Latest news with #DanielBiss'
Chicago Tribune
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss receives endorsement in congressional run
Good morning, Chicago. Evanston Mayor and former state legislator Daniel Biss' progressive credentials got a boost this morning with an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in Illinois' increasingly crowded 9th Congressional District Democratic primary race. Warren, a three-term senator from Massachusetts and briefly a front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, announced she was backing Biss in a statement shared with the Tribune in which she praised the two-term mayor as 'a relentless fighter for working people who can help deliver the structural change our country needs right now.' The nod from Warren could carry some extra weight as more than a dozen candidates vie for the chance to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat who announced in May that she would not seek a 15th term representing a district covering parts of the North Side, North Shore and northwest suburbs. Read the full story from the Tribune's Dan Petrella. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including Rush scaling back gender-affirming care, where the 'granny flat' ordinance stands with the City Council and viewership for this year's NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History A federal grand jury indicted a man yesterday on charges that he fatally shot a prominent Minnesota state representative and her husband and seriously wounded a state senator and his wife while he was allegedly disguised as a police officer. Rush University System for Health is the latest Illinois hospital system to scale back its gender-affirming care for minors, amid threats from the Trump administration against institutions that provide such care. Rush has 'paused' offering hormonal care to new patients under the age of 18, effective July 1, spokesperson Tobin Klinger confirmed. Aldermen advanced a measure that could legalize 'granny flats' citywide with limited restrictions, a move advocates say will create more affordable housing. The City Council's Zoning Committee voted 13-7 to advance the additional dwelling unit ordinance. The result tees up a vote today by the full City Council, when aldermen could give a green light clearing the way for new garden apartments, attic-to-housing conversions and coach housing. Aurora officials have found high levels of lead in the drinking water supplied to some homes. Between January and June, 100 samples were collected and tested for lead using recently-heightened federal sampling and monitoring requirements, according to city officials. More than 10% of the samples contained lead readings above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 'action level,' meaning the city is now required to take certain actions, such as replacing lead service lines, adjusting water treatment practices and implementing public education programs. A man was shot on the Near North Side Monday about two years after he was released from a 100-year prison sentence for his part in the April 2014 killing of 14-year old Endia Martin, according to police sources. Reports of fewer fireflies in recent years have sparked worry for the future of the insect's population. However, increased sightings this summer have boosted hopes for the survival of the insect. The third and potentially final NASCAR Chicago Street Race made a few firsts during the Fourth of July weekend. Rain stayed away, the races ran to completion and two new networks broadcast the events to a national TV audience. Shane van Gisbergen, who won the inaugural Cup Series race in 2023, took the checkered flag once again this year, but far fewer people saw it. Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-2 in his All-Star debut, while teammate Kyle Tucker was 0-for-2 with a nice catch in left field, writes Paul Sullivan. The National League blew a 6-0 lead in the final three innings, watching the American League tie it on Steven Kwan's RBI infield hit off Edwin Díaz with two outs in the ninth. The game ended in a tie, which led to the first-ever swing-off between the two sides, an abbreviated Home Run Derby with six players. The Blackhawks agreed to terms yesterday on a three-year, entry-level contract with forward Anton Frondell, whom they drafted with the No. 3 pick last month. The deal carries a $975,000 salary-cap hit. When the Hawks last drafted third in 2019, forward Kirby Dach's three-year contract had a $925,000 cap hit. The new Disney tour of 'Beauty and the Beast' playing this summer at the Cadillac Palace Theatre is introducing bookish Belle, clever Chip and garrulous Gaston to younger generations who were not even born in 1993 when Disney decided to take a stab at turning an animated movie into a Broadway musical. They're also unlikely to know the significance of this particular musical in the history of the art form. But in fact, 'Beauty and the Beast' sparked a revolution in bringing family audiences back to Broadway. And the success of the show changed the face of the Disney organization. Mustard on deep dish? Bizarre. Does it work? Apparently, yes, according to the good folks at Portillo's and Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, who are teaming up for a new crosstown collaboration: The Chicago Dog Deep Dish. On this day in 2019, after eluding capture for a week in the Humboldt Park lagoon, a 5-foot alligator nicknamed 'Chance the Snapper' appeared for a news conference with its trapper Frank Robb. The gator was relocated to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Neighbors mixed on proposed Evanston tower that would rival suburbs' tallest buildings
An Evanston developer is facing community pushback after proposing a 31-story, 333 foot tall apartment building that would rank third tallest in suburban Chicagoland. The proposed residential tower would have the same number of floors as suburban Chicago's tallest building, Oakbrook Terrace Tower in DuPage County, though that building rises 418 feet, according to information from Shawn Ursini of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The proposed highrise, which aligns with Mayor Daniel Biss' goal to increase housing density in Evanston, is also notable becuse it includes dramatically fewer parking spaces than is typical for the suburbs. There would be 80 on-site spaces for 445 apartments. The developer suggested using an estimated 120 parking spots in nearby city-owned garages, but so far that remains only a suggestion. Representatives from Chicago based co-developers Vermilion Development and Campbell Coyle shared with neighbors proposals of their 605 Davis Street high rise, at the northwest corner of Davis Street and Chicago Avenue, at a ward meeting on April 29. The developers anticipate the development, on two currently vacant lots, will also help the city's goal of raising property tax revenue for the land parcels by millions of dollars. The proposed building's height would put it under the suburbs' second-tallest building, Two Pierce Plaza in Itasca, at 395 feet, but much taller than Evanston's existing tallest buildings: Orrington Plaza at 277 feet, Sherman Plaza at 276 feet, Optima Views at 265 feet and One Rotary Center at 237 feet tall, per information from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The community meeting, hosted by Councilmembers Clare Kelly (1st) and Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th), was attended by about 50 residents at the main branch of the Evanston Public Library. The majority of residents offered a mix of reasons as to why the project should not move forward, including parking troubles, traffic troubles and a potential 'wind tunnel' effect that could strengthen winds, making downtown harder for pedestrians to walk. The project had some support at the meeting from Evanston's commercial partners. 'We should be welcoming this type of development. We should be working with them,' said Andy Vick, the executive director of the Downtown Evanston Merchants Organization. Evanston resident Tina Paden said the development will not benefit most Evanstonians, particularly Black families. 'Let's be real, that this building is for Northwestern students,' she said. 'I live down the street from (housing developments) E2 and The Link. I do not see Black families with three or four children walking out of the building. They are Northwestern students. You are coming here for opportunity to make big, giant dollars from Northwestern students. You do not care about Evanston residents.' As proposed by developers, the building's 445 residential units will mostly be studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, according to Dickson. The development is proposed to have 20%, or 89, of them marketed as affordable units, which is 5% more than the city's inclusionary housing ordinance requires. Plans call for the development to have three storefronts. Luay Aboona, principal at traffic consulting firm KLOA, Inc., said the development is not likely to increase traffic in a significant way in the immediate area of the development. Kerry Dickson, managing director of Vermilion Development, said the developers hope to negotiate a lease with city-owned parking lots on Church Street and Davis Street for residents to park their vehicles there. The city could net an additional $172,000 in renting out parking spaces needed by the development's residents, he said, estimating that an additional 120 vehicles will need parking. Dickson said the site at 605-609 Davis Street now houses two vacant lots and is in blighted condition. The Davis Street development isn't the only high rise project in the works in Evanston. Last September, two developers proposed a 27-story apartment building also in the downtown area at the current Church Street Plaza. That development is anticipated to have 358 units, and is also asking the city for variances in its zoning code to have a lower number of parking spaces. Property tax breaks Jonathan Perman of Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications, a spokesperson hired to represent the development, said that because the 605 Davis Street development offers 20% of its units to be rented at an affordable rate, a state statute makes discounts available in the developer's property tax bill. Called Affordable Illinois when it was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2021, the state law makes housing developments in certain areas of Cook County eligible for a significant property tax break, in the form of lowered assessments, available for 30 years, as long as they also provide 20% of their housing units to be rented at affordable rates, among other requirements. For the first 12 years after the development is complete, the building owner will pay 60% or less of the building's assessed property tax value. For the 18 years after that, they will pay 80% of the assessed value. After that time period is over, the property tax bill must be paid in its entirety. At the meeting, Councilmember Kelly said the 30 years of property tax discounts would essentially be a forfeiture from the city to the developer. Perman took a different emphasis, characterizing the property tax bill the developers will be paying, stating that after 12 years, the city of Evanston would be reaping an estimated $2.7 million instead of the $21,450 it is getting now for the undeveloped property. .
Chicago Tribune
14-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Neighbors mixed on proposed Evanston tower that would rival suburbs' tallest buildings
An Evanston developer is facing community pushback after proposing a 31-story, 333 foot tall apartment building that would rank third tallest in suburban Chicagoland. The proposed residential tower would have the same number of floors as suburban Chicago's tallest building, Oakbrook Terrace Tower in DuPage County, though that building rises 418 feet, according to information from Shawn Ursini of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The proposed highrise, which aligns with Mayor Daniel Biss' goal to increase housing density in Evanston, is also notable becuse it includes dramatically fewer parking spaces than is typical for the suburbs. There would be 80 on-site spaces for 445 apartments. The developer suggested using an estimated 120 parking spots in nearby city-owned garages, but so far that remains only a suggestion. Representatives from Chicago based co-developers Vermilion Development and Campbell Coyle shared with neighbors proposals of their 605 Davis Street high rise, at the northwest corner of Davis Street and Chicago Avenue, at a ward meeting on April 29. The developers anticipate the development, on two currently vacant lots, will also help the city's goal of raising property tax revenue for the land parcels by millions of dollars. The proposed building's height would put it under the suburbs' second-tallest building, Two Pierce Plaza in Itasca, at 395 feet, but much taller than Evanston's existing tallest buildings: Orrington Plaza at 277 feet, Sherman Plaza at 276 feet, Optima Views at 265 feet and One Rotary Center at 237 feet tall, per information from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The community meeting, hosted by Councilmembers Clare Kelly (1st) and Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th), was attended by about 50 residents at the main branch of the Evanston Public Library. The majority of residents offered a mix of reasons as to why the project should not move forward, including parking troubles, traffic troubles and a potential 'wind tunnel' effect that could strengthen winds, making downtown harder for pedestrians to walk. The project had some support at the meeting from Evanston's commercial partners. 'We should be welcoming this type of development. We should be working with them,' said Andy Vick, the executive director of the Downtown Evanston Merchants Organization. Evanston resident Tina Paden said the development will not benefit most Evanstonians, particularly Black families. 'Let's be real, that this building is for Northwestern students,' she said. 'I live down the street from (housing developments) E2 and The Link. I do not see Black families with three or four children walking out of the building. They are Northwestern students. You are coming here for opportunity to make big, giant dollars from Northwestern students. You do not care about Evanston residents.' As proposed by developers, the building's 445 residential units will mostly be studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, according to Dickson. The development is proposed to have 20%, or 89, of them marketed as affordable units, which is 5% more than the city's inclusionary housing ordinance requires. Plans call for the development to have three storefronts. Luay Aboona, principal at traffic consulting firm KLOA, Inc., said the development is not likely to increase traffic in a significant way in the immediate area of the development. Kerry Dickson, managing director of Vermilion Development, said the developers hope to negotiate a lease with city-owned parking lots on Church Street and Davis Street for residents to park their vehicles there. The city could net an additional $172,000 in renting out parking spaces needed by the development's residents, he said, estimating that an additional 120 vehicles will need parking. Dickson said the site at 605-609 Davis Street now houses two vacant lots and is in blighted condition. The Davis Street development isn't the only high rise project in the works in Evanston. Last September, two developers proposed a 27-story apartment building also in the downtown area at the current Church Street Plaza. That development is anticipated to have 358 units, and is also asking the city for variances in its zoning code to have a lower number of parking spaces. Property tax breaks Jonathan Perman of Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications, a spokesperson hired to represent the development, said that because the 605 Davis Street development offers 20% of its units to be rented at an affordable rate, a state statute makes discounts available in the developer's property tax bill. Called Affordable Illinois when it was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2021, the state law makes housing developments in certain areas of Cook County eligible for a significant property tax break, in the form of lowered assessments, available for 30 years, as long as they also provide 20% of their housing units to be rented at affordable rates, among other requirements. For the first 12 years after the development is complete, the building owner will pay 60% or less of the building's assessed property tax value. For the 18 years after that, they will pay 80% of the assessed value. After that time period is over, the property tax bill must be paid in its entirety. At the meeting, Councilmember Kelly said the 30 years of property tax discounts would essentially be a forfeiture from the city to the developer. Perman took a different emphasis, characterizing the property tax bill the developers will be paying, stating that after 12 years, the city of Evanston would be reaping an estimated $2.7 million instead of the $21,450 it is getting now for the undeveloped property. .
