The Chicago Plan Commission approved a repeal of a majority of the Planned Manufacturing District designation for the North Branch Industrial Corridor, setting the stage for full City Council approval next week. It’s the first PMD to be repealed since the strict classification was first implemented in the 1990s as a way to protect Chicago’s manufacturing sector. Compared to other PMDs spread across the city, the North Branch Corridor has seen a sharp decline in industrial services, mainly due to lower costs elsewhere

The mayor-appointed land use body also approved several city-sponsored developments, including two CHA-partnered projects on the North Side that would provide affordable housing for seniors. These developments are particularly notable because it's the first time a developer has also partnered with the Chicago Public Library. Both developments include a public library on the ground floor.

Another city-led project, an amended PD for the Daley College campus initiated by the Public Building Commission, also advanced. The school plans to build a new academic building for advance manufacturing.

And Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41) was unsuccessful in his effort to block a nearly 300-unit residential high-rise planned near the Cumberland stop on the city’s Blue Line. Though he claimed the neighborhood was absolutely opposed, not a single person showed up to testify against it, a point one commissioner raised before the vote. Only Ald. Tom Tunney (44) voted against that project, citing respect for Aldermanic privilege.