Latest news with #WalterBurnett
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zoning Committee defers action on massive River West apartment complex, as labor unions press developer for an agreement
The City Council's Zoning Committee took no action Tuesday on a controversial $1.1 billion proposal to develop several thousand riverfront apartments just north of where Bally's Corp. is building its permanent Chicago casino. The deferral sets up a possible up-or-down vote by the full City Council on June 20 for Vancouver-based Onni Group, which wants to build several skyscrapers up to 650 feet tall on a bend in the Chicago River at 700 W. Chicago Ave. The proposed River West project would involve a total of 2,451 residences, including nearly 500 affordable units. The influential Service Employees International Union Local 1, a 50,000-member union that represents janitors, security officers and door staff at many Chicago-area buildings, currently opposes the development. The group wants a labor peace agreement with Onni, making it easier to organize staff at the company's Chicago buildings, before endorsing the massive development. Other unions in the construction trades support Onni's proposal. Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, chair of the Zoning Committee, said he had held off holding a vote on Onni's proposal ever since the Chicago Plan Commission approved it last June, hoping the parties would forge an agreement. 'Everybody, they're playing chicken, we're in the middle of a chicken game,' he said Tuesday. The development site is in Burnett's ward, and he supported it at the 2024 Plan Commission meeting. Onni Group is using a rare procedure, authorized by a 2022 zoning reform, that allows some developers proposing large amounts of affordable housing to sidestep the Zoning Committee and secure a full City Council vote. The company sent a letter on April 21 to Burnett requesting the committee take up the proposal, called Halsted Landing. If no action is taken in 60 days, it gets a vote at the June 20 City Council meeting. The Zoning Committee is scheduled to meet next Tuesday, but according to the published agenda, it's a special meeting where members will discuss an environmental ordinance backed by Mayor Brandon Johnson and no votes will be taken. Richard Klawiter, a DLA Piper attorney representing Onni, outlined for committee members the benefits of giving the project a green light. In addition to the much-needed affordable housing, Onni would contribute about $26 million to city programs such as the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, eventually pay tens of millions in property taxes, and create thousands of construction jobs. The company had agreed to the union's demand for a neutrality agreement but balked at providing contact information for employees, including names and addresses, and the Zoning Committee was not the place to settle the yearlong dispute, Klawiter said. 'This is not the National Labor Relations Board, but rather, the Committee on Zoning,' he said. A union spokesperson on Tuesday said SEIU Local 1 does not have a comment at this time. There was some confusion during the committee hearing. When Onni's proposal came up for discussion, Burnett was in the room behind council chambers speaking with Jason Lee, a senior adviser to Johnson. Council members typically defer to the local alderman when it comes to development decisions, a tradition known as 'aldermanic prerogative,' and several said they were reluctant to discuss the matter. 'I would recommend we hold this until we hear from the chairman,' said Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th. Burnett returned only after discussion on the development was paused, ran through the rest of the meeting's agenda, but then adjourned the meeting without recalling Onni's proposal. The Onni Group did not immediately return a message seeking comment. The 2022 zoning reform, known as the Connected Communities Ordinance, overhauled city zoning law. It allows developers proposing large amounts of affordable housing in high-cost areas such as River West another way to secure approvals if they hit political roadblocks. They need to hold a community meeting in the affected neighborhood, which Onni did in January, and send a letter to the Zoning Committee chair requesting a vote, starting the 60-day timetable. Sterling Bay is the only other developer to choose this route. It held a community meeting in January in Lincoln Park, and said it wanted to use Connected Communities to secure approval for its plan to construct 615 units in a pair of skyscrapers at 1840 N. Marcey St. near the CTA's Red Line. Local Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, has said he opposes the project because many neighbors say it's out-of-scale with the surrounding neighborhood. Burnett was coy after the Zoning Committee meeting about whether he would support Onni next month, or whether enough council members would be willing to buck the unions. 'I don't know what the City Council is doing,' he said. 'The unions are lobbying everybody. So, people are conflicted. Everybody hopes they can work it out.'
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Zoning Committee defers action on massive River West apartment complex, as labor unions press developer for an agreement
The City Council's Zoning Committee took no action Tuesday on a controversial $1.1 billion proposal to develop several thousand riverfront apartments just north of where Bally's Corp. is building its permanent Chicago casino. The deferral sets up a possible up-or-down vote by the full City Council on June 20 for Vancouver-based Onni Group, which wants to build several skyscrapers up to 650 feet tall on a bend in the Chicago River at 700 W. Chicago Ave. The proposed River West project would involve a total of 2,451 residences, including nearly 500 affordable units. The influential Service Employees International Union Local 1, a 50,000-member union that represents janitors, security officers and door staff at many Chicago-area buildings, currently opposes the development. The group wants a labor peace agreement with Onni, making it easier to organize staff at the company's Chicago buildings, before endorsing the massive development. Other unions in the construction trades support Onni's proposal. Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, chair of the Zoning Committee, said he had held off holding a vote on Onni's proposal ever since the Chicago Plan Commission approved it last June, hoping the parties would forge an agreement. 'Everybody, they're playing chicken, we're in the middle of a chicken game,' he said Tuesday. The development site is in Burnett's ward, and he supported it at the 2024 Plan Commission meeting. Onni Group is using a rare procedure, authorized by a 2022 zoning reform, that allows some developers proposing large amounts of affordable housing to sidestep the Zoning Committee and secure a full City Council vote. The company sent a letter on April 21 to Burnett requesting the committee take up the proposal, called Halsted Landing. If no action is taken in 60 days, it gets a vote at the June 20 City Council meeting. The Zoning Committee is scheduled to meet next Tuesday, but according to the published agenda, it's a special meeting where members will discuss an environmental ordinance backed by Mayor Brandon Johnson and no votes will be taken. Richard Klawiter, a DLA Piper attorney representing Onni, outlined for committee members the benefits of giving the project a green light. In addition to the much-needed affordable housing, Onni would contribute about $26 million to city programs such as the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, eventually pay tens of millions in property taxes, and create thousands of construction jobs. The company had agreed to the union's demand for a neutrality agreement but balked at providing contact information for employees, including names and addresses, and the Zoning Committee was not the place to settle the yearlong dispute, Klawiter said. 'This is not the National Labor Relations Board, but rather, the Committee on Zoning,' he said. A union spokesperson on Tuesday said SEIU Local 1 does not have a comment at this time. There was some confusion during the committee hearing. When Onni's proposal came up for discussion, Burnett was in the room behind council chambers speaking with Jason Lee, a senior adviser to Johnson. Council members typically defer to the local alderman when it comes to development decisions, a tradition known as 'aldermanic prerogative,' and several said they were reluctant to discuss the matter. 'I would recommend we hold this until we hear from the chairman,' said Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th. Burnett returned only after discussion on the development was paused, ran through the rest of the meeting's agenda, but then adjourned the meeting without recalling Onni's proposal. The Onni Group did not immediately return a message seeking comment. The 2022 zoning reform, known as the Connected Communities Ordinance, overhauled city zoning law. It allows developers proposing large amounts of affordable housing in high-cost areas such as River West another way to secure approvals if they hit political roadblocks. They need to hold a community meeting in the affected neighborhood, which Onni did in January, and send a letter to the Zoning Committee chair requesting a vote, starting the 60-day timetable. Sterling Bay is the only other developer to choose this route. It held a community meeting in January in Lincoln Park, and said it wanted to use Connected Communities to secure approval for its plan to construct 615 units in a pair of skyscrapers at 1840 N. Marcey St. near the CTA's Red Line. Local Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, has said he opposes the project because many neighbors say it's out-of-scale with the surrounding neighborhood. Burnett was coy after the Zoning Committee meeting about whether he would support Onni next month, or whether enough council members would be willing to buck the unions. 'I don't know what the City Council is doing,' he said. 'The unions are lobbying everybody. So, people are conflicted. Everybody hopes they can work it out.'
Chicago Tribune
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Ald. Desmon Yancy: Chicago demands more from you, Mayor Johnson
Mayor Brandon Johnson, like many Chicagoans, I was excited about your election. As a fellow organizer and a newly elected alderman, I had high hopes that your administration would mark the beginning of a new era in Chicago government — one in which all residents and stakeholders were heard, valued and brought together. I believed your victory signaled the start of a Chicago for all. You came into office with a strong ideological perspective, but early signs pointed to an inclusive administration — one that welcomed diverse viewpoints, even those that challenged your own. We hoped that your inexperience would be balanced by humility and a willingness to listen to those with deep experience in governance. Yet, as I look back over the past two years, your administration has been the opposite of what we hoped for. Dissenting voices are consistently shut down. Detractors are shut out. Advice is ignored. Instead of collaboration, we see ideological isolation. Instead of a 'Chicago for all,' we see a government that treats those who disagree as enemies. This is not what I voted for, worked for or can continue to support. Chicago under your leadership has become a cauldron of frustration. Multiple public polls reflect growing dissatisfaction, and the dysfunction is evident. Every mayor faces opposition from some bloc of aldermen, but the repeated close votes and tie-breaking votes you've cast are not signs of collaboration. They are signs of a government in disarray. Your own supporters — those who stood with you in difficult times — are not invited to shape policy but expected to fall in line behind half-baked proposals developed without meaningful input. Chicago is at a financial crossroads — not of your making, but one that requires sound leadership. Yet, if the recent budget process and the recent bond vote are any indication, your administration is adding to the financial burden future generations must bear. I can no longer support that. Mr. Mayor, Chicago needs a vision that embraces the concerns of all its citizens. Yes, we must prioritize the most vulnerable, but intellectually honest critique — no matter where it comes from — must be acknowledged. Truth is not the exclusive possession of those we agree with. We need a financial strategy that, as our esteemed Vice Mayor Walter Burnett put it, makes Chicago truly self-sufficient. We cannot continue spending recklessly while hoping for bailouts from afar. Instead, we must do the work of our own hands, building relationships as we lay the foundation for a more equitable and sustainable future. Look, I understand that this job is not easy. I also recognize that some of your challenges stem from America's original sin of racism, and Chicago has long been a test case in that regard. A glance at the rhetoric directed at you on social media makes that clear. As a 53-year-old Black man, I have experienced my share of racial bias. But not every critique from citizens, the media or aldermen is racially motivated. Some are, but not all. The concerns raised about the recent bond issue were valid, and the pushback was not about race. It was about accountability. In fact, it reflects an increasingly engaged and informed citizenry that demands more from its leadership. The people are demanding more. The City Council is demanding more. And as the elected representative of the 5th Ward, I am demanding more. Mr. Mayor, the moment is yours. There's so much at stake. In fact, the future of this great city and those who call it home are counting on you to be the leader you promised to be during your campaign.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The United Center hasn't been served by a Pink Line station since it opened. Could redevelopment plans change that?
By the time the United Center opened in 1994, an 'L' station that was once about a block away from the stadium had been gone for decades. There were brief talks of restoring the station for the 1996 Democratic National Convention, but those plans never materialized. Later, in 2006, the CTA's Pink Line opened on a stretch of old track alongside United Center parking lots, with no new stop at Madison Street. But the time might soon arrive for a new Pink Line stop at Madison, as plans progress on a proposal by the owners of the Bulls and Blackhawks to redevelop the neighborhood around the United Center. A new station has the support of the developers and the local alderman, and CTA and city officials have begun early discussions about the feasibility of a new 'L' stop. Building a new station won't be without challenges. It would likely take years, and wasn't included among plans to privately finance the first phase of the development, which includes construction of a new music hall, hotel and green space in the area. Ald. Walter Burnett, whose 27th Ward includes the neighborhood, raised the possibility of exploring whether there is tax increment financing available for the station. Still, Burnett said there's now 'a strong possibility' a new station across from the United Center could come to pass. While he once pushed for other transit priorities before the new Pink Line station, he now thinks the station would be a 'win-win.' 'It'd be an investment, but (the developers) need to put it there to attract people to that development so they can get prospective tenants, and so we can get more people moving around the city and spending money in the city, beside just on game day,' he said. The developers of the plan, known as the 1901 Project, touted the benefits of a new CTA station, but said decisions about a new 'L' stop are up to the city. 'The 1901 Project believes Chicago's West Side would benefit from an additional Pink Line station offering greater connection and opportunity to the neighborhood and its residents and thus are supportive of the efforts,' spokesperson Colleen Quinn said in a statement. 'The decision and next steps, however, ultimately lie with the city and its departments.' A new Pink Line station wouldn't be the first at the intersection of Madison and Paulina streets. The Metropolitan Elevated railroad once ran west from downtown near what is now Ida B. Wells Drive, then split into several branches, one of which turned north along Paulina and became what is now part of the Pink Line, according to Graham Garfield, who runs the 'L' history website and is a CTA employee. Opened in 1895, the tracks continued north through West Town until they hit Milwaukee Avenue and turned into what is now the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line, crossing Metra tracks on a trestle bridge that can still be seen today, said Jeff Sriver, a former CTA employee who now works for the city's Transportation Department. In one case an old 'L' station building can still be seen along Chicago Avenue, now home to a Thai restaurant, he said. The line included a station at Madison, built around the same time and similar in style to the Damen station on the Blue Line, Garfield said in an email. But the Madison stop closed in 1951, when trains were rerouted into downtown via the subway that is still in use today and the tracks along Paulina closed to passenger service. For decades, the Paulina tracks deteriorated and were used only to move equipment between the Blue Line and the rest of the 'L' system. Until the Pink Line was created. Creating the Pink Line started as a rehabilitation of a branch of what was then the Blue Line that ran to Cicero, said Sriver, who was involved in planning for the new train line at the CTA. The contractor working on the rehab offered a good deal to add in work on the old stretch of tracks along Paulina, near the United Center, which needed to be rebuilt, Sriver said. That offered an opportunity to create a new line with more flexible service schedules that would run along the Paulina tracks and the former Blue Line branch to Cicero, he said. It would eventually become the Pink Line. Though the Tribune reported in 2004 that a station at Madison was among two new stops proposed as the line was under consideration, Sriver said creating a station at that time wouldn't have been efficient. Planners didn't want to prohibit a future stop from being built, but adding one then would have meant a longer and more complicated planning process, and would have required acquiring nearby properties, he said. 'There was expediency to just getting the line rebuilt and doing that in a very cost-effective way,' Sriver said. 'Since that was kind of cookie cutter from the rest of the line, that was the focus.' In the years since, building other new stations took priority. New stops were added near McCormick Place on the Green Line and at Morgan Street in the West Loop on the Pink and Green lines. More recently, the Damen Green Line station opened in August about a half-mile north of the United Center. The Damen stop was a particular priority for Burnett, longtime alderman for the ward. He didn't know why a Madison stop was not built when the Pink Line opened, he said, but in the years that followed he pushed for the Damen stop to be created first. The stop, at Lake Street and Damen Avenue, is closer to businesses in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor and residents of the Westhaven community. It could also provide access to Malcolm X College for residents coming from west suburbs like Oak Park, he said. 'I wanted that to be taken care of first, then we work on the Pink Line,' he said. 'That's my own personal feelings.' Now, with Damen built and a massive development proposed for the area around the United Center, the Pink Line station makes more sense to him. 'I think there'll be more residents right there, along with more businesses,' he said. A new station will likely take years. The Damen station, for example, was first announced in 2017 and expected to take three years to finish, but it was delayed and work stretched through the pandemic. So far, no Madison station has been announced, but the CTA and CDOT have begun discussions about planning for a station, a CDOT official said. 'There were a lot of competing priorities, and (the station's) time hadn't come yet,' Sriver said. 'Now it looks like its time is getting closer.'
Chicago Tribune
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
The United Center hasn't been served by a Pink Line station since it opened. Could redevelopment plans change that?
By the time the United Center opened in 1994, an 'L' station that was once about a block away from the stadium had been gone for decades. There were brief talks of restoring the station for the 1996 Democratic National Convention, but those plans never materialized. Later, in 2006, the CTA's Pink Line opened on a stretch of old track alongside United Center parking lots, with no new stop at Madison Street. But the time might soon arrive for a new Pink Line stop at Madison, as plans progress on a proposal by the owners of the Bulls and Blackhawks to redevelop the neighborhood around the United Center. A new station has the support of the developers and the local alderman, and CTA and city officials have begun early discussions about the feasibility of a new 'L' stop. Building a new station won't be without challenges. It would likely take years, and wasn't included among plans to privately finance the first phase of the development, which includes construction of a new music hall, hotel and green space in the area. Ald. Walter Burnett, whose 27th Ward includes the neighborhood, raised the possibility of exploring whether there is tax increment financing available for the station. Still, Burnett said there's now 'a strong possibility' a new station across from the United Center could come to pass. While he once pushed for other transit priorities before the new Pink Line station, he now thinks the station would be a 'win-win.' 'It'd be an investment, but (the developers) need to put it there to attract people to that development so they can get prospective tenants, and so we can get more people moving around the city and spending money in the city, beside just on game day,' he said. The developers of the plan, known as the 1901 Project, touted the benefits of a new CTA station, but said decisions about a new 'L' stop are up to the city. 'The 1901 Project believes Chicago's West Side would benefit from an additional Pink Line station offering greater connection and opportunity to the neighborhood and its residents and thus are supportive of the efforts,' spokesperson Colleen Quinn said in a statement. 'The decision and next steps, however, ultimately lie with the city and its departments.' A new Pink Line station wouldn't be the first at the intersection of Madison and Paulina streets. The Metropolitan Elevated railroad once ran west from downtown near what is now Ida B. Wells Drive, then split into several branches, one of which turned north along Paulina and became what is now part of the Pink Line, according to Graham Garfield, who runs the 'L' history website and is a CTA employee. Opened in 1895, the tracks continued north through West Town until they hit Milwaukee Avenue and turned into what is now the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line, crossing Metra tracks on a trestle bridge that can still be seen today, said Jeff Sriver, a former CTA employee who now works for the city's Transportation Department. In one case an old 'L' station building can still be seen along Chicago Avenue, now home to a Thai restaurant, he said. The line included a station at Madison, built around the same time and similar in style to the Damen station on the Blue Line, Garfield said in an email. But the Madison stop closed in 1951, when trains were rerouted into downtown via the subway that is still in use today and the tracks along Paulina closed to passenger service. For decades, the Paulina tracks deteriorated and were used only to move equipment between the Blue Line and the rest of the 'L' system. Until the Pink Line was created. Creating the Pink Line started as a rehabilitation of a branch of what was then the Blue Line that ran to Cicero, said Sriver, who was involved in planning for the new train line at the CTA. The contractor working on the rehab offered a good deal to add in work on the old stretch of tracks along Paulina, near the United Center, which needed to be rebuilt, Sriver said. That offered an opportunity to create a new line with more flexible service schedules that would run along the Paulina tracks and the former Blue Line branch to Cicero, he said. It would eventually become the Pink Line. Though the Tribune reported in 2004 that a station at Madison was among two new stops proposed as the line was under consideration, Sriver said creating a station at that time wouldn't have been efficient. Planners didn't want to prohibit a future stop from being built, but adding one then would have meant a longer and more complicated planning process, and would have required acquiring nearby properties, he said. 'There was expediency to just getting the line rebuilt and doing that in a very cost-effective way,' Sriver said. 'Since that was kind of cookie cutter from the rest of the line, that was the focus.' In the years since, building other new stations took priority. New stops were added near McCormick Place on the Green Line and at Morgan Street in the West Loop on the Pink and Green lines. More recently, the Damen Green Line station opened in August about a half-mile north of the United Center. The Damen stop was a particular priority for Burnett, longtime alderman for the ward. He didn't know why a Madison stop was not built when the Pink Line opened, he said, but in the years that followed he pushed for the Damen stop to be created first. The stop, at Lake Street and Damen Avenue, is closer to businesses in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor and residents of the Westhaven community. It could also provide access to Malcolm X College for residents coming from west suburbs like Oak Park, he said. 'I wanted that to be taken care of first, then we work on the Pink Line,' he said. 'That's my own personal feelings.' Now, with Damen built and a massive development proposed for the area around the United Center, the Pink Line station makes more sense to him. 'I think there'll be more residents right there, along with more businesses,' he said. A new station will likely take years. The Damen station, for example, was first announced in 2017 and expected to take three years to finish, but it was delayed and work stretched through the pandemic. So far, no Madison station has been announced, but the CTA and CDOT have begun discussions about planning for a station, a CDOT official said. 'There were a lot of competing priorities, and (the station's) time hadn't come yet,' Sriver said. 'Now it looks like its time is getting closer.'
