[remote or in person] Community Development Commission

Chicago Community Development Commission

Development

Tuesday, May 14, 2024
1:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m. CDT

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121 N LaSalle St Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)

City Hall

You have the option of documenting this meeting in person or remotely.

If you choose to attend in person, an additional hour will be added to your pay for this assignment. You may be asked to provide government-issued photo ID and to go through a metal detector.

If you plan to document remotely, the meeting will be live-streamed at https://vimeo.com/event/2354896. The live stream may not appear until at or a few minutes after the scheduled start time. Please be aware that once in a while the meeting is held in a room that doesn’t have livestream capabilities; please email us if you notice this before we do so we can adjust the plan. More info about this is at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/community_developmentcommission.html just above the meeting schedule section.

The end time of this assignment is an estimate based on past meeting durations (around 1.5 hours).

After the fact, the video recording should be available at this link, likely just titled “DPD Live.” It may have a different date/time on it than when the meeting actually took place, so you may need to search or skim back a bit.

Pre-Research Resources

The Community Development Commission is tasked with reviewing TIF-related projects (Tax Increment Financing). More info about TIF districts: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dcd/provdrs/tif.html
Many TIF districts are set to expire in the next year or two. See this Dec. 20, 2023 Crains Chicago Business article for more context (link is to a PDF so you don’t encounter a paywall).

Check the source website for additional information

Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Live reporting by Sofia Delgado

Oak-Larrabee redevelopment, Englewood Neighborhood Redevelopment Project

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago

Good afternoon. I will be live tweeting the Community Development Commission (CDC) meeting for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters. The meeting started at 1:00 pm on May 14, 2024. Thread ⬇️

01:23 PM May 14, 2024 CDT

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 2/27

A livestream of the CDC meeting can be found here:
The agenda can be found here:

vimeo.com/event/2354896 chicago.gov/content/dam/ci…

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 3/27

CDC reviews and recommends action on the provision of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to assist private redevelopment projects, the designation of new TIF districts and Redevelopment Areas, the sale of City-owned property located in TIF districts and Redevelopment Areas; and (cont)

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 4/27

appoints members to Community Conservation Councils, according to their website:

chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 5/27

The Community Development Commission is tasked with reviewing TIF-related projects (Tax Increment Financing). More info about TIF districts here:

chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 6/27

Many TIF districts are set to expire in the next year or two. See this Dec. 20, 2023 Crains Chicago Business article for more context:

chicago.documenters.org/documents/chic…

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 7/27

The first order of business on the agenda is old business regarding South Chicago TIF Redevelopment Project Area (Ward 10) requesting authority to advertise the DPD’s intention to enter into a negotiated sale with Pilgrim Baptist Church of South Chicago, Inc. for the (cont.)

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 8/27

disposition of the property located at 9121 South Burley Avenue in the South Chicago TIF Redevelopment Project Area, and to approve the sale of the property to Pilgrim Baptist Church of South Chicago, Inc.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 9/27

The new business is regarding Near North Redevelopment Project Area (Ward 27), requesting authority to designate BMD-I, LLC as the successful respondent and to reject all other responses to the Request for Proposals issued by the Department of Planning and Development (cont.)

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 10/27

on behalf of the CHA on Dec. 31, 2015, for the redevelopment of property located at 537-545 W Oak Street / 993 North Larrabee St, and request authority to negotiate a redevelopment agreement with Oak-Larrabee, LLC and to recommend the designation of Oak-Larrabee, LLC as Developer

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 11/27

Next item regards the Englewood Neighborhood Redevelopment Project Area (Ward 16), requesting authority for DPD to enter into a land sale with Gloria Allen, for the disposition of the property located at 6337 S. Carpenter Street, and to approve the sale of the property to Allen

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 12/27

The final item regards Chicago/Central Park Redevelopment Project Area (Ward 37) Request authority for DPD to enter into a land sale with Alees Edwards, for the disposition of the property located at 1055 N. Harding Avenue, and to approve the sale of the property to Alees Edwards

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 13/27

The Oak-Larrabee redevelopment plan only contains 10 designated affordable units for the Cabrini Green Neighborhood, even while Chicago is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis:

blockclubchicago.org/2024/05/14/chi…

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 14/27

A passionate member of the public, George Blakemore, was respectfully asked to refrain from making comments while council members are speaking. Blakemore responded "I did!" when a council member said that no one submitted written comments regarding the Oak-Larrabee project.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 15/27

The named "public benefits" include 78 new mixed-income rental units, 54 of which will rent to CHA/PH and affordable individuals and families, approx. 100 temporary construction jobs and permanent jobs managing the property, and will incorporate environmentally friendly features

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 16/27

The Cabrini Local Advisory Council Community Development Corporation will be co-developer/partner on this transaction.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 17/27

Zoey Leigh cited the Chicago Blighted Property Act, and asked the committee "for the Black women, Black grandparents, for my mother," to focus on using Black development and construction companies, and to address her lawsuit currently in court.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 18/27

One citizen stated that the City of Chicago "steals" property from predominantly Black citizens through probate, the process of which does not contain stenography or a record, which she said hides how they "stole [her] property."

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 19/27

Jerry Lewis, owner of JLL Construction, INC., is "sorry to hear" people's stories of racial discrimination, and states his commitment to employing the Black community for union jobs, including supporting 15 previously incarcerated business leaders.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 20/27

TJ Hughes says that Alderman Burnett needs to be more focused on "our people," referring to members of the Cabrini Green community, "as opposed to your people," gesturing towards the council members.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 21/27

George Blakemore, concerned citizen, says that "this is a game that CHA is playing that gives money to rich, white developers" to close down public housing in the name of affordable housing, calling it "white man's money," saying "white wealth, black labor."

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 22/27

Item IV A concerning the Near North Redevelopment Project Area (Ward 27) was approved, and most of the citizen audience for the meeting left the room.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 23/27

Meg Gustafson discusses Gloria Allen's plan for the property located at 6337 S. Carpenter Street in the Englewood Neighborhood TIF Redevelopment Project Area.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 24/27

Commissioner Davis asks Gustafson what the safeguards are if Allen cannot upkeep the property. Gustafson responds that Allen has already been keeping up the lot, and cannot sell for 5 years, so keeping up the lot for 5 years would serve as proof.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 25/27

Item IV B, regarding the disposition of the property located at 6337 S. Carpenter Street in the Englewood Neighborhood Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment Project Area, and to approve the sale of the property to Gloria Allen was approved.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 26/27

Final Item IV C, regarding the disposition of the property located at 1055 N. Harding Avenue in the Chicago/Central Park TIF Redevelopment Project Area, and to approve the sale of the property to Alees Edwards, was approved.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 27/27

The meeting adjourned at 2:24 PM.

View thread

Agency Information

Chicago Community Development Commission

chicago.gov

@ChicagoDPD

See Documenters reporting

The Community Development Commission (CDC) was established by the Chicago City Council in 1992 to assume the duties of the former Commercial District Development Commission and the Department of Urban Renewal. The CDC reviews and recommends action on the provision of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to assist private redevelopment projects; the designation of new TIF districts and Redevelopment Areas; the sale of City-owned property located in TIF districts and Redevelopment Areas; and the appointment of members to Community Conservation Councils.

Video recordings of past meetings are posted by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development on Youtube.