- Credibility:
BUCKTOWN — Chicagoans had many opinions about Sterling Bay’s plan to build $6 billion megadevelopment Lincoln Yards along the Chicago River.
The project was ultimately approved, but the city now says it wants to hear from locals while the massive buildout is happening, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office announced Thursday.
Residents can apply for one of 14 volunteer spots on a Lincoln Yards Community Advisory Council, a city group that will offer input on the project during the next three years.
The council was created by Mayor Lightfoot with the support of Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) and Sterling Bay.
An application for advisory council volunteers is available online.
The council will consist of “neighborhood representatives, community leaders, design professionals and subject-matter experts” chosen by Lightfoot and Hopkins, according to a press release.
The group will meet at least quarterly starting in early 2020, making recommendations ranging from public infrastructure design to traffic control and open space.
The recommendations will be shared with Sterling Bay and city departments on an “advisory basis” and “implemented where possible” during Lincoln Yards’ anticipated 10-year construction timeline.
“I’d like to thank Mayor Lightfoot and Sterling Bay for their collaborative efforts in creating the CAC, which will give residents the ability to offer valuable insights on a project that will benefit the entire city,” Hopkins said in a statement.
Ald. Michele Smith (43rd) was a critic of Lincoln Yards. She said she appreciated Lightfoot’s efforts to include community voices.
“I have said all along that large developments have impacts beyond ward boundaries,” she said. “The success or failure of this advisory council depends heavily on the members who are selected. I hope this will provide an opportunity for our community to have genuine input that was ignored under the prior administration.”
A separate 17-member CAC will also be formed on the Near South Side to advise The 78, a $7 billion development. An application for The 78 CAC volunteers is available online.
Both The 78 and Lincoln Yards developments are slated to receive millions in public funding through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts.
RELATED STORIES:
The race to beat the clock on Lincoln Yards: How a delay could have stopped the megadevelopment from getting $1.3 billion in taxpayer money (Chicago Tribune)
What Are These Soccer Fields Popping Up At Lincoln Yards? Ald. Hopkins Announces Fleet Fields
Lincoln Yards Plan Will Move Forward After Sterling Bay Agrees To More Affordable Housing On Site
Sterling Bay Commits To Building School, Library Or ‘Shared Space’ As Part of Lincoln Yards
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