By: Ashmar Mandou
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, with the support of Alderman Brian Hopkins (2nd) and developer Sterling Bay, announced the formation of a Community Advisory Council (CAC) that will serve as a conduit for community input as the $6 billion Lincoln Yards mixed-use project moves forward along the North Branch of the Chicago River over the next three years. Working with the developer and the local aldermen, the City is soliciting applications from community members to serve on the CAC. An application for CAC volunteers is available at www.chicago.gov/lincolnyards.
The 14-member CAC will consist of neighborhood representatives, community leaders, design professionals, and subject-matter experts appointed by Mayor Lightfoot and Ald. Hopkins in consultation with neighboring aldermen and local stakeholders. The group will meet at least quarterly starting in early 2020, making recommendations ranging from public infrastructure design to traffic control and open space, among other issues.
“As a company born and raised right here in Chicago, and as local residents dedicated to improving the future of this City, the team at Sterling Bay is committed to making Lincoln Yards a community that’s reflective of all those who call Chicago home,” Sterling Bay CEO Andy Gloor said. “We take this enormous responsibility to heart, and we’re excited to get this collaboration moving forward as we begin our work”
Encompassing 53 acres of vacant, former industrial land, Lincoln Yards is planned to include approximately 14 million square feet of new commercial and residential construction. The project is anticipated to generate 24,000 permanent and temporary jobs, 1,200 units of affordable housing, 21 acres of park space, and multiple infrastructure and transportation improvements.
As with any large redevelopment, the City will simultaneously monitor Lincoln Yards for compliance with a comprehensive redevelopment agreement approved by City Council earlier this year that includes terms for minority- and women-owned business participation, affordable housing, and public infrastructure improvements, among other provisions.
“Lincoln Yards will deliver tens of thousands of new jobs, vital new infrastructure and public amenities,” Ald. Hopkins said. “The formation of the CAC will provide important community input that the City and Sterling Bay will use and implement as plans for Lincoln Yards unfold. I’d like to thank Mayor Lightfoot and Sterling Bay for their collaborative efforts in creating the CAC, which will give residents the ability to offer valuable insights on a project that will benefit the entire city.”
