The Chicago City Council by tradition gives great deference to individual aldermen on development issues in their wards — even when they’re headed for the exit.
On May 4, the council followed the wishes of lame-duck Ald. Vi Daley and approved plans to turn Lincoln Park Hospital into a condo, office and retail complex. Daley, who chose not to run for re-election this year, retired from the council 12 days later.
The 43rd Ward already had elected her successor, Ald. Michele Smith, who campaigned on a promise to block the project.
Smith wants to unravel that May 4 decision by the council. She has introduced an ordinance to downzone the hospital property and kick-started an effort to thwart the controversial plans for a Fresh Market grocery store there by blocking a liquor permit for the store.
Meantime, former Ald. Martin Oberman has filed suit on behalf of a neighborhood group challenging the legality of the council vote to approve what’s called the Webster Square development. The lawsuit calls the legislative process a “sham,” saying the council improperly established the zoning to fit this specific plan.
Enough, already. The courts will sort out Oberman’s claim, but the City Council shouldn’t undermine it’s own decision on this project. It can’t blow like a weather vane on development and still expect business to have enough confidence to invest in city neighborhoods.
This project underwent rigorous public hearings, passing muster with the Daley administration, the Chicago Plan Commission and the City Council’s Zoning Committee. When we wrote about the project in December, we encouraged the developers to revise their plans to address neighbors’ concerns. Vi Daley also sought changes—one reason she didn’t move to approve the project until her last days in office. The Sandz Development Co. revised its plan to address the concerns of residents and the alderman, especially regarding truck traffic.
The council decision on May 4 to approve the project should be honored, particularly now that construction is under way.
We thought Sandz got it right in the end with its revisions to the project. The hospital building stands vacant, and the city needs to put that prominent site back into use again. The most controversial part of the project — the Fresh Market — strikes us as an asset to the community.
Negotiation has reshaped the plan for the better. Developers ought to listen to Smith, but the alderman will make a significant mistake if her first major initiative in office is to thwart this project and a decision already made by the City Council. She has plenty of other hot-button real estate issues in her ward, particularly the redevelopment of the soon-to-be vacated Children’s Memorial Hospital.
The new Webster Square will be a significant asset for the community.
