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Johnson's 'Market City' plan swaps a City grocery store for public markets. Here's what the Council has voted on for groceries

An executive order sets up a steering committee and a food equity manager, and a call for market sites is due within a month. The Council's grocery votes have been tax breaks and TIF deals, including the Save A Lot deal that collapsed.

By Chicago PoliticsUpdated

Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday, Oct. 22, announced a Market City Action Plan to expand food access, with priority for the South and West sides, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. He signed an executive order creating a steering committee of City departments and community members to carry it out, and named a manager of food equity to lead it.

Why it matters: the Sun-Times cited a 2026 Greater Chicago Food Depository report finding that about half of South Side households and 45% of West Side households are food insecure. Johnson first floated a City-owned grocery store in 2023. This plan replaces that idea with support for farmers markets, help for food entrepreneurs and a network of year-round indoor public markets, according to the Sun-Times.

What the plan does, and doesn't yet say

The Sun-Times reported no budget figure for the plan. The Mayor's office plans to issue a public request for information within a month to find possible market sites and operators. Johnson said the City has not decided whether it would own or run the markets or only support them. The first visible results would likely be more support for farmers markets in the 2027 season, a Food Depository official told the paper.

Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) appeared with the Mayor at the signing.

The plan arrives about three months after a City-backed deal with Save A Lot operator Yellow Banana fell apart when the company closed its stores, the Sun-Times reported. In August, the City announced $450,000 in microgrants for existing grocers and markets.

What our records add

Because the plan was set up by executive order, it has not come before the City Council. But the Council has voted on grocery deals many times, almost always unanimously:

  • The Save A Lot deal. In November 2022, under Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the Council approved TIF assistance for Yellow Banana LLC to buy, rehab and run full-service groceries at six South and West Side addresses (O2022-3605).
  • A co-op grocery. The Council approved a deal with the Chicago Market community co-op in December 2022 (O2022-3797), and in March 2024 passed Johnson's revised TIF payout terms for it, 48 to 0 (SO2024-0007864).
  • Tax breaks for single stores. In September 2024, the Council passed, 48 to 0, a Class 7(d) property tax incentive for a grocery at the former Dominick's at 3250 W. 87th St. (O2024-0011037).

How each ward voted

47 yea, 1 absent · Sep 18, 2024 · Passed

Ward 1: Daniel La Spata: YeaWard 2: Brian Hopkins: YeaWard 3: Pat Dowell: YeaWard 4: Lamont J. Robinson: YeaWard 5: Desmon C. Yancy: YeaWard 6: William E. Hall: YeaWard 7: Gregory I. Mitchell: YeaWard 8: Michelle A. Harris: YeaWard 9: Anthony Beale: YeaWard 10: Peter Chico: YeaWard 11: Nicole T. Lee: YeaWard 12: Julia M. Ramirez: YeaWard 13: Marty Quinn: YeaWard 14: Jeylú B. Gutiérrez: YeaWard 15: Raymond A. Lopez: YeaWard 16: Stephanie D. Coleman: YeaWard 17: David H. Moore: YeaWard 18: Derrick G. Curtis: YeaWard 19: Matthew J. O'Shea: YeaWard 20: Jeanette B. Taylor: AbsentWard 21: Ronnie L. Mosley: YeaWard 22: Michael D. Rodriguez: YeaWard 23: Silvana Tabares: YeaWard 24: Monique L. Scott: YeaWard 25: Byron Sigcho-López: YeaWard 26: Jessica L. Fuentes: YeaWard 27: Walter R. Burnett: Not in officeWard 28: Jason C. Ervin: YeaWard 29: Chris Taliaferro: YeaWard 30: Ruth Cruz: YeaWard 31: Felix Cardona Jr.: YeaWard 32: Scott Waguespack: YeaWard 33: Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez: YeaWard 34: William Conway: YeaWard 35: Anthony J. Quezada: Not in officeWard 36: Gilbert Villegas: YeaWard 37: Emma Mitts: YeaWard 38: Nicholas Sposato: YeaWard 39: Samantha Nugent: YeaWard 40: Andre Vasquez Jr.: YeaWard 41: Anthony V. Napolitano: YeaWard 42: Brendan Reilly: YeaWard 43: Timothy R. Knudsen: YeaWard 44: Bennett R. Lawson: YeaWard 45: James M. Gardiner: YeaWard 46: Angela Clay: YeaWard 47: Matthew J. Martin: YeaWard 48: Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth: YeaWard 49: Maria E. Hadden: YeaWard 50: Debra L. Silverstein: Yea
Yea Nay Absent
1Daniel La Spata: Yea2Brian Hopkins: Yea3Pat Dowell: Yea4Lamont J. Robinson: Yea5Desmon C. Yancy: Yea6William E. Hall: Yea7Gregory I. Mitchell: Yea8Michelle A. Harris: Yea9Anthony Beale: Yea10Peter Chico: Yea11Nicole T. Lee: Yea12Julia M. Ramirez: Yea13Marty Quinn: Yea14Jeylú B. Gutiérrez: Yea15Raymond A. Lopez: Yea16Stephanie D. Coleman: Yea17David H. Moore: Yea18Derrick G. Curtis: Yea19Matthew J. O'Shea: Yea20Jeanette B. Taylor: Absent21Ronnie L. Mosley: Yea22Michael D. Rodriguez: Yea23Silvana Tabares: Yea24Monique L. Scott: Yea25Byron Sigcho-López: Yea26Jessica L. Fuentes: Yea27Walter R. Burnett: Not in office28Jason C. Ervin: Yea29Chris Taliaferro: Yea30Ruth Cruz: Yea31Felix Cardona Jr.: Yea32Scott Waguespack: Yea33Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez: Yea34William Conway: Yea35Anthony J. Quezada: Not in office36Gilbert Villegas: Yea37Emma Mitts: Yea38Nicholas Sposato: Yea39Samantha Nugent: Yea40Andre Vasquez Jr.: Yea41Anthony V. Napolitano: Yea42Brendan Reilly: Yea43Timothy R. Knudsen: Yea44Bennett R. Lawson: Yea45James M. Gardiner: Yea46Angela Clay: Yea47Matthew J. Martin: Yea48Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth: Yea49Maria E. Hadden: Yea50Debra L. Silverstein: Yea

O2024-0011037: the roll call, the timeline and the documents

More are in the pipeline. On Oct. 8, City staff presented the Economic Development Committee with a Class 7(d) incentive for Central Fresh Market at 5567 W. North Ave. in Austin, describing it as a store operating at a loss in a food desert, with an estimated $380,000 abatement over 12 years (watch). A year earlier, the same committee heard a $13.2 million Class 7(d) project for 40 Acres Fresh Market in Austin (watch), which Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) praised for bringing fresh food to the neighborhood (watch).

Liquor licenses come up too. In May, Taliaferro asked the License Committee for a package goods license that he said would let a Black woman-owned full-service grocery open on the West Side (watch).

What's next

  • The request for information on market sites is expected within the next month, according to the Sun-Times.
  • Any City spending on the plan would show up in the 2027 budget. The Department of Planning and Development and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection appear before the Budget Committee on Nov. 4.
  • If the City decides to buy or lease buildings for markets, those deals would need Council approval.

Sources: O2022-3605: Yellow Banana LLC grocery redevelopment agreement; O2022-3797: Chicago Market co-op agreement; SO2024-0007864: revised Chicago Market TIF payout; O2024-0011037: Class 7(d) grocery incentive at 3250 W. 87th St. (roll call).