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Lincoln Yards and The 78 megaprojects will get more community input
City officials have created 2 advisory councils to take part in decision-making as the massive development projects from Sterling Bay and Related Midwest take shape
Beginning in 2020, Chicagoans may have more input into the two planned megadevelopments from Sterling Bay and Related Midwest.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, along with city officials and developers have created a pair of community advisory councils as the massive Lincoln Yards and The 78 projects begin to take shape, according to Crain’s.
In April, the city closed the book on a contentious nearly year-long city approval process for both massive projects,sealing a crucial piece of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s legacy. He left office in May. Combined, the two developments will encompass 115 acres and cost $13 billion. They could add up to 16,000 residential units and more than 10 million square feet of office, retail and hotel space on the Near North and Near South sides of the city. Both endeavors are expected to take at least a decade to fully materialize.
Sterling Bay’s Lincoln Yards advisory council will consist of 14 members, according to Crain’s. The council is meant to “ensure this project creates affordable housing, makes 21st-century transit-oriented improvements and connects our city’s residents to shared resources,” Lightfoot said in a statement, according to the report.
The 17-member council for Related’s The 78 will “provide guidance, identify improvements and maximize economic opportunities for the community and the city at large as design and construction gets underway,” Lightfoot said.
The councils will make advisory recommendations and meet quarterly for three years. [Crain’s] — Jacqueline Flynn