expected to create 20 construction and 260 permanent jobs. But in order to break ground on the site, Hayes needs Plan Commission approval to downzone the lot from a Manufacturing District (M1-2) to a Business and Commercial District (B2-2), since housing isn’t permitted in manufacturing zoned streets.

Bucktown’s WhirlyBall Seeks Rooftop Patio - 32nd Ward
1823 W. Webster Ave. | O2015-4633 | Introduced: 6/17/2015

Samuel Elias, the owner of three WhirlyBall amusement centers, applied for a downzone to permit a second story outdoor patio at the chain’s new 50,000 sq. ft. headquarters, located directly off the Kennedy Expressway in Bucktown. WhirlyBall is a sport that combines lacrosse, basketball and bumper cars. The indoor recreational facilities are popular for group events (alcohol is served on site). According to the application Elias filed under the name Jarla, LLC, they plan to serve alcohol on the patio and will apply for a special use permit once the downzone is approved. Plans also include the construction of an off-site parking lot for 120 cars.


Proposed 6-story Mixed-Use Building Next to New 606 Trail - 32nd Ward
1749 N. Milwaukee Ave. | O2015-5371 | Introduced: 7/29/2015

Centrum Partners is proposing to build a six-story, residential and commercial building that will overlook the new elevated Bloomingdale Trail. The joint venture between Centrum Partners and McLinden Holdings, LLC includes commercial retail and a refurbished Aldi’s Supermarket at the base, and 95 residential units split among the top four floors. The approximately 59,000 sq ft site will include a 60 car surface parking lot for shoppers and a 62 car basement garage for residents. The site is located between the Damen and Western CTA Blue Line stops, but the applicant, NRG Milwaukee, LLC, didn’t file the application as a Transit Oriented Development.


Structured Development Wants to Add more Retail near the Clybourn Corridor - 27th Ward
1450 N. Dayton St. | O2015-1357 | Introduced: 3/18/2015

Structured Development, the real estate firm behind the massive New City retail development project in the Clybourn Corridor, is part of a joint effort to build a four-story commercial retail and office building with an adjacent, multi-level parking structure for 550 cars near Goose Island. Structured and Big Deahl Productions Inc. filed a joint application under the name Big Deahl, LLC to establish a business planned development for the triangle shaped lot on 1450 N. Dayton Street. The area is currently zoned as a Commercial district (C3-5), so the proposed construction of 110,000 sq ft of office space is allowed, but the retail component, approximately 103,000 sq ft, is not, which is why the application needs approval from the Plan Commission.


Proposed Fulton Market Office Tower - 27th Ward
213-223 N. Peoria St. | O2014-8814 | Introduced: 11/5/2014
This is the oldest item on today’s agenda. New York-based Shorenstein Properties’filed a joint application with 219 Partners, LLC, a private partnership between Shapack Investments and M Squared Property, to rezone three neighboring properties in Fulton Market. The Business Planned Development would include the construction of a 10-story commercial office building, a new one-story retail building, and the rehab of an old meatpacking facility built in 1893. Shapack Partners acquired the 13,000 sq ft parking lot on 213-223 N. Peoria St. in 2013, and the vacant double wide parking lot on 217-219 N. Green Street in 2014. The Peoria Street lot will house the 10-story office building. Plans call for ground floor retail, parking for 59 cars on the 2-5 floors, and loft-style offices on the remaining top floors. As for the old six-story Amity Packing Co. building, developers plan keep the brick facade and add new windows and metal cladding. That building will be a mix of office and retail.

A coalition of community organizations and aldermen held a press conference at City Hall demanding a vote on an ordinance requiring more transparency and accountability from banks that hold the city’s money.

The Municipal Depository Ordinance Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Ald. Tom Tunney (44) and Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6) introduced in June forces banks that hold the city’s money to provide regular reports on minority and Chicago-area employment numbers and local lending practices.

Aldermen accused banks of pressuring to stall the ordinance in committee, and demanded that Finance Chairman Ed Burke (14) add it to Monday’s Finance agenda so it can advance to the full City Council next Thursday.

“We are here in solidarity to call for a hearing and vote,” Ald. Pat Dowell (3) said. “This ordinance, which is a product of struggle to overcome decades of redlining of many of Chicago’s communities, would shine a much-needed light on the institutions that hold the city’s money.”

The ordinance’s sponsors have since amended the text, adding additional transparency requirements. This substitute ordinance will be introduced as a replacement when the original ordinance is called in committee. The regular reports from the City’s banks would have to detail if the financial institutions are investing in local small businesses, providing loans for affordable housing, or promoting youth and entrepreneurial development, according to Ald. Dowell.

“At any given moment, Chicago’s Municipal Depositories hold $500 million to $1 billion for the City of Chicago. But investment by those banks continues to lag in underserved communities,” Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) said. “Banks doing business with the City must also invest in our neighborhoods.”

A few hours after the presser, City Treasurer Kurt Summers released a statement praising the aldermen for pushing a vote on the ordinance he helped draft. Getting the city’s municipal depositories to invest in the city is part of the 90-day-plan “Invest in Our Chicago” Summers unveiled when he first took office in 2014.

“Access to capital was the number one challenge I heard while visiting each of Chicago's 77 neighborhoods,” Summers was quoted saying in the release. “I am taking the concerns of the groups represented today very seriously and will continue to work closely with residents, the Mayor's office and members of City Council to come to a swift resolution in order to provide the transparency and investment our neighborhoods deserve."

Treasurer Summers wants to use the local lending information to create a so-called “Banking Scorecard” that would be available to the public, so they can see how frequently their local bank is investing back in their communities.

Proposals to allow wine sales along the Chicago Riverwalk and a new license for mobile food vendors are on today’s agenda.

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) wants to make it legal for vendors to sell sealed, 750mL bottles of wine along the downtown Riverwalk, a pedestrian-centric walkway that runs along the banks of the Chicago River from Lake Shore Drive to Franklin Street. Reilly’s ordinance would let vendors sell bottles of wine during normal business hours (11am to 9pm), but since it is still illegal to consume alcohol along the Riverwalk, retailers can’t provide a corkscrew or drinking container with the purchase of alcohol. Retailers would have to train staff and post signs that say “All retail wine purchases are for off-site consumption only–No open containers beyond this point.”

Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26) is resurrecting his plan to establish a license for pushcart vendors that sell prepared food on City streets. Street vendors would have to pay $350 for the license. Maldonado first introduced his proposal to create a license for these so-called “Mobile prepared food vendors” in 2014. The ordinance failed.

The Council Committee on Human Relations will discuss a resolution calling on the City’s Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund to divest in companies engaged in the economic boycott of Israel. More than half of the City Council is listed as a co-sponsor to the resolution Ald. Michele Smith (43) and Ald. Debra Silverstein (50) introduced at the last City Council meeting. This will be the committee’s first meeting since Ald. Joe Moreno (1) was appointed as the new chair. Ald. Moreno’s legislative aid, Evelyn Rodriguez, said Ald. Smith is the only speaker lined up for tomorrow’s meeting.

Both of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s zoning proposals were deferred in committee yesterday and will likely get a second reading at the subsequent Zoning Committee meeting scheduled for next Monday, three days before the full City Council meets.

Committee Members Present: Chairman Danny Solis (25), Vice Chairman James Cappleman (46), Joe Moreno (1), David Moore (17), Matt O’Shea (19), Walter Burnett (27), Deb Mell (33), Brendan Reilly (43), Tom Tunney (44).

Others Present: Patrick Daley Thompson (11), Raymond Lopez (15), Jason Ervin (28), Joe Moore (49).

Zoning Chairman Danny Solis delayed a vote on the Mayor’s proposal to incentivize more development near public transit stations to allow for additional time for the Committee to review the mayor’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD) reforms.

The Mayor introduced the TOD ordinance at the July City Council meeting as a way to increase the number of large-scale mixed-use commercial and residential transit-centric projects near CTA and Metra stations. The changes build upon the Mayor’s 2013 TOD ordinance by expanding the size of TOD zones, eliminating all parking requirements, and adding new incentives for affordable housing.

The proposed changes increase the maximum distance required for development projects near CTA and Metra stations to 1,320 ft, up from the 600 ft currently required in the City’s zoning code. The current 50% on-site parking requirement would be eliminated. Developers would instead have to add pedestrian-centric amenities like wider sidewalks, outdoor seating or open green space. Developers who commit to making 100% of units affordable could add additional square footage, through what it known as the floor-area-ratio (FAR). A building’s FAR is equal to the building’s total floor area divided by the total gross area of the lot. The ordinance also gives the Department of Transportation the authority to approve any alternative forms of transportation, like Divvy bike racks, provided on site.

This policy brief from land-use law firm DLA Piper (the firm of recently named Planning Commissioner David Reifman) raises issues with DOT’s potential involvement in TOD projects and questions whether the Department will have the power to reject projects if developers fail to actively promote or provide alternative modes of transportation on site.

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) also raised objections to the new zoning changes. He claimed it gave “substantial benefits to big developers, while robbing residents of any meaningful input in these local zoning decisions.”

After testifying at the zoning meeting, he sent out a press release calling for more affordable housing requirements for TOD designated projects. “TOD is broadly recognized to raise property taxes, and is so doing threatens to make transit-rich communities unaffordable for working people,” the release said. 

In addition to holding the TOD ordinance in committee, Chairman Solis tabled the Mayor’s plan to establish a new license classification for parties at large industrial venues. The new license would establish new liquor requirements for these types of parties, including a fee structure based on the number of expected attendees, ranging from $700 to $6,600.

Chicago Plan Commission Appointments Approved

The committee advanced three mayoral appointments and one reappointment to the Chicago Plan Commission. The three new appointees–Laura L. Flores, Sarah E. Lyons and Juan Linares–gave brief statements expressing gratitude and excitement. The commission is tasked with reviewing large-scale development projects like Planned Developments and changes to Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts.

Flores is the lead project architect for Epstein, a global design and construction company that designed the $300 million Medical District Gateway Projects near Damen & Ogden.

Linares is Executive Director of the Latin United Community Housing Association(LUCHA). He highlighted his experience developing affordable housing and defending tenants going through foreclosures. Ald. Joe Moreno (1) vouched for Linares, noting the work they have done together to bring more affordable housing to his ward.

Lyons is a research analyst for Unite Here Local 1, a labor organization that represents garment and textile workers across the county. Ald. Ramirez-Rosa said he used to work with Lyons and called her appointment an “excellent addition” the the Plan Commission.

Doris Holleb was the one reappointment to the board and the only appointee not in attendance. Holleb is a professor of Geographical Studies at the University of Chicago. Appointed to the Commission in 1986 by Mayor Harold Washington, Holleb is the longest serving member on the Plan Commission.

Highlights of Approved Items

With little to no public comment on most of the proposed zoning amendments before the Zoning Committee–save for George Blakemore who testified on as many items he could sign up for–aldermen swiftly approved dozens of zoning applications in two hours. Here are some of the highlights:

Parkway East Project, Lakeview - 44th Ward
O2015-4175

Broder Diversey, LLC’s application to build an 11-story residential tower with 56 units and commercial retail near Diversey Harbor was the largest development project approved at yesterday’s meeting. The proposed project site is currently a surface parking lot with a neighboring 3-story residential commercial building that is home to a notable local bar, Yakzies. The developers, Gabriel Development Group and LA Commercial, LLC, filed an application to rezone the area into a Residential Business Planned Development divided into two sub areas. The larger plot, Sub Area A, is 14,250 sq. ft. and will include at least 53 parking spaces and residential units. The neighboring Sub Area B takes up 4,750 sq. ft. and includes at least 3 residential units, but no parking.

When the application went before the Plan Commission in August, several residents raised objections to the project, saying it would overwhelm an already congested strip of Diversey. Some opponents even called the draft plan “ridiculous” because the new building would sandwich Yakzies between two residential towers. A large, landmarked residential building, The Brewster, neighbors the bar on the east side. But at Monday’s zoning meeting, no one signed up to testify against, and it was quickly approved without discussion.

Pritzker-backed Residential Tower in Rogers Park Approved - 49th Ward
O2015-5332

The Zoning Committee approved a proposal to turn a mostly vacant strip mall on 1313 W. Morse Ave. into an 8-story residential building with up to 50 residential units on top of a three floor parking garage. Col. Jennifer Pritzker's Tawani Enterprisesis behind this project, and the Mayne Stage Theater project across the street. Ald. Joe Moore (49) told the committee developers scaled down their original proposal after hearing resident concerns. The application passed without questions or opposing testimony.

Zoning Changes for New Town Homes in North Kenwood Approved - 4th Ward
O2015-5359 & O2015-5360

The Zoning Committee approved two applications seeking to rezone several plots of land in the South Side’s North Kenwood community to facilitate construction of two large town homes. Marcin Orpick, with D.O.M. Construction, filed two separate applications to rezone 1015-1019 E. 43rd St. and 4300 South Drexel. Both sites are within five blocks of each other and are currently classified as Neighborhood Mixed-Use Districts (B2-3). Orpick sought a rezone to a Community Shopping District (B3-3) to build a six-dwelling-unit, three story town home with an adjacent six car garage on East 43rd street and a nine-dwelling-unit, three story town home building with nine garages. The applications were approved without discussion.

Zoning Change for a New Banquet Hall Approved - 26th Ward
O2015-5364

Applicant Tonja Hall got the green light from the Zoning Committee to transform the vacant commercial building on 3213-16 W. 63rd Street into a large banquet hall. Hall requested a zoning change from a Neighborhood Shopping District (B1-1) to a Neighborhood Commercial District (C1-2) to establish the banquet hall on the first floor of the existing 3-story building. The upper two floors would have commercial retail and office space.

Rezone of Former Lincoln Village Cinemas Approved - 50th Ward
O2015-5365

Northbrook-based Banner Storage Group, LLC got approval from the Zoning Committee to transform the old Lincoln Village Cinemas into a self-storage warehouse. Gary Delaney, the manager behind the LLC, applied for the zoning change so he could expand the existing theater building to accommodate 95,164 sq. ft. of storage space. The group also plans to demolish the neighboring vacant car wash and turn it into a parking lot.

The following Items were deferred because they require prior approval from the Plan Commission: O2015-5321, O2015-5340, O2015-5371, O2015-5352, and O2015-5313

Mayor Emanuel’s proposal to create more incentives to increase development near public transit stations is one of several items listed on the City Council’s Zoning Committee agenda today. The changes build on the Mayor’s 2013 TOD ordinance by expanding the size of TOD zones, eliminating all parking requirements, and adding new incentives for affordable housing. The TOD ordinance the Mayor introduced at the last City Council meeting increases the maximum distance required for development projects near CTA and Metra stations to 1,320 ft, up from the 600 ft currently required in the City’s zoning code.

Developers who commit to making 100% of units affordable would get to expand the floor-area-ratio (FAR), which is the building floor area divided by the total gross area of the lot, from 3.5 to 4.0. TOD projects in business, commercial, manufacturing, and downtown zoned areas wouldn’t have to provide any on-site parking under the proposal. In lieu of parking, developers would have to beautify the surrounding open space with trees and shrubbery, outdoor seating, wider sidewalks or additional lighting. If approved in committee tomorrow and by the full City Council at the end of the month, the changes would apply to all zoning applications submitted on or after November 1, 2015.

In addition to the TOD reforms, the Committee will also vote on Mayor Emanuel’s proposed ordinance creating a private event license for large parties hosted at industrial venues. The license fee would be based on the number of expected attendees, ranging from $700 to $6,600.

Workforce Committee quickly approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s appointment of Karen Coppa to the city’s Human Resources Board, a three member body that hears cases of alleged misconduct against city employees. Coppa briefly highlighted her tenure with the city–she worked in the City’s Law Department between 2000-2014–before the Committee approved her appointment. George Blakemore was the only witness to sign up for public testimony.

Members Present: Chairman Pat O’Connor (40), Raymond Lopez (15), Howard Brookins, Jr. (21), Walter Burnett (27), Emma Mitts (37), Michelle Smith (43). 

The Committee also approved a contract for 17 police communications operators in the City’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication. The term of the agreement is from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2017, with a 1.25% raise for each of the first three years and a 1.5% raise for that last two years.  The Union’s President Becky Strzechowski and Secretary-Treasurer Michael G. Melone negotiated the deal with the city, but did not speak at the hearing. The City’s Assistant Chief Labor Negotiator, Cicely Porter Adams, says the collective bargaining agreement took 17 months to negotiate. “It’s the best deal possible for taxpayers,” she testified. Blakemore spoke on that item, too. The appointment and contract will advance to the full City Council for a vote at the end of the month. 

Finance Chairman Ed Burke (14) is teaming up with Cook County Commissioner Richard R. Boykin to discuss the growing trend of heroin-related overdoses in Illinois. He’s holding a press conference this afternoon at City Hall to call for the creation of a joint City-County advisory task force to stem the epidemic. Donal Quinlan, Ald. Burke’s spokesperson, said Burke wanted to make sure the task force included the surrounding suburbs because the issue extends beyond the city’s borders.

Last year, 633 Illinoisans died from a heroin overdose, up from 583 in 2013. And according to a recent report from the Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy at Roosevelt University, the Chicago metropolitan area ranked first in the nation for emergency room visits related to heroin use.

The press event comes hot on the heals of Boykin shutting down an ersatz campaign for U.S. Senate, which he ended earlier this week.

The Committee on Workforce Development and Audit has two items on today’s agenda: a mayoral appointment to the Human Resources Board and a collective bargaining agreement with unionized emergency phone operators.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has recommended the appointment of Karen Coppa to the Human Resources Board, a three member body that hears cases of alleged misconduct against city employees. Coppa is currently a principal at Clear Brook Consulting and does legal work for her own firm, Karen Coppa, LLC. Coppa was also a former Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel in the City’s Law Department. If her appointment is approved, she’ll join the board’s current members, Salvador A. Cicero and Samuel L. Evans, Jr.

In addition to confirming Coppa, the Committee is also scheduled to approve a collective bargaining agreement between the City and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local Union No. 700. The year-long agreement covers approximately 17 Supervising Police Communications Operators employed in the Office of Emergency Management and Communication.  (Here are the agreements for 2014 and 2013).

The Department of Planning and Development is on track to meet its affordable housing goal of 8,200 units by the end of 2015, but it remains behind on its goal to increase the number of first time homeowners, according to Deputy Commissioner for Housing Lawrence Grisham’s testimony to the Housing and Real Estate Committee. The hearing was a report from him and a review of highlights of the 2015 Second Quarter Progress Report of the city’s five-year housing plan. DPD is the lead agency for the City’s affordable housing, housing preservation, and homebuyer assistance programs.

Committee Members Present: Chairman Joe Moore (49), Vice Chairman Pat Dowell (3), Gregory Mitchell (7), Raymond Lopez (15), David Moore (17), Michael Scott, Jr. (24), Deb Mell (33), James Cappleman (46).

Since the start of 2015, the City allocated over $151 million in funds to support more than 5,700 affordable housing units, representing 63% of the total affordable unit goal and 60% of the resource allocation goal for 2015. This includes the addition of four large-scale affordable housing projects the City Council approved funding for in the last quarter.

But DPD has only committed $12 million to help 180 households achieve or sustain homeownership. That amounts to 37% of the $33 million DPD had anticipated spending on the initiative this year.

Grisham attributed the continued lag in the home ownership numbers to a lack of demand, availability and affordability of homes in neighborhoods that have yet to rebound from the recession. He said DPD kept the higher than expected target for the homebuyer programs because the department anticipates increased interest in the near future.

“We are, in fact, beginning to see an uptick in activity in both our loan programs and other programs related to home ownership,” Grisham said.

But the discussion on DPD’s affordable housing progress report was only a portion of the nearly two hour meeting, as time was set aside to discuss the city’s Troubled Building Initiative (TBI) after several public commenters criticized the program at the last quarterly briefing in June. TBI was designed to address problems with negligent landlords and crumbling housing stock. Through the courts, a judge can appoint a receiver (i.e. developer) to take over and rehabilitate the property. Critics say the process, which takes over a year, is too long, and local community groups were kept in the dark when receivers were chosen.

Several South Side aldermen at yesterday’s hearing echoed those concerns, saying they too would like to be kept in the loop when foreclosed or dilapidated buildings in their wards go through this process.

Bryan Esenberg, Assistant Housing Commissioner, said the city has had a hard time finding eligible developers, since they are required to front redevelopment costs totaling millions before getting reimbursed from the city.

A proposal to slap a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks will be the subject of today’s City Council Committee on Health and Environmental Protection.

Committee Chairman George Cardenas (12) is the architect behind the so-called “Chicago Sweetened-Beverage Tax”, which includes a tax on sugary powders and syrups sold at Chicago-area grocery stores. A 12-pack of of soda would cost an additional $1.44 under the plan. Milk, liquor, coffee, tea-based beverages, as well as any drink with less than 5 grams of caloric sweetener for every 12 ounces would be exempt.

Back in 2012, Cardenas introduced a resolution (R2012-172) that led to a lengthy hearing on the effects sugary beverages have on obesity and the implications of imposing a higher sales tax on these types of beverages. At the time, Cardenas was considering a 15 to 35-cent tax on sugary drinks to curb consumption and raise money for health programs, but that plan was never put into a written, draft ordinance.

If Ald. Cardenas' updated proposal is approved in committee today, and by the full City Council later this month, the ordinance would establish the Chicago Wellness Fund and an oversight committee to manage it. The Advisory Council for Health and Wellness would be made up of 22 members, including four aldermen, four representatives from designated city agencies, and 14 members appointed by the mayor.

Ninety-eight percent of the revenue generated through the tax would go toward the fund, with 75% of that money earmarked for health education and fitness programs at Chicago Public Schools. The Department of Public Health would pick up the other 2% of anticipated revenue for administrative costs associated with the rollout of the new tax.

Expect a lengthy hearing on the controversial tax. Ald. Cardenas has invited several expert witnesses to testify in support of the research cited in the preamble to his ordinance that suggests a tax on sugary drinks could result in a 23.5% reduction in consumption, a 9.3% reduction in youth obesity, and a 5.2% cut in adult obesity.

Speakers include: Esther Sciamarella, Executive Director of the Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition; Elissa J. Bassler, CEO of the Illinois Public Health Institute; Malik Nevels, Executive Director of the Illinois African American Coalition for Prevention; and Dr. Lisa Powell, professor of health policy and administration for the University of Illinois-Chicago’s School of Public Health.

The Chicago Coalition Against Beverage Taxes, a group created specifically to oppose Ald. Cardenas’ proposed tax, has said a tax on sugary drinks would burden businesses already paying special taxes on sodas and bottled water. The coalition, co-chaired by Rob Karr, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, lists nearly a thousand businesses, labor unions, and community groups as partners.

The Committee on Zoning approved plans to build a new Whole Foods in Lakeview, Tishman Speyer’s proposed 53-story office tower in the Loop, a boutique Viceroy Hotel in the Gold Coast, and a new Half Acre brewery and beer garden in Ravenswood. But those big ticket items took only a fraction of the four-and-a-half hour zoning meeting yesterday.

Committee Members present: Chairman Danny Solis (25), Vice Chairman James Cappleman (46), Joe Moreno (1), David Moore (17), Howard Brookins, Jr. (21), Walter Burnett (27), Deb Mell (33), Marge Laurino (39), Brendan Reilly (42), Tom Tunney (44), Ameya Pawar (47)

Non-members present: Harry Osterman (48), Sue Sadlowski-Garza (10), Anthony Beale (9)

The committee dedicated close to an hour discussing an application to expand a 60-year-old community of manufactured homes along Wolf Lake in the 10th Ward.

The community has been around since the 1950s, and was reclassified into a Residential Business Planned Development in 2008 with the goal of removing the existing manufactured homes and replacing them with 953 detached homes, 30,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and 44.5 acres of open space. But the economic downturn stalled that project and the original applicant for the PD went into foreclosure. Harbor Point Venture, LLC bought the property in 2012 with the intent of expanding the number of manufactured homes from the current 190 units to 747.

The Zoning Committee approved Harbor Point Venture, LLC's proposal in January, but due to some confusion over building permits, the plan never advanced to the full City Council. Manufactured homes are an anomaly that don’t fit the zoning code because they are usually constructed off site and don’t follow the same zoning requirements as detached, single-family homes, Zoning Administrator Patti Scudiero explained after several aldermen expressed confusion over the project.

The application was being revisited at the request of freshman Ald. Susan Sadlowski-Garza. When she succeeded Ald. John Pope in office, she asked that the committee revisit the plan after she had time to get acquainted with it. After two community meetings and numerous talks with the developers, Ald. Garza said she was in favor of the project and asked that the committee re-approve the application. They did.

A significant amount of time was also spent on Ald. Anthony Beale’s (9) application to rezone a vacant public elementary school in the Roseland community. Ald. Beale said reclassifying the site of the former John G. Shedd Elementary School from a residentially zoned area to a manufacturing district is a “routine land plan usage ordinance". The school has been vacant since 2013, one of the roughly 50 schools closed by CPS at the time. Last December, the Board of Education rejected two offers to buy the property because neither bid was high enough, according to DNAinfo. “The community is very concerned about the use of what this facility will be,” Ald. Beale explained. “It's an entire block, so we are changing the zoning for future land plan usage, so we can make sure that whatever goes there, the community has input on the development.” Residents who testified were mostly concerned about the impact the zoning change would have on their property values and if it would lead to more economic development in the community.

Changing the block into an M1-1 district would restrict the type of development allowed on site, and if CPS eventually sells the property and the new owner seeks rezone the site, it would have to go through a lengthy zoning process, as any downzone from a manufacturing district would require approval from the Plan Commission. Before the committee approved Ald. Beale’s request, Ald. James Cappleman (46) asked if any charter schools had expressed interest in the site. Beale said no.

Ald. Harry Osterman’s (48) application to sunset an expired Planned Developmentin Edgewater was also a point of contention, as the developers sought a one year extension to move forward on plans to build a residential building for seniors.

Ald. Osterman filed an application to sunset Residential Planned Development #1056 and revert the area back to a Community Shopping district. The PD expired in May, and Ald. Osterman said he wanted to bring the area back to its original zoning classification so the local community could have a say in any future development. But at the committee meeting yesterday, the lawyer for the owner of the PD, Barry Levin, accused accused Ald. Osterman of sunsetting the PD without notifying his clients and asked that the Committee grant a one year extension. He said this clients were planning to build a residential complex for seniors and downzoning the property would prohibit that kind of construction, forcing his clients to re-apply for a new Planned Development. Reapplying for a new PD would trigger the stricter affordable housing requirements the City Council approved last year. The committee approved the application, after Solis pulled up records proving notice was mailed to the community.

The Committee also approved nearly a dozen mayoral appointments, including:

• Gabriel Ignacio Dziekiewicz as member of Commission on Chicago. He is the president and principal of design for DesignBridge, an architecture, interior design and graphic design firm.


• Juan G. Moreno as member of Commission on Chicago Landmarks. He is the president and founder of JGMA (Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects), a self-described progressive architecture and design firm founded in 2010 and based in Chicago.


• Carmen A. Rossi as member of Commission on Chicago Landmarks. He is a commercial lawyer and restaurateur and owns the Hubbard Inn in River North and Barn & Co. in Lincoln Park.


• Blake P. Sercye as member of Zoning Board of Appeals. He is a litigator for corporate law firm Jenner & Block and also has a pro-bono practice in Austin that focuses on fair housing, prisoner rights and criminal defense.

Development plans to turn a Wicker Park gas station into a chain hotel, a medical device facility into a catering business, and a vacant Humboldt Park church into a residential housing complex are just some of the many items slated for the City Council’s Zoning Committee today.

George Nediyakalayil, President of Gas Depot, is behind a proposal to turn the Shell gas station he owns on the corner of Ashland and North Avenues (1551 West North Ave) into a seven-story hotel with 99 rooms and 50 parking spaces. Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) held a community meeting on the proposed hotel earlier this month, but according to DNAinfo, the freshman alderman will likely defer the plan until a traffic study is completed. (#02015-5308)

The proposal to turn a Drummond Industries plastic injection molding company on 2600-18 North Cicero Ave. into a catering company was filed by Swell Chicago, LLC. Jonadab Silva, the registered owner of the limited liability company, co-owns Cooked, a restaurant in Evanston that delivers fresh and healthy meals to customers in Chicago, the North Suburbs and the Northwest Suburbs. Drummond Industrieswill retain ownership of the subject property, and there isn’t any new development planned for the site. Silva has requested a zoning change from a Neighborhood Shopping District (B1-1) to a Neighborhood Commercial District (C1-1) so that he can transform the existing, two-story, 15,000 sq ft structure into a catering business that will serve liquor. (#02015-5310)

Michael Kaplun and Mikhail Skoulsky want to transform the vacant Sure Foundation Ministry Baptist Church on 1300 N. Artesian Ave. into a six-unit residential building. The church, located on the border of Humboldt and Wicker Park, was put up for sale in 2012.  Kaplun and Skoulsky will keep the structure of the mid-sized church intact, according to the zoning application they filed with the city under the name 1300 N. Artesian LLC. (#02015-5309)

One item on the agenda that will likely get withdrawn today is a proposed charter school on the southwest side of Rosehill Cemetery in the 40th Ward. Intrinsic Charter Schools applied for a zoning change for 5501-5525 N. Western Ave., so it could build an approximately 120,000 sq ft, 7-12 grade school with an adjoining athletic field and parking lot. But according to a letter Ald. Pat O’Connor sent to his constituents in July, the charter school network is no longer interested in the site and will look for another location on the Northwest Side. (#02015-4643)

And speaking of schools, Ald. Anthony Beale (9) has an application to reclassify the former John G. Shedd Elementary School from a residential zoned district to a manufacturing district. It was one of the schools the Board of Education voted to close in 2013. Beale reportedly sent out this letter and held a recent community meeting on the zoning change. (# O2015-4721)

Several large scale development items listed on the deferred agenda, like a new Whole Foods in Lakeview and an angular glass office tower in the Downtown Loop, got the green light from the Plan Commission last week and are expected to get a vote today.

There are also nearly a dozen Mayoral appointments and reappointments to the City’s various land use boards listed on today’s agenda, including:

• Gabriel Ignacio Dziekiewicz as member of Commission on Chicago. He is the president and principal of design for DesignBridge, an architecture, interior design and graphic design firm. Prior to joining DesignBridge, Gabriel worked for two Chicago architectural firms, Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Destefano+Partners, Ltd., where he worked on the design for One South Dearborn, the downtown office tower where law firm Sidley Austin, LLP is headquartered.


• Juan G. Moreno as member of Commission on Chicago Landmarks. He is the president and founder of JGMA (Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects), a self-described progressive architecture and design firm founded in 2010 and based in Chicago. Moreno was born in Bogota, Columbia and studied architecture at California State Polytechnic University Pomona.


• Carmen A. Rossi as member of Commission on Chicago Landmarks. She is a commercial lawyer and restaurateur. She owns the Hubbard Inn in River North and Barn & Co. in Lincoln Park.


• Blake P. Sercye as member of Zoning Board of Appeals. He is a litigator for corporate law firm Jenner & Block and also has a pro-bono practice in Austin that focuses on fair housing, prisoner rights and criminal defense. Sercye was unsuccessful in his bid for the Cook County Board of Commissioners last year, despite high profile endorsements from Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. He served on the Illinois Medical District Commission and Chicago’s Community Development Commission.

A month after appointing Lori Lightfoot as the new president of the Chicago Police Board, the City Council Committee on Public Safety approved two new members to the Board, including a former Los Angeles police officer turned investment banker.

Committee Members Present: (8/19 members) Chairman Ariel Reboyras (30), Vice Chairman Willie Cochran (20), Gregory Mitchell (7), Ed Burke (14), Matt O’Shea (19), Chris Taliaferro (29), Anthony Napolitano (41), Ameya Pawar (47).

John Simpson, a partner at the investment banking firm Broadhaven Capital Partners, who also contributed $77,000 to Mayor Rahm Emanuel reelection, told the Committee that he got a job with the LAPD after graduating from Harvard Law School. He eventually moved to Chicago in 1989 and has worked in the financial services industry for the last 30 years.

If his appointment is approved by the full City Council next month, he will be the only person on the nine-member board with previous law enforcement experience. Former Chicago Police officers Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41) and Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29) had called for more police experience on the Board during the Lightfoot hearing, when they expressed concerns that relationships between police and the communities they serve are at an all-time low. They made similar remarks at yesterday's hearing, and were joined by two other former police officers on the city council, Ald. Ed Burke (14) and Ald. Willie Cochran (20).

But unlike Lightfoot's confirmation hearing, which consisted of a lengthy Q&A and a laundry list of concerns about strained community-police relations in Chicago and across the country, yesterday's nomination meeting was less of an interrogation and more reflective.

Committee Vice Chairman Cochran (20) gave what can only be described as a monologue about community policing following Simpson's testimony. "We see more bad than good in our communities," Ald. Cochran said as he went on to describe the difficult positions police face in the line of duty and the responsibility of the Police Board to keep the officers accountable. "We are counting on you to make us better."

In addition to approving Simpson's appointment, the committee also approved the appointment of Claudia Venezuela, an immigration lawyer with the Heartland Alliance National Immigrant Justice Center. During her testimony, Venezuela gave a brief synopsis of her resume highlighting her expertise handling policing issues in immigrant communities. The meeting went on somewhat of a tangent after that, as Ald. Burke asked Venezuela if she thought an ordinance he championed back in 2002 allowing Mexican immigrants obtain library cards and bank accounts with their Mexican issued ID was successful.

"I think it benefited many individuals forced to live in the shadows," Venezuela responded, adding that she worked with people who benefited from the program. The conversation moved from the Matricula Consular cards to a discussion of legislation in Springfield from Rep. Daniel J. Burke, Ed Burke's brother, related to detention centers. Burke eventually spiraled into an odd, exhaustive history lesson on James Shield, an immigrant who ended up serving in the U.S. Senate for three different states, Illinois, Minnesota and Missouri.

The third nominee, William Conlon, a partner at Sidney, LLP, was absent, but the Committee advanced his re-appointment to the board.

Bankruptcy for Chicago Public Schools would not only be a long and complicated litigation process, but could cause a “death spiral” for the district, according to a group of panelists at a City Club of Chicago event Monday titled, Chicago Public Schools: Is Bankruptcy Inevitable?

Governor Rauner floated bankruptcy as a potential fix for Chicago Public Schools’ financial problems in April, but CPS would have several legal hurdles to jump before it could declare it is out of cash.

For starters, a municipality like CPS couldn’t file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy without state approval, according to panelist George Panagakis, a lawyer who deals with reorganizations, debt restructuring, and insolvency. But even if the state allowed CPS to file for bankruptcy, Panagakis says the school district would have to meet three eligibility criteria.

First, it would have to be insolvent in near-term cash flow. “It would have to be really really out of money,” Panagakis explained. Whether CPS could raise more revenue or make more cuts would have to be hashed out in court.

Second, the district would need a plan for how to get out of bankruptcy, either by extending debt maturities, reducing the amount of principal or interest, or refinancing the debt by obtaining a new loan.

And lastly, CPS would have to negotiate with a majority of its creditors to get a consensus that bankruptcy is the best step forward.

Getting legislation in place, then convincing a judge the district meets all three requirements would take a year or more to prove, Panagakis said, adding that filing for bankruptcy can be a useful way to create a forum as a last ditch effort to try to straighten out finances. He said talking about Chapter 9 is a good thing.

But Charles Burbridge, a deputy chief financial officer at CPS 20 years ago, called talk of bankruptcy a red herring, saying education policy and pension funding are the real issues.

“It’s reprehensible that the state would even consider bankruptcy,” he said, to applause from the crowd. “CPS is a creation of the state, the state controls almost every aspect of education… the state needs to step up and take responsibility for it.”

In an interview with the Tribune about the source of CPS’s budget woes, Burbridge, now head of the Chicago Teacher’s Pension Fund, talked about his part in contributing to the problem back in 1995. “We felt that we made good calls on the priorities…History may judge that we didn't. Certainly good pension funding shows that we didn't. But we thought we were doing good things." He told today’s crowd the pension fund survived through World Wars and a Depression, but can’t survive without full employer contributions.

Panelist Troy LaRaviere, the principal of Blaine Elementary School, a self-described passionate defender of public schools, didn’t partake in the City Club’s lunch in solidarity with the hunger strikers for Dyett High School. He argued emotionally that blame shouldn’t rest entirely on Springfield’s shoulders, and read a prepared statement saying Mayor Emanuel’s allowed poor financial decisions to continue well into his administration.

“Pensions are not the source of our problem. This administration consistently misappropriated pension funds and then attempts to convince us that pensions themselves are the problem. That’s like a thief stealing your rent money and then attempting to convince you that the landlord is your problem.”

LaRaviere said reckless and corrupt city borrowing, a “parasitic private sector,” and state legislators that create a climate for “this kind of nonsense to happen,” are taking all of what little teachers have.

And then there was Jesse Ruiz, vice president of the Chicago Board of Education, who bypassed bankruptcy talk altogether and instead blamed Springfield for the district’s financial woes. “The fact of the matter is, state support for public education has been in decline,” he said. Chicago schools have taken a $100 million hit in this past fiscal year alone, Ruiz added.

Ruiz is now tasked with voting on CPS’s proposed budget, which includes a $450M gap that the district hopes Springfield will fill. CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has said there’s no Plan B in place if Senate President John Cullerton doesn’t pull through on the bill he is championing in Springfield to help give the district a break.

Just after the panel, the Civic Federation issued a press release urging the Board of Education to reject CPS’s budget, calling it irresponsible for the same reason one member of the crowd brought up: there’s no Springfield rescue yet. “This budget is yet another financially risky, short-sighted proposal and fails to provide any reassurance that Chicago Public Schools has a plan for emerging from its perpetual financial crisis,” the release said. You can read Civic Fed’s full report here.

Former CPS CEO Paul Vallas might’ve summed things up most succinctly when he said bankruptcy would be “the kiss of death for CPS,” not only because kids and teachers could flee to private and charter schools, decimating per-student funding. “The legal obstacles, the implications, the fact that the courts are going to force you to demonstrate that you’ve done everything that you could normally do in a normal political environment to resolve the issues before they declare bankruptcy, it’s just not an option just for those reasons alone. But it’s also not an option because who wants to send their kids to a bankrupt school district?”

City Treasurer Kurt Summers hired former Illinois Tollway executive Kristi Lafleur and the former Chief Investment Officer for the New York State Insurance fund, Miriam Martinez, to help manage the city’s $7 billion investment portfolio.

Lafleur will take over the role of Deputy Treasurer, Chief Operating Officer with a starting salary of $113,898, according to 2015 Budget numbers. Lafleur will oversee day-to-day operations and help Treasurer Summers implement several key initiatives he unveiled when he first took office in December 2014. This includes his neighborhood and infrastructure investment plan he dubbed “Invest in Our Chicago”, as well as his proposal to streamline fees the city pays financial service firms that handle the city’s 11 public pension funds.

As head of the Tollway Authority in the Pat Quinn Administration, Lafleur was widely credited with reducing patronage at the agency and helping to make it more efficient, following the excesses of the Blagojevich years.

Martinez will serve as the Treasurer’s new Chief Investment Officer and will carry out the same duties she had in her former job as the fiduciary of the $16 billion fund for New York state public employees.

In addition to hiring Lafleur and Martinez, Summers also named Alexandra Sims the new Director of Programs and Intergovernmental Affairs.

The Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development approved roughly $3.3M in property tax breaks over twelve years for Chicago-based companies looking to expand on dilapidated industrial sites yesterday.

Members also advanced Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s four appointees to the Community Development Commission (CDC), an independent body that oversees the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and Special Redevelopment Areas. One of the appointees, Gwendolyn Butler, was absent from the meeting, but the committee approved her nomination anyway.

Committee Members Present: (10/20 members) - Vice Chairman Leslie Hairston (5), Joe Moreno (1), Gregory Mitchell (7), Patrick Daley Thompson (11), Toni Foulkes (16), David Moore (17), Michael Scott, Jr. (24), Jason Ervin (28), Gilbert Villegas (36), John Arena (45)

Three of Mayor Emanuel’s four nominees to the Community Development Commission (CDC) made brief statements before the Committee quickly approved their appointments. Other than Ald. David Moore (17) asking each appointee to explain what they expect to bring to the board, few questions were asked. Each appointee spoke for less than five minutes.

Cornelius Griggs, a native of the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side, told aldermen he has served on Chicago’s Community Land Trust, in addition to working for TRIO, a national organization that lobbies in Washington, D.C. on behalf of low income students.

Griggs was followed by Celena Roldan Moreno, the Executive Director of Erie Neighborhood House and 1st Ward Ald. Joe Moreno’s wife. When Ald. Moore asked Roldan Moreno to explain what she brings to the table, Moreno said she brings “an important community perspective of what it means to do community development,” and is familiar with the needs of low income, vulnerable populations. Ald. Joe Moreno (1) invoked Rule 14 and abstained from voting to approve his wife to the 15 member panel.

The third appointee, Philip Alphonse, gave a brief synopsis of his resume, highlighting his experience founding The Vistria Group, a private equity firm that manages $350 million and focuses on education, healthcare, and financial services. Alphonse has lived in Chicago for 13 years and lives in Roscoe Village.

The Committee also approved four Class 6(b) real estate tax incentives for several Chicago-based companies interested in expanding their operations. Most of the companies started in the Fulton Market district, but can no longer afford rent in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

The class 6(b) real estate tax incentive is intended to reduce vacant industrial real estate in Cook County by providing businesses with a lower tax rate if they commit to rehabbing existing buildings or constructing new industrial property. Properties given the designation are assessed at 10% of market value for the first 10 years, 15% in the 11th year and 20% the 12th year. Industrial buildings that don’t receive the designation are assessed at 25% of market value. And while the following resolutions list the corresponding aldermen for the ward in which the property is located as the sponsor, this press release attributes the applications to the Mayor.

Altogether, the applicants plan to spend more than $16M renovating or building on those sites.

Economy Packing Company
R2015-568 | 4501 W. 42nd Place |  23rd Ward

According to the testimony from John Malloy, with the Department of Planning and Development, the applicant, Economy Packing Company, seeks a Class 6(b) Property Tax Incentive for the acquisition and rehabilitation of the 96,000 sq ft. warehouse on 4501 W. 42nd Place. Founded in 1932 and originally located in Fulton Market, Economy Packing Company is a wholesale distributor of fresh and frozen foods, and a poultry processor. It recently acquired Sam’s Meat.

Both companies will move into the space formerly occupied by Kronos Euro, a Mediterranean food distributor that relocated out of Chicago in 2009, Malloy said. Economy Packing will spend approximately $4.9 million in renovations. If the Class 6(b) designation is approved by the full City Council, the company is estimated to save approximately $1.2 million dollars in property taxes over the 12 year incentive period.

REWL Venture, LLC on behalf of Marilyn Miglin, LP
R2015-571 | 315-321 N. Loomis St., 324 N. Odgen Ave. | 27th Ward

Marilyn Engwall, with the Department of Planning and Development, testified on behalf of the applicant, REWL Venture, a limited liability company created in 2013 for the redevelopment of the project site on 315 N. Loomis St. The applicant has spent $1.9 million on upgrading the three-story, 21,00 sq ft facility for Marilyn Miglin, LP, a Chicago-based beauty products company started in 1963. The company has already leased 65% of its available space and plans to use the facility as a warehouse and distribution center. The company will save approximately $261,000 in property taxes if the designation is approved by the City Council.

Wichita Packing Co; Elizabeth St. Partners, LLC
R2015-573 | 340 N. Oakley Blvd; 333-340 N. Claremont | 27th Ward

Chicago-based Wichita Packing Company, a pork ribs processor and distributor, seeks a property tax incentive to help buy and rehab a 50,000 sq ft building on 340 N. Claremont Ave, on the Near West Side. Founded nearly a decade ago, the company was originally located in the Fulton Market District, and is interested in expanding its facilities. According to Essie Banks, with the Department of Planning and Development, the applicant plans to spend $4.1 million on renovations and would save $477,691 on property taxes over the next 12 years if the designation is approved the City Council.

4GP, LLC on behalf of Primrose Candy Company
R2015-570 -1800-1856 N. Kostner Ave.; 4419 W. Cortland St. | 36th Ward

Marilyn Engwall, with the Department of Planning and Development, also testified on behalf of Primrose Candy Company, a 4th generation family owned business specializing in hard candy and popcorn confections. The property tax incentive would help support the $5.2 million rehabilitation of a 151,000 sq ft building in Hermosa, in addition to potentially saving the company $1.373 million in property taxes over the next 12 years.

Now that former federal prosecutor and Chicago Police investigator Lori Lightfoot is in place as president of the Chicago Police Board, the City Council Committee on Public Safety is slated to consider three more appointments to nine member independent body tasked with deciding disciplinary action against cops accused of misconduct.

The three Mayoral appointees to the Chicago Police Board include a major donor to the Mayor’s re-election fund and an immigration lawyer:

• John Simpson is a partner at Broadhaven Capital Partners with over 30 years of experience as a head investment banker and financial services executive, according to his company bio. Before joining Broadhaven, he was Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Canyon Partners and a former Vice Chairman of Wasserstein Perella & Co. He donated $52,800 to Chicago for Rahm Emanuel and $25,000 to Chicago Forward this past election cycle.


• Claudia Valenzuela is an Associate Director of Litigation at the Heartland Alliance National Immigrant Justice Center, an organization that provides legal services to immigrants. She represents non-citizens facing deportation before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and in federal court.


• William Conlon (re-appointment) is a partner at Sidley Austin LLP. He was first appointed to the board in 2011 and is a former Assistant United States Attorney.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel will unveil his proposed FY 2016 budget to the City Council on Thursday, September 22, according to a timeline his office released yesterday. But before he brings his spending guidelines to the Council Chambers, he’ll follow a tradition established by Mayor Richard M. Daley by holding three town hall meetings with members of his finance team that will be open to the public. Residents will have the opportunity to provide their ideas in person and on social media during the public meetings with the hashtag #ChiBudget2016. Representatives from various City Departments will be on hand to answer questions related to specific city services. Each meeting starts at 6:30 pm, with doors opening an hour earlier:

• Monday, August 31: Malcolm X College, 1900 West Van Buren Street


• Wednesday, September 2: South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 South South Shore Drive


• Thursday, September 3: Wright College, 4300 North Narragansett Avenue