Committee on Housing and Real Estate meeting, June 10, 2026
- When: Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 12:30 PM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Housing and Real Estate
- Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8928563?video=1200159992
- Transcript: full text (30,949 words, automatic captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The Committee on Housing and Real Estate, chaired by Alderman Byron Sigcho-López, heard 14 public speakers, most of whom addressed the proposed city purchase of the intercity bus terminal at 630 West Harrison Street, with most speakers in support and a nearby property owner opposed. After a lengthy presentation and questions on cost, operations, revenue, and safety, the committee recommended passage of the $19.2 million TIF-funded purchase, with Aldermen Quinn, Scott, Dowell, and Moore recorded as voting no. An ordinance from Alderman Matthew J. Martin on the city's affordable housing review process was held while negotiations on change-order review continue. The committee also recommended passage of low affordability community designations for projects in the 46th and 35th Wards, two lease agreements, numerous sales of city-owned land under the Chi Block Builder platform, two Missing Middle land sales in the 28th Ward, and a correction to a 2018 BNSF Paseo acquisition ordinance.
Topics: intercity bus terminal purchase, affordable housing, low affordability community designation, Chi Block Builder land sales, urban agriculture, Missing Middle housing, lease agreements, TIF funding, public safety near bus station
Agenda items discussed
- 1:10:22 Rule 45 report: passed
- 1:10:53 Ordinance on the city's affordable housing development review process (Alderman Matthew J. Martin): held
- 1:13:33 Designation of 3611 through 3625 North Halsted Street as a low affordability community in the 46th Ward: passed
- 1:20:19 Designation of 3231 North California Avenue and 2752 through 2762 West Melrose Street as a low affordability community in the 35th Ward: passed
- 1:23:10 Purchase and sale agreement with GH Chicago, Illinois, LLC for the intercity bus terminal at 630 West Harrison Street in the 34th Ward: passed
- 2:18:54 Assignment, assumption, and amendment of lease agreements with North Park Village Campus for property at 5801 North Pulaski Road in the 39th Ward: passed
- 2:26:15 Lease agreement with Logan Square Preservation for property at 2420 North Sacramento Avenue in the 35th Ward: passed
- 2:34:25 Sale of city-owned property at 6636 through 6638 South Lowe Avenue to Nook and Granny Farms LLC (urban agriculture) in the 6th Ward: passed
- 2:39:09 Sale of city-owned property at 6828 and 6830 South Union Avenue to Main Street Market LLC (urban agriculture) in the 6th Ward: passed
- 2:42:29 Sale of city-owned property at 512 South Cicero Avenue to Workers for Christ Ministries in the 29th Ward: passed
- 2:44:45 Sale of city-owned property at 12327 South Wallace Street for a community garden in the 9th Ward: passed
- 2:49:25 Sale of city-owned property at 8378 South Kerfoot Avenue in the 21st Ward: passed
- 2:56:12 Sale of city-owned property at 8517 South Brandon Avenue in the 10th Ward: passed
- 3:00:36 Sale of city-owned property at 4243 South Langley Avenue to UT Evans Property, LLC in the 4th Ward: passed
- 3:04:05 Sale of city-owned property at 4847 through 4855 South Langley Avenue to JT Alternatives LLC in the 4th Ward: passed
- 3:08:33 Sale of city-owned property at 4444 South Greenwood Avenue in the 4th Ward: passed
- 3:10:56 Sale of city-owned property at 7616 South Blackstone Avenue in the 8th Ward: passed
- 3:13:27 Sale of city-owned property at 625 Hamlin Avenue to GT Alternatives LLC in the 27th Ward: passed
- 3:16:58 Sale of city-owned property at 4411 South Vincennes Avenue in the 3rd Ward: passed
- 3:19:14 Sale of city-owned property at 4512 South Halsted Street to PNTG LLC for a cold storage warehouse in the 15th Ward: passed
- 3:26:37 Sale of city-owned property at 2523 and 2525 West Warren Boulevard to JDK Acquisitions LLC in the 27th Ward: passed
- 3:32:06 Sale of city-owned property at 5339 West Monroe Street in the 29th Ward: passed
- 3:37:35 Sale of city-owned property at 9214 and 9218 South Perry Avenue in the 9th Ward: passed
- 3:44:08 Missing Middle sales of city-owned property on West Monroe, West Adams, West Washington, and West End in the 28th Ward (two ordinances): passed
- 3:54:36 Ordinance correcting errors in the 2018 BNSF Paseo acquisition authority ordinance in the 25th Ward: passed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Byron Sigcho-López (chair): Said Alderman Matthew J. Martin affordable housing ordinance would be held at the sponsor's request but invited him to give an update. (1:11:03); Said some details were not in the bus terminal presentation and that information from multiple departments would be shared with members. (1:56:30); Said the risk of delaying and getting a worse deal is leaving nearly half a million people without the transportation option, and called for a vote. (2:17:21)
- Matthew J. Martin (alderperson): Said rising per-unit costs for affordable housing are partly due to slow city review, and that remaining negotiations concern the Department of Housing's review of construction change orders. (1:11:20)
- Jeanette B. Taylor (alderperson): Asked about the justification for 76 studios in the Halsted project and surrounding rents. (1:17:58); Asked how much revenue the bus terminal generates and questioned buying it without knowing its revenue. (1:45:47); Raised concerns about oversight of private managers, asked for the safety plan, calls for service, and photos, and said safety should have been the first priority. (1:48:14)
- William Conway (alderperson): Said the city needs an intercity bus station, noting its role for people traveling for reproductive healthcare. (1:36:12); Said the station has long been a public safety problem, citing a 2022 killing of a Greyhound employee, and that he has discussed safety with the First District commander. (1:37:04); Said the station handled twice as many buses before COVID, and that $5 million was moved into this year to begin improvements. (1:37:52)
- David H. Moore (alderperson): Asked about bus terminal ridership over the past five years. (1:39:57); Asked who would pay for future capital expenditures after the initial TIF-funded work and when the TIF expires. (1:41:15); Asked whether the agreements include any price controls for riders. (2:14:13)
- Michelle A. Harris (alderperson): Said she was confident in the district commander on safety and asked that contracts require regular cleaning, 24-hour staff, and a deep cleaning before handover. (1:57:13)
- Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (alderperson): Said she noticed the area around the station was dark and welcomed CDOT's lighting plans. (1:59:11); Said intercity buses are important for reproductive care and for trans residents in her ward who rely on the bus network. (2:00:14); Said the city needs an intercity bus station and this is the right way to do it. (2:01:44)
- Pat Dowell (alderperson): Asked who makes up the selling LLC and how revenue sharing would work. (2:02:12); Asked which companies would typically bid to manage the terminal. (2:03:59); Asked whether a special fund like the airports' would be created for terminal revenue. (2:05:41)
- Marty Quinn (alderperson): Said spending about $50 million without a clear way to break even is not a good deal, noted no gate leases or enterprise fund were discussed, and said he would vote no. (2:07:05)
- Daniel La Spata (alderperson): Said Conway's comfort with the deal gives him comfort and that without a public facility buses would load on the public way, while asking for long-term financial clarity. (2:11:36); Asked what guarantees exist that jobs at the facility will be good-quality jobs. (2:12:33)
- Maria E. Hadden (alderperson): Asked what the Halsted Street cold storage warehouse will serve and whether Halsted is a truck corridor. (3:24:05); Asked for an update on Missing Middle Cluster A and whether the new parcels need environmental remediation. (3:52:05)
- Anthony J. Quezada (alderperson): Said the Melrose and California project was revised after community feedback, gained majority support, and will include 21 affordable units plus two workforce units under a project labor agreement. (1:21:01)
Exchanges between members
- 1:39:45 Conway thanked the chair for allowing him to make remarks as a non-member.
- 1:56:30 The chair responded to Taylor that more details would be shared and noted Conway's emphasis on public safety.
- 1:58:29 Harris echoed Taylor's point that the devil is in the details.
- 2:08:19 Taylor asked to hear from Conway on members' concerns.
- 2:08:30 The chair asked Conway to respond to committee members' questions.
- 2:09:02 Conway said he shares concerns raised by Dowell.
- 2:09:02 Conway said he shares concerns raised by Quinn, while explaining why he supports the deal.
- 2:11:36 La Spata said Conway's comfort with the project gives him comfort.
- 2:13:28 Conway restated La Spata's question about jobs going to Chicagoans for the department.
- 2:37:59 Dowell asked the chair to identify the Chi Block Builder round for each agenda item.