Latest news with #ScottWaguespack
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daywatch: Not your grandparents' City Council
Good morning, Chicago. When Ald. Scott Waguespack started his City Council career as an opponent of Mayor Richard M. Daley, it was mostly at the wrong end of a bunch of lopsided votes. But his days as one of five aldermen who said no to Daley's infamous parking meter deal or a quixotic early thorn to Mayor Rahm Emanuel are long gone. Now, when the Northwest Side alderman butts heads with Mayor Brandon Johnson, he is often one of many across a relatively broad political spectrum, and sometimes he even gets his way. 'You see more accountability and more responsibility that's shared now than in the past,' he said. 'I think you're seeing people kind of trust in each other.' It's a sea change that grew under Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and is gaining momentum in City Hall with Johnson: The City Council, long derided as a mayoral puppet, is increasingly operating independent of the fifth floor. The shift follows the demise of Chicago's infamous machine politics. It also tracks with the ascension of the aldermanic Progressive Caucus and the 'Common Sense Caucus' formed in part to oppose it, both shifting groups that bring more ideological force into debates. Read the full story from the Tribune's Jake Sheridan. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the never-built migrant tent encampment the state agreed to pay $1.3 million for, what's next on the docket for former House Speaker Michael Madigan after he was denied a motion for a new trial and our picks for where to go in Chicago for Father's Day. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines are headed to Los Angeles on orders from President Donald Trump, escalating a military presence local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom don't want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. Editorial: MAGA morphs into Make America Cruel Again Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks. Used in COVID shots, mRNA may help rid the body of HIV Despite assurances from Gov. JB Pritzker that state taxpayers would not end up footing the bill for a migrant tent encampment in Chicago that was never built, the state recently agreed to pay $1.3 million to the project's contractor. A federal judge yesterday denied a motion by former House Speaker Michael Madigan seeking to overturn his recent conviction on bribery and other corruption counts, setting the stage for a high-stakes sentencing hearing later this week. Michael Madigan, ComEd and corruption: How the investigation into the ex-Illinois Speaker unfolded Speaking from the witness stand nearly a decade after her 7-year-old son was shot and killed, Amber Hailey said every court date has tested her resolve. Her son, Amari Brown, was gunned down on the Fourth of July in 2015 in an act of violence that spurred national news coverage and calls for change. Those calls heightened just months later after the targeted killing of another child, 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee. 'Amari was an innocent child who had his whole life ahead of him,' Hailey said, breaking down in tears. 'He had his dreams, aspirations.' The nascent sports network finally joined the Comcast lineup Friday, but on the higher-priced Ultimate tier, which costs an additional $20 per month, on top of the $20.25 regional sports network fee charged to Chicago-area subscribers each month. In the wake of the deal, CHSN abruptly pulled the plug on local TV affiliates in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, and Fort Wayne and South Bend, Indiana. The Indianapolis Colts are moving forward with the late Jim Irsay's transition plan for ownership, which calls for his three daughters to take charge of the club. The team said that Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson each would continue to hold the title of owner, which they have done since 2012 when they were named vice chairs. Irsay-Gordon is now CEO, and Foyt is executive vice president. Jackson will be chief brand officer. Southern Baptists meeting this week in Dallas will be asked to approve resolutions calling for a legal ban on pornography and a reversal of the U.S. Supreme Court's approval of same-sex marriage. The proposed resolutions call for laws on gender, marriage and family based on what they say is the biblically stated order of divine creation. They also call for legislators to curtail sports betting and to support policies that promote childbearing. Most big collections have only a fraction of their items on display, with the rest locked away in storage. But not at the new V&A East Storehouse, where London's Victoria and Albert Museum has opened up its storerooms for visitors to view — and in many cases touch — the items within. Anyone can book a one-on-one appointment with any object, from a Vivienne Westwood mohair sweater to a tiny Japanese netsuke figurine. Most of the items can even be handled, with exceptions for hazardous materials, such as Victorian wallpaper that contains arsenic. While Mother's Day celebrations traditionally involve breakfast in bed or brunches with free-flowing mimosas plus gifts of flowers, it can be a little harder to figure out what to do for Father's Day. Luckily, local bars and restaurants are making planning easier by offering a wide range of events and specials with an emphasis on big steaks, beer and whiskey. Whether you think your dad would love a multi-course dinner with plenty of time to talk or to show off his skills in a putting competition, these 39 spots make it easy to enjoy some quality time together.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: Not your grandparents' City Council
Good morning, Chicago. When Ald. Scott Waguespack started his City Council career as an opponent of Mayor Richard M. Daley, it was mostly at the wrong end of a bunch of lopsided votes. But his days as one of five aldermen who said no to Daley's infamous parking meter deal or a quixotic early thorn to Mayor Rahm Emanuel are long gone. Now, when the Northwest Side alderman butts heads with Mayor Brandon Johnson, he is often one of many across a relatively broad political spectrum, and sometimes he even gets his way. 'You see more accountability and more responsibility that's shared now than in the past,' he said. 'I think you're seeing people kind of trust in each other.' It's a sea change that grew under Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and is gaining momentum in City Hall with Johnson: The City Council, long derided as a mayoral puppet, is increasingly operating independent of the fifth floor. The shift follows the demise of Chicago's infamous machine politics. It also tracks with the ascension of the aldermanic Progressive Caucus and the 'Common Sense Caucus' formed in part to oppose it, both shifting groups that bring more ideological force into debates. Read the full story from the Tribune's Jake Sheridan. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the never-built migrant tent encampment the state agreed to pay $1.3 million for, what's next on the docket for former House Speaker Michael Madigan after he was denied a motion for a new trial and our picks for where to go in Chicago for Father's Day. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines are headed to Los Angeles on orders from President Donald Trump, escalating a military presence local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom don't want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks. Despite assurances from Gov. JB Pritzker that state taxpayers would not end up footing the bill for a migrant tent encampment in Chicago that was never built, the state recently agreed to pay $1.3 million to the project's contractor. A federal judge yesterday denied a motion by former House Speaker Michael Madigan seeking to overturn his recent conviction on bribery and other corruption counts, setting the stage for a high-stakes sentencing hearing later this week. Speaking from the witness stand nearly a decade after her 7-year-old son was shot and killed, Amber Hailey said every court date has tested her resolve. Her son, Amari Brown, was gunned down on the Fourth of July in 2015 in an act of violence that spurred national news coverage and calls for change. Those calls heightened just months later after the targeted killing of another child, 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee. 'Amari was an innocent child who had his whole life ahead of him,' Hailey said, breaking down in tears. 'He had his dreams, aspirations.' The nascent sports network finally joined the Comcast lineup Friday, but on the higher-priced Ultimate tier, which costs an additional $20 per month, on top of the $20.25 regional sports network fee charged to Chicago-area subscribers each month. In the wake of the deal, CHSN abruptly pulled the plug on local TV affiliates in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, and Fort Wayne and South Bend, Indiana. The Indianapolis Colts are moving forward with the late Jim Irsay's transition plan for ownership, which calls for his three daughters to take charge of the club. The team said that Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson each would continue to hold the title of owner, which they have done since 2012 when they were named vice chairs. Irsay-Gordon is now CEO, and Foyt is executive vice president. Jackson will be chief brand officer. Southern Baptists meeting this week in Dallas will be asked to approve resolutions calling for a legal ban on pornography and a reversal of the U.S. Supreme Court's approval of same-sex marriage. The proposed resolutions call for laws on gender, marriage and family based on what they say is the biblically stated order of divine creation. They also call for legislators to curtail sports betting and to support policies that promote childbearing. Most big collections have only a fraction of their items on display, with the rest locked away in storage. But not at the new V&A East Storehouse, where London's Victoria and Albert Museum has opened up its storerooms for visitors to view — and in many cases touch — the items within. Anyone can book a one-on-one appointment with any object, from a Vivienne Westwood mohair sweater to a tiny Japanese netsuke figurine. Most of the items can even be handled, with exceptions for hazardous materials, such as Victorian wallpaper that contains arsenic. While Mother's Day celebrations traditionally involve breakfast in bed or brunches with free-flowing mimosas plus gifts of flowers, it can be a little harder to figure out what to do for Father's Day. Luckily, local bars and restaurants are making planning easier by offering a wide range of events and specials with an emphasis on big steaks, beer and whiskey. Whether you think your dad would love a multi-course dinner with plenty of time to talk or to show off his skills in a putting competition, these 39 spots make it easy to enjoy some quality time together.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In a first-of-a-kind move under a new zoning provision, developer will make last-ditch effort to gain approval for Lincoln Park towers
Sterling Bay, the developer behind dozens of projects in Chicago, launched a last-ditch effort earlier this month to secure City Council approval for a pair of apartment towers on the western edge of Lincoln Park, attempting an end-run around an alderman opposed to the project. The company plans to try to bypass Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, and take the project directly to the City Council, marking the first time a developer will use a 2022 zoning reform that ensures some builders get an up-or-down vote if local opposition delays approval. It's a challenge to Chicago's long-standing custom of 'aldermanic prerogative,' which typically gives local aldermen the final word on zoning decisions in their ward. The ad hoc tradition plays a powerful — yet controversial — role in determining which developments can proceed. Supporters of aldermanic prerogative say it ensures developers can't ignore local concerns, while opponents say the custom can squelch needed development or even help maintain historic segregation. The 2022 reform, known as the Connected Communities Ordinance, overhauled city zoning law and stands as one of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's legacies, and if Sterling Bay prevails it could put some limits on the tradition of aldermanic prerogative. 'We had seen too many examples of projects that never came to a vote,' said Marisa Novara, commissioner of Chicago's Department of Housing for Lightfoot. 'And to be clear, this doesn't mean developments get automatic approvals; it just brings some democracy to the process by saying a vote is required.' The $340 million Sterling Bay project was approved in June by the Plan Commission in an 11-1 vote over Waguespack's objection. But it failed to win an endorsement from the Zoning Committee in December. The project would involve constructing 16- and 21-story skyscrapers at 1840 N. Marcey St., near the CTA's Red Line and sandwiched between the Bucktown neighborhood and the Clybourn Corridor retail district. The complex would have 615 apartments, 124 of which would be affordable. 'This has been a four-year endeavor, and we feel it's time to move forward,' said Sterling Bay Managing Director Fred Krol, although the company would keep working with Waguespack to come up with a solution. Waguespack did not return a call seeking comment, but in December released a statement pointing out that many members of local neighborhood organizations, including the Ranch Triangle Community Conservation Association, say the towers would be out of scale compared with the community's mostly two- and three-story homes, and could cause more traffic headaches in an already congested area. 'Ranch Triangle Association supports residential development on that site, and we support affordable housing in our community because it's great to have diversity,' said Erma Tranter, the association's president. 'We're just asking Sterling Bay to reduce the height and density of the two towers.' Many major developments require zoning changes, and Connected Communities reforms the way those changes are pursued. It expanded the definition of transit-oriented development, adjusted bike parking rules and established maximum parking for residential projects. It also included a provision that allows developers proposing large amounts of affordable housing in high-cost, transit-rich areas such as Lincoln Park another way to secure approvals if they hit political roadblocks. Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, chair of the Zoning Committee, used a parliamentary maneuver in December to keep Sterling Bay's proposal alive after members initially voted it down. Under Connected Communities, Sterling Bay needs to send an official notice to Burnett requesting another vote but can't do so until April due to timelines specified in the ordinance. If a vote doesn't occur in 60 days after that, the proposal is sent on to the full City Council. Novara, now vice president of community impact at the Chicago Community Trust, said the 1840 N. Marcey St. project checks all the boxes for Connected Communities. If successful, Sterling Bay's challenge could set a precedent, helping other developers build affordable units in neighborhoods low- to moderate-income residents might not otherwise be able to afford. 'Chicago is an extremely segregated city by race and income, and that's why we should make decisions like this as a city,' Novara said. Mayor Brandon Johnson downplayed the dispute with Waguespack, saying after the Plan Commission vote in June that 'this is not some contentious, fake spat or rift between my presentation and others. This is about having a real conversation about how we have the vibrancy in this city so that we can recover.' The last such high-profile clash between an administration and local alderman over a development occurred in 2021 when then-Mayor Lightfoot convinced City Council to approve a 297-unit project on the Far Northwest Side over the objection of Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st. All developers using the Connected Communities ordinance must first hold at least one public meeting. Sterling Bay held its meeting Jan. 15 at 1840 N. Marcey St. in a vacant building that would be torn down to make way for the development. More than 100 people showed up, and most of the crowd appeared to be in favor of the new development. Krol gave credit to neighborhood groups such as Ranch Triangle for pushing the company to boost the percentage of affordable housing. Sterling Bay initially called for 15% of the units to be affordable, but by the time it went before the Plan Commission in June, the company had agreed to make 20% affordable. Hitting the 20% benchmark means Sterling Bay could qualify for the state's 2021 Affordable Illinois property tax reform, which secures deep assessment cuts and lower taxes for property owners if they keep units affordable. In his December statement, Waguespack said that with city homeowners facing possible property tax increases, a tax cut for Sterling Bay might not be the best use of resources. 'This property tax break will reduce their property taxes by about $44.7 million that will be shifted to other property owners,' he said. But Krol said at the meeting that without the proposed development, the property would generate $69 million in property taxes over 30 years, while a new 1840 N. Marcey St. would generate $248 million. 'I don't know anyone in this room who would consider $248 million a giveaway,' he said. Sterling Bay also agreed — in advance of the June Plan Commission — to slightly cut the height of both towers and reduce the number of parking spaces from 360 to 275, after negotiations with Waguespack and other neighbors. But 275 is still far too many, Tranter said. Introducing hundreds of new cars will further choke Clybourn Avenue, already packed during rush hour, and nearby Cortland Street, often backed up for blocks throughout much of the day, she said. 'Marcey Street is only 21 feet wide, and traffic already gets pinched at the bridge over the river where it funnels down from two lanes to one,' Tranter said. 'So, it's not a sustainable development in any way.' Luay Aboona, principal of KLOA, a traffic consultant advising Sterling Bay, said at the meeting the developer will include some minor upgrades to the neighborhood's road infrastructure, such as improved sidewalks and crosswalks. But he added that what often clogs the surrounding streets are shoppers and drivers from outside the neighborhood. 'We understand the concerns, but (1840 N. Marcey's) impact on Cortland will only be incremental,' he said. 'It won't be significant enough to make the roads worse than they are now.' Krol also said significantly reducing the towers' size wasn't an option. 'We have looked at that and looked at that, and we simply can't make the changes you're talking about,' he said. 'Ultimately, we have to convince a lender to finance the project, and we have to demonstrate that the project will be able to pay back a loan.' Many attendees said the city needs more development to combat Chicago's rising homelessness, and to raise the funds needed to sustain its falling credit rating. 'I'm grateful this project is moving forward,' said nearby resident Richard Day. 'If we cannot build more housing in the city we're screwed.' Some speakers said the neighborhood was impossible to afford, especially for young residents. And the new ground-floor retail Sterling Bay wants to create at 1840 N. Marcey St. could give a much-needed jolt to the area's stagnant shopping district. 'There have not been any changes during the last five years I've been living here,' said Joshua Chodor, a graduate student. Others said Sterling Bay should build the proposed residential complex on its stalled $6 billion Lincoln Yards development site nearby along the North Branch of the Chicago River. The company unveiled Lincoln Yards six years ago, with plans for offices, retail, riverfront parks, massive improvements to the neighborhood's transit infrastructure, entertainment venues and apartments, including skyscrapers of nearly 600 feet. But it has struggled to finance construction, leaving most of the land empty and the transit improvements undone. Local resident Scott Nations said 1840 N. Marcey St. could be a buffer zone between the neighborhood and Lincoln Yards, with a smaller apartment complex instead of Lincoln Yards-sized buildings. 'This is out-of-scale with the two- and three-story buildings around it,' he said. Krol said preparing the 53-acre Lincoln Yards for development is much trickier than 1840 N. Marcey St. The city did designate Lincoln Yards a tax increment financing district in 2019, but before the company can reap any benefits, it must spend hundreds of millions upfront to reconstruct the site's infrastructure. 'The (1840) project is not being triggered by Lincoln Yards,' Krol said. This isn't the only apartment project Sterling Bay wants to build near Lincoln Yards. In May, the Plan Commission approved its plan for a 25-story, 355-unit building at 2033 N. Kingsbury St., two blocks north of the Marcey site in Ald. Brian Hopkins' 2nd Ward. It was approved by City Council over the summer. Tranter said conversations between the developer, neighborhood groups and Waguespack will continue. 'We want this project to be the best it can be, well thought out and sustainable,' she said.
Chicago Tribune
26-01-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
In a first-of-a-kind move under a new zoning provision, developer will make last-ditch effort to gain approval for Lincoln Park towers
Sterling Bay, the developer behind dozens of projects in Chicago, launched a last-ditch effort earlier this month to secure City Council approval for a pair of apartment towers on the western edge of Lincoln Park, attempting an end-run around an alderman opposed to the project. The company plans to try to bypass Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, and take the project directly to the City Council, marking the first time a developer will use a 2022 zoning reform that ensures some builders get an up-or-down vote if local opposition delays approval. It's a challenge to Chicago's long-standing custom of 'aldermanic prerogative,' which typically gives local aldermen the final word on zoning decisions in their ward. The ad hoc tradition plays a powerful — yet controversial — role in determining which developments can proceed. Supporters of aldermanic prerogative say it ensures developers can't ignore local concerns, while opponents say the custom can squelch needed development or even help maintain historic segregation. The 2022 reform, known as the Connected Communities Ordinance, overhauled city zoning law and stands as one of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's legacies, and if Sterling Bay prevails it could put some limits on the tradition of aldermanic prerogative. 'We had seen too many examples of projects that never came to a vote,' said Marisa Novara, commissioner of Chicago's Department of Housing for Lightfoot. 'And to be clear, this doesn't mean developments get automatic approvals; it just brings some democracy to the process by saying a vote is required.' The $340 million Sterling Bay project was approved in June by the Plan Commission in an 11-1 vote over Waguespack's objection. But it failed to win an endorsement from the Zoning Committee in December. The project would involve constructing 16- and 21-story skyscrapers at 1840 N. Marcey St., near the CTA's Red Line and sandwiched between the Bucktown neighborhood and the Clybourn Corridor retail district. The complex would have 615 apartments, 124 of which would be affordable. 'This has been a four-year endeavor, and we feel it's time to move forward,' said Sterling Bay Managing Director Fred Krol, although the company would keep working with Waguespack to come up with a solution. Waguespack did not return a call seeking comment, but in December released a statement pointing out that many members of local neighborhood organizations, including the Ranch Triangle Community Conservation Association, say the towers would be out of scale compared with the community's mostly two- and three-story homes, and could cause more traffic headaches in an already congested area. 'Ranch Triangle Association supports residential development on that site, and we support affordable housing in our community because it's great to have diversity,' said Erma Tranter, the association's president. 'We're just asking Sterling Bay to reduce the height and density of the two towers.' Many major developments require zoning changes, and Connected Communities reforms the way those changes are pursued. It expanded the definition of transit-oriented development, adjusted bike parking rules and established maximum parking for residential projects. It also included a provision that allows developers proposing large amounts of affordable housing in high-cost, transit-rich areas such as Lincoln Park another way to secure approvals if they hit political roadblocks. Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, chair of the Zoning Committee, used a parliamentary maneuver in December to keep Sterling Bay's proposal alive after members initially voted it down. Under Connected Communities, Sterling Bay needs to send an official notice to Burnett requesting another vote but can't do so until April due to timelines specified in the ordinance. If a vote doesn't occur in 60 days after that, the proposal is sent on to the full City Council. Novara, now vice president of community impact at the Chicago Community Trust, said the 1840 N. Marcey St. project checks all the boxes for Connected Communities. If successful, Sterling Bay's challenge could set a precedent, helping other developers build affordable units in neighborhoods low- to moderate-income residents might not otherwise be able to afford. 'Chicago is an extremely segregated city by race and income, and that's why we should make decisions like this as a city,' Novara said. Mayor Brandon Johnson downplayed the dispute with Waguespack, saying after the Plan Commission vote in June that 'this is not some contentious, fake spat or rift between my presentation and others. This is about having a real conversation about how we have the vibrancy in this city so that we can recover.' The last such high-profile clash between an administration and local alderman over a development occurred in 2021 when then-Mayor Lightfoot convinced City Council to approve a 297-unit project on the Far Northwest Side over the objection of Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st. All developers using the Connected Communities ordinance must first hold at least one public meeting. Sterling Bay held its meeting Jan. 15 at 1840 N. Marcey St. in a vacant building that would be torn down to make way for the development. More than 100 people showed up, and most of the crowd appeared to be in favor of the new development. Krol gave credit to neighborhood groups such as Ranch Triangle for pushing the company to boost the percentage of affordable housing. Sterling Bay initially called for 15% of the units to be affordable, but by the time it went before the Plan Commission in June, the company had agreed to make 20% affordable. Hitting the 20% benchmark means Sterling Bay could qualify for the state's 2021 Affordable Illinois property tax reform, which secures deep assessment cuts and lower taxes for property owners if they keep units affordable. In his December statement, Waguespack said that with city homeowners facing possible property tax increases, a tax cut for Sterling Bay might not be the best use of resources. 'This property tax break will reduce their property taxes by about $44.7 million that will be shifted to other property owners,' he said. But Krol said at the meeting that without the proposed development, the property would generate $69 million in property taxes over 30 years, while a new 1840 N. Marcey St. would generate $248 million. 'I don't know anyone in this room who would consider $248 million a giveaway,' he said. Sterling Bay also agreed — in advance of the June Plan Commission — to slightly cut the height of both towers and reduce the number of parking spaces from 360 to 275, after negotiations with Waguespack and other neighbors. But 275 is still far too many, Tranter said. Introducing hundreds of new cars will further choke Clybourn Avenue, already packed during rush hour, and nearby Cortland Street, often backed up for blocks throughout much of the day, she said. 'Marcey Street is only 21 feet wide, and traffic already gets pinched at the bridge over the river where it funnels down from two lanes to one,' Tranter said. 'So, it's not a sustainable development in any way.' Luay Aboona, principal of KLOA, a traffic consultant advising Sterling Bay, said at the meeting the developer will include some minor upgrades to the neighborhood's road infrastructure, such as improved sidewalks and crosswalks. But he added that what often clogs the surrounding streets are shoppers and drivers from outside the neighborhood. 'We understand the concerns, but (1840 N. Marcey's) impact on Cortland will only be incremental,' he said. 'It won't be significant enough to make the roads worse than they are now.' Krol also said significantly reducing the towers' size wasn't an option. 'We have looked at that and looked at that, and we simply can't make the changes you're talking about,' he said. 'Ultimately, we have to convince a lender to finance the project, and we have to demonstrate that the project will be able to pay back a loan.' Many attendees said the city needs more development to combat Chicago's rising homelessness, and to raise the funds needed to sustain its falling credit rating. 'I'm grateful this project is moving forward,' said nearby resident Richard Day. 'If we cannot build more housing in the city we're screwed.' Some speakers said the neighborhood was impossible to afford, especially for young residents. And the new ground-floor retail Sterling Bay wants to create at 1840 N. Marcey St. could give a much-needed jolt to the area's stagnant shopping district. 'There have not been any changes during the last five years I've been living here,' said Joshua Chodor, a graduate student. Others said Sterling Bay should build the proposed residential complex on its stalled $6 billion Lincoln Yards development site nearby along the North Branch of the Chicago River. The company unveiled Lincoln Yards six years ago, with plans for offices, retail, riverfront parks, massive improvements to the neighborhood's transit infrastructure, entertainment venues and apartments, including skyscrapers of nearly 600 feet. But it has struggled to finance construction, leaving most of the land empty and the transit improvements undone. Local resident Scott Nations said 1840 N. Marcey St. could be a buffer zone between the neighborhood and Lincoln Yards, with a smaller apartment complex instead of Lincoln Yards-sized buildings. 'This is out-of-scale with the two- and three-story buildings around it,' he said. Krol said preparing the 53-acre Lincoln Yards for development is much trickier than 1840 N. Marcey St. The city did designate Lincoln Yards a tax increment financing district in 2019, but before the company can reap any benefits, it must spend hundreds of millions upfront to reconstruct the site's infrastructure. 'The (1840) project is not being triggered by Lincoln Yards,' Krol said. This isn't the only apartment project Sterling Bay wants to build near Lincoln Yards. In May, the Plan Commission approved its plan for a 25-story, 355-unit building at 2033 N. Kingsbury St., two blocks north of the Marcey site in Ald. Brian Hopkins' 2nd Ward. It was approved by City Council over the summer. Tranter said conversations between the developer, neighborhood groups and Waguespack will continue. 'We want this project to be the best it can be, well thought out and sustainable,' she said.
