CHICAGO | Politics and Current Events

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by UPChicago

This doesn’t seem to be happening, maybe your source got it wrong

Crains reported last month that the Johnson transition team informed many department heads that they would not be retained, but have now appeared to walk that back and are largely retaining them, even if it is temporary for the interim. I presume what I was told likely came out of that. I’m still waiting to see a formal announcement of whether Maurice is staying or not. What I was told was definitely no, but perhaps such an interim agreement for him to stay on is in place for the moment.

[Klippenstein]

I think assuming he's gonna push Maurice Cox out is a mistake. What is this speculation based on?

[aaron38]

Offered without comment.
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[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by Klippenstein

I think assuming he's gonna push Maurice Cox out is a mistake. What is this speculation based on?

It's not speculation, I cannot mention my source, but expect the formal announcement to be forthcoming.

Crain's is also reporting Rosa is taking over the Zoning Committee, so yeah, I have some concerns on the development front. I don't trust Rosa at all to be pragmatic with regard to development decisions and none of this should be a surprise.

At least Lincoln Yards, the 78 and much of the 27th ward's Fulton Market-River West is already entitled.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

Crain's is also reporting Rosa is taking over the Zoning Committee

Oh fuck-balls.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Oh fuck-balls.

At least Rosa is only one person, but yeah, I think this guarantees the 27th ward to be the big sponge soaking up development demand for the foreseeable future. So, the silver lining can still be a good thing and I'd be willing to bet that Burnett will continue to push through projects not yet entitled.

The 78 and Lincoln Yards though might have a harder uphill climb if they want to amend anything in the future. Both projects were office heavy when planned, and it's obvious there is no longer a market to execute that unless we land a pair of big corporate relocations wanting a urban campus environment. LY is now entirely in Waguespack's ward, who rallied against it from the beginning and has historically not been all that favorable to density.

As far as other scattered neighborhood projects, the jury is going to be out on that one for a bit. I imagine the affordable requirements with zoning changes is likely to increase further and that will simply make projects not pencil out unless there is some give on allowing a lot more density or finding public subsidy. Fingers crossed it triggers a wave of more neighborhood density, I suppose that's best we can hope for.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

The 78 and Lincoln Yards though might have a harder uphill climb if they want to amend anything in the future. Both projects were office heavy when planned, and it's obvious there is no longer a market to execute that unless we land a pair of big corporate relocations wanting a urban campus environment.

I don't see a problem. The 78 is already entitled for 10,000 dwelling units. LY is entitled for 6,000. So far, both developments have built a whopping 0 dwelling units combined.

If office isn't feasible, they have all the entitlements they need to build a forest of residential towers or midrises.

[UPChicago]

_

[CrazyCres]

Center court? Early appointments show Johnson may turn out to be a pragmatic progressive

So far, Johnson has made four key appointments: Rich Guidice as the all-important chief-of-staff; state Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas as Guidice’s deputy; John Roberson as chief operating officer; and Fred Waller as interim Chicago Police superintendent.

The mayor-elect has also asked most of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s department heads and agency chiefs to stay on, at least for a few months, saying he is not ready to clean house.

Link: https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-ha...-pacione-zayas

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by CrazyCres

Center court? Early appointments show Johnson may turn out to be a pragmatic progressive



Link: https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-ha...-pacione-zayas

Time will tell, I'm continuing to keep an open mind and remain hopeful that this will be how he governs in the end. I do like that his outreach is broadly across the spectrum, this is a really good start and hope collaboration rules the day over ideological purity.

[Randomguy34]

Sterling Bay thinks Brandon Johnson will be more pro-development than Lightfoot was.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot “put a brake on our entire project,” he said in an interview Monday, adding that that the delays set the project back by three years. “She fought the development, which is so puzzling to me because the economic impact in terms of construction jobs, permanent jobs and the ability to compete with some other cities. It’s in the $8 to $10 billion if you add it all up.”
....
“It’s absolutely fair to say that if Rahm Emanuel was still mayor, we might have eight cranes up in the air in Lincoln Yards right now,” he said.
....
Gloor is optimistic that the project will take off when Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson takes over next week. Sterling Bay still needs to receive more permits, including those for infrastructure.

“I can’t say enough just of my initial meetings with Brandon and his team,” he said. “I’m super encouraged that he understands the importance of these large developments for Chicago.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ds-after-delay

[ardecila]

That's very surprising considering how resolutely the CTU crowd hates Lincoln Yards.

But it does make me glad I voted for Brandon, if he's gonna be his own man and not necessarily stick to the CTU party line. The things he wants to do in the city will take money, and lots of it. He'd be wise not to kill the golden goose, and instead make it as as fat as possible.

Gloor blaming Lightfoot seems a little too convenient, though... scapegoat the lame duck mayor that everyone already hates, not the global pandemic, supply chain issues, a lack of investor confidence, etc. Is the problem that her administration never approved the infrastructure permits, or is it that Sterling Bay didn't want to spend big bucks on infrastructure with no hope of a quick profit? Remember, Lightfoot stuck her neck out in the early days of her administration and did not kill the project when many progressives were demanding it. And she's stubborn enough that I doubt she changed her mind.

[left of center]

Originally Posted by ardecila

... if he's gonna be his own man and not necessarily stick to the CTU party line.

This will really make or break his mayoral tenure. The CTU would not bat an eye if the entire city crumbled to dust so long as it got all of its impossibly unsustainable and ridiculous demands met.

Johnson said that he would be a mayor for all Chicagoans. Starting next week, I suppose he will have the opportunity to put his words into action.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by ardecila

That's very surprising considering how resolutely the CTU crowd hates Lincoln Yards.

But it does make me glad I voted for Brandon, if he's gonna be his own man and not necessarily stick to the CTU party line. The things he wants to do in the city will take money, and lots of it. He'd be wise not to kill the golden goose, and instead make it as as fat as possible.

Gloor blaming Lightfoot seems a little too convenient, though... scapegoat the lame duck mayor that everyone already hates, not the global pandemic, supply chain issues, a lack of investor confidence, etc. Is the problem that her administration never approved the infrastructure permits, or is it that Sterling Bay didn't want to spend big bucks on infrastructure with no hope of a quick profit? Remember, Lightfoot stuck her neck out in the early days of her administration and did not kill the project when many progressives were demanding it. And she's stubborn enough that I doubt she changed her mind.

do you all really think this is really Gloor relaying Johnson's actual thoughts and beliefs, or is it oh i dunno, an exercise in PR in an effort to shore up support for a development that has stalled and likely wont have a friendly administration.

i mean the proof will be in the pudding but nothing Johnson has campaigned on leads me to believe he will be an advocate for Lincoln Yards style development, or pro development in general

[sentinel]

^Lol

[ardecila]

It's obviously PR, but I don't think they would be saying Brandon is supportive if he's hostile.

Why put words in the mouth of a brand new mayor whose continued support you desperately need?

[Via Chicago]

i mean sure - but you framed it as:

That's very surprising considering how resolutely the CTU crowd hates Lincoln Yards.

when this is a PR ploy from a developer behind that project, as a opposed to a policy position being released by the elected figure in question. theres nothing to be surprised about here because nothing was actually said aside from marketing.

im guessing he went into a meeting where Johnson said a bunch of uncontroversial platitudes and hes spinning that into support for the press, in an effort at some sort of self fulfilling momentum. so yeah i think hes toeing a line but johnson is capable of speaking for himself - id prefer to hear these sorts of things directly from him. and again, Rosa being appointed to zoning speaks louder than any press release.

[ardecila]

Fair enough, we're all just reading tea leaves except the 2 people that were in the room.

[lakeshoredrive]

Anyone watching the inauguration?

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by lakeshoredrive

Anyone watching the inauguration?

No, but CME is prepared to leave Chicago:

“We have sold all of our property in the state of Illinois, in the city of Chicago,” Duffy said. “We don’t own anything any longer.”

“In our leases, we have a language in there that says if there’s something that’s ill-conceived from the city or the state, that our leases are null and void,” Duffy said. “We’re in a very strong position. If we had to leave, we could leave.”


CME Group CEO Duffy says exchange is prepared to leave Chicago 'if we had to'

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/fina...policy-changes