they start breaking up then, you know, weird and
perfect. All right.
Good morning. Good morning and welcome to the December
meeting of the committee on housing and real estate of the
Chicago city council. Uh, the time is 11:10. This meeting
is called to order. Uh, today we have only 1 item on the
agenda so I promise you, I'm going to get us in and out.
Uh, we'll Now call for a roll call to establish Quorum start
with b. Uh Vice chair Mitchell, Vice chair Mitchell. No
pressing all present Alderman Robinson.
Alderman, Robinson present Alderman, Harris.
Now, pressing Alderman, Queen here.
Pressing. Um, Alderman, Rosa.
Another woman had him.
All the women, had him present that give us.
10 people. So we have Quorum. Now we have a rule 59
requests from, um, other person. Alder person, just more
right now. Uh, can I get a motion?
So move uh by Alderman Bernett, all those in favor. Say I I
all those opposed say name and the opinion of the chairs I
have it all the person more has been enjoyed the roll call
for this morning by rule 59.
Thank you Alderman Moore, uh, we have 2 speakers here
today. Each speaker will have 3 minutes.
And speak on all items on the agenda. First speaker is Mr.
George Blakemore.
You're always my chairman.
Oh also, we gonna recognize all the vice chair Mitchell for
the roll call. Um, thank you. We're just going to join.
Thank you Mr. Blakemore. Go ahead. Thank you.
2017 is already announced plans to replace it. This is not
easy for me. Sorry we can please be muted.
The room is is the room. All right, go ahead Mr. Blakemore,
thank you. What's Upon a Time about our previous
administration? If you have 50 items, the public will be.
Yes, turn your mic on.
All the time.
Okay, thank you. There you go. So uh, things change and
they're not changing public for for the betterment of our
citizens. However, reading this agenda, it states that you
they're going to use this money for about a Improvement.
and they're taking uh private land and say 3 million dollars
and the the total project will be 39,000 and uh millions
and uh 500,000 anyway.
uh, when you have these projects,
Who will be working on these projects even though they are
City projects but you contract out people to to make this
happen and
I always watch and look and see the race of the workers.
Who's the architect, who's gonna, who's gonna be the Brick
Layers, who's gonna build this dialogue? And most of the
time, I don't see black workers.
But this country was built on black labor, but it's white
wealth. And I'm amazed at the sounds of black elected
officials. Seem like they should be able to see what I see.
So again, the way it's set up here, it's unacceptable. Why
would you have 2 meetings going on? At the same time these
people that's over in this other meeting they entitled to
be in this 1 and and you never start on time and you do
musical chair seem like the me, you don't want to make this
open.
To the public. You all are like little dictators.
And I've been constantly speaking against having these
meetings, the same day and the same time.
Who does this?
Why would you do this?
Who are you all? Are you all? Uh, uh, truly public
servants? Are you wanting the public to serve your selfish
interests? All of you, there up up. There are Democrats
You're the same party and the people don't know how this
system Machine Works, you they slate you, you you and you
and then the people vote for, who they say.
So they really don't vote for you.
So the system is broken, Mr. Blakemore come up here Lou Mr.
Blakemore is, uh, a breath of fresh air and most of the
people realize this
Is something wrong here, or if you had any items, why
wouldn't you let me speak on a item? You were supposed to
serve me. I'm not supposed to say, if you thank you, Mr.
Blake, thank you, Mr. Blakemore now, can I get a motion uh,
um to allow rule 59, for all the women Ms? Get a motion to
move by by chair Mitchel. All those in favor. Say I
Thank you, chairman. Thank you.
All right. Thank you Miss. Thank you. All the, all the
women meets now we have, um, Melbourne Bailey.
Thank you guys. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to
speak. I I'll be a quite 3 minutes, but like Mr. Blakemore
said, uh, when I used to advocate for opportunity, we'd
like to see more minority participation on these sites. You
know, because my goal and focus is always to reduce
violence to employment. And so it brings me here today to
talk about
It's not on the agenda, the vacant the vacancy, and the
abandoned properties. So it's dealing with housing and real
estate. Uh, to my understanding, there's about 10,000 to
16,000 vacant and abandoned properties around the city of
Chicago. Now, with that number, we know again, like I said,
previous at city council. We're not going to stop by this,
but we can reduce violence through employment and we can
take these properties and they will not, I will not have
them. Uh, the judge will have them. We'll put the
properties back into
To the hands of the judge and then he will make that
determine if a person is qualified. Of course, they will
have to know about real estate, you know, they have to have
the finance. And then of course, they will have to file the
the rules of um, RDA agreement, which is a Redevelopment
agreement, a recapture agreement. That means if they do
not, uh, finish the property in time, he will call someone
that's in his inventory can finish the property because we
use this process when he's working with the bank. So what
we did was this um, we had a recapture agreement. Thank
God, we have the University of Chicago is my legal team,
they put in play that if we transfer a property to an
individual or organization, they cannot complete it. We'll
take it over finish the job, and the money that they put
into the property will make them whole once we sell the
property, so they would lose. So it wouldn't be a process
that you're losing losing so and again, that's why I'm I
have this petition, I'm going around, only thing I need is
9 more signatures. I have 26 signatures and then don't let
the city or the law Department. Tell you they don't have a
list. How did I get the list?
How did I get the list of vacancy? And I got properties
right here. Been on the demo list since 2014, and it has
agreed demo. Let me just back up about agreed demo. That
means everybody gone. That means the bank's not involved
Miss Mabel died. The property is just sitting there vacant
and abandoned because it has agreed demo. That mean, it
went through the court system and no 1 shows up. So by that
being, by that being said,
I believe we should, uh, give the properties in the hands
of the judge and making sure that, uh, he can pick
qualified individuals to rehab and, and, and our agreement.
When I sell properties, when I was dealing with the banks,
we had 50% of the hiring, should go to the community. So,
that means you going to bring somebody from the
neighborhood for let. Let's be clear. These properties are
in a predominantly, uh, probably south side and west side
when where a lot of disinvestment, is that and I think
Walter Bernett and everyone that voted on me to do new
construction. I build market rate and affordable homes for
the city of Chicago. And as I'm going, as we going to start
building again in the spring, I do not want to build next
to a vacant house.
Because that's not gonna. And then the last that I'm
getting is vacant is vacancy on the Block. So thank you
very much.
Thank you, Mr. Bailey in for your testimony and then we'll
have someone from our team to follow up, uh, on the on, on
your requests of what we can analyze that. Um, or first
order of business is the rule 45 reports 2024, which was
email and handed out to committee members. Um, can I get a
motion to recommend approval of the 2 reports?
So move all the person, might not happen with all those in
favor. Say I
All those opposed say named in the beginning of the chair
that I have, it, the rule 45 report has been approved. Um,
now before I move to the first item in the handouts that
you have the paper version, at least there's a little, um,
there's a little
um,
error. Um, it was just like a little typo, is not 39.5
million is 93.5 million. It was just a typo in your written
copies. So, just want to just want to correct that for the
for the record on the written copy. Uh, so item number 1 is
um, uh, ordinance 202400000014194, negotiated or quick,
take acquisition of various properties on portions of South
Taylor Street, South Canal, Street, Southwest Street, and
West. The co Street for Taylor Street bridge and vioc
Improvement project in the 34th word um will Higgins from
the Department of Transportation is present to testify on
behalf of this ordinance.
Thank you. Thank you will thank you, chairman.
Um, good morning. And my name is Bill. Higgins, assistant.
Commissioner with the Chicago Department of Transportation.
Um,
Oh, is that on their screen? Yeah, okay, great. Um,
I'm here today to testify on behalf of seed, out regarding
the land acquisition ordinance before you this acquisition
is essential for conducting. A a constructing, a new bridge
next slide. Oh great. Um,
The project in question is in the 34th Ward. Um, it
crosses, the South Branch of the Chicago River, connecting
Taylor Street from Canal to Wells Street.
The acquisition is entirely in the 34th Ward, on the Taylor
Street, side of the the river, excuse me, the Well, street
side of the river.
uh,
This presentation, uh, before you was given to the Chicago
Department of uh excuse me, the Chicago development.
Commission to support the Tif funding for this project back
in October next slide.
The bridge will close a critical, half mile Gap in the
street Gate Bridge um and 1 of the most densely populated
and fastest growing parts of the central business district.
The bridge will provide vital traffic and access, uh, relief
for current and future developments in the area. Including
plant development, 225 known as riverline and PD 1434 also
known as the 78.
Uh this bridge will support thousands of existing uh
approved proposed and potential housing units as well as
commercial properties. Enhancing the connectivity and
infrastructure for the region, um, for this region of the
city.
Here's some pictures of the existing conditions.
Um, this is the location and
yeah, and here's, uh, looking East over from the Canal
Street side over the, uh,
Railroad and ComEd properties.
And from the river, you can see on the right hand side um
there is a Taylor Street right away, that's existing.
That's about 40 feet wide that uh needs to be expanded in
order to have the bridge infrastructure.
Um, in 2015 riverline PD, 2225 contemplated uh a
reservation for Taylor Street right away in the East Bridge
abutment, requiring setbacks to the site plan at that time.
The bridge design was still speculative, um, subsequent
amendments and approvals of the PD have and the advancement
of the bridge design have clarified, the Bridge's footprint
and overlap with the adjacent parcel.
Uh, next. Thank you.
Uh, the developer since accommodated, their design. Um, and
they're under construction now um necessitating the formal
acquisition of the land uh to advance The Bridge Project,
the property to be acquired as shown here in yellow.
Um,
and the additional setback in red. Only the yellow portion
is the land acquisition. The setback is just an additional
access for future uh, inspection.
uh,
okay.
Again, the project is entirely Tiff funded. Um, it's been
approved. Um,
Go ahead and do a lot of.
um,
And in conclusion, C do respectfully request your support
and the approval of this land acquisition ordinance, this
bridge will be a critical asset to the city. Fostering
development, enhancing connectivity, and benefiting the
residents and businesses alike.
Thank you and I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
Thank you, Bill. I would like to also recognize all the
women Angela clay for the roll call, thank you and welcome.
Um, now we do have any questions from uh, all the persons
on this item.
any questions comments, all the, when I happen with
Thank you, chair.
I, I see that we have a, um, a letter of support from the
Uh, alderman.
Bill Conway. Um, I had a question about the quick take
acquisition of various properties. Can you show on the map?
Exactly, which properties that? You're sure. Can you go
back? I think to that slides, great.
Sharing the screen now, okay, um, yes. This would be for
the the yellow portion shown here.
so these properties are, um,
On either side of the 40 foot existing right away. That was
a a basically a Half street, remnant of Taylor Street that
was not constructed and unimproved. So the yellow portions
are going to be the
Are they developed at all? Are they not right now? They've
been vacant for some time. I see. Yeah. Okay. Thank you.
Yep. That's, that's the only questions. Thanks.
Thank you. I also like, to recognize all the women, um,
Monique Scott for the, oh, and make a motion, uh, roll 59
to recognize all the women, uh, Scott, uh, second by, uh,
aluminum Maria Haden, all those in favor. Say I, I all
those opposed, the chairs. The the, I have it, and we have
for the role call as well. Any other additional questions?
This item. Otherwise, can I get a motion to recommend
approval of this item?
So move by other women claim all those in favor. Say I
All those opposed say name and depending of the chair, the
eyes have it, they do pass recommendation of this ordinance
will be reported out at the next city council meeting on
December 13th. 2024 there being no further business before
the committee. Can I get a motion to recommend approval to
adjourn?
So move all the women Haden all those in favor. Say, I all
those opposed say name the opinion of the chair, they ask
of it, the meeting of the committee on house of Reed. Has
been officially adjourned. Thank you very much. Thank you.