Creating a Community Process To Address Blight

January 1998 — April 1999 

January 1998

Wilson Yard Redevelopment Task Force was convened to generate strategies for development of landlocked land under the Red line El between Wilson and Montrose—termed “Wilson Yard.” Members included the City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development, Ald. Shiller, the CTA, Truman College and UPCORP. The Task Force commissioned a study through the City of Chicago's Department of Planning to prepare conceptual plans for the Wilson Yard. Specifically, the consultant team was asked to do the following:

• Gather community opinion on redevelopment of Wilson Yard through community surveys and discussion groups.
• Identify potential redevelopment uses.
• Develop conceptual site plans.
• Involve the community as far as possible in each phase of the project.
• Synthesize community input and create a final redevelopment concept.

June 1998

Saturday morning workshop sponsored by LaSalle Bank. 250 community residents attended, including representatives from 12 area block clubs, the sitting Alderman and Ward Committeeman, and representatives from 7 area community organizations. From these workshops developed the concept of creating a TIF to develop Wilson Yard.

June – August 1998

Surveys in numerous languages, Focus Groups & Individual Interviews conducted by consultants (more than 2,000 residents participated in one way or another).

September 1998

Preliminary compilation of information from design charrette, surveys, focus groups and interviews prepared by private consultants.

October 1998

Community workshops review preliminary data from surveys and focus groups.

February 1999

Referendum on Affordable Housing during regular municipal elections. This referendum, on the ballot in 11 precincts in the Ward, asked if voters agreed that the City, State and Federal government should use every available means and resource to protect existing affordable housing, as well as use every opportunity and resource to create new low-cost housing in our community. 76.5% of the people voting in the eleven precincts voted yes.

November 1998 – April 1999

Consultants Finalized Preliminary Report on Community Ideas, presented final report.

Creating A TIF To Implement Results of Community Process

May 1999-February 2001 

May 1999 – June 2000

City (Dept. of Environment, Dept. of Planning & Development, CTA) review of final preliminary document, preparations for community process. Selection of TIF consultants.

 May 1999 – present

Ongoing quarterly Task-Force meetings with City departments, CTA, Truman College

and umbrella community organizations (ONE, COURAJ, UPCORP, Uptown Chamber of Commerce, Uptown Chicago Commission (UCC), Broadway Merchants, Jane Addams Senior Caucus, and others), as well as community residents.

 June 24, 2000

Wilson Yard Charrette involving more than 200 people, including representatives from 8 different community organizations, and members of 12 area block clubs. Topics and questions were developed through input by all participants in monthly planning meetings. Out of this Charrette came the idea of expanding the Wilson Yard project to include the various private lots located on Broadway from Montrose to Wilson as an avenue to develop the land-locked Wilson Yard.

July 17, 2000

Planning meeting with all relevant city departments, and representatives from several area community groups.

August 14, 2000

Planning meeting with all relevant city departments, and representatives from several area community groups.

August 26, 2000

Informational Community Meeting on first draft of TIF proposal. First draft resulted in creation of a TIF beyond just the Wilson Yard to include land on Broadway that would be included in overall development, as well as to include various vacant parcels of land in the immediate area and schools in the immediate area.

September 8, 2000

End of comment period on first draft of TIF proposal.

September 11, 2000

Planning meeting (City departments, community groups).

September 25, 2000

Community meeting on Final TIF draft. Over 500 residents attended this meeting at Truman College; (First Public Meeting required by law on TIF.)

October 4, 2000

Deadline for comments on Final TIF draft.

October 10, 2000

Introduction of TIF Redevelopment Plan to Community Development Commission.

October 27, 2000

Meeting of the Joint Review Board

December 12, 2000

Community Development Commission Public Hearing

January, 2001

Introduction of TIF Redevelopment Plan to City Council

February, 2001

City Council Finance Committee Consideration of TIF Redevelopment Plan

February, 2001

City Council Consideration of TIF Redevelopment Plan

Creating A Development Plan and Team For Wilson Yard

March 2001 – June 2003 

March 2001 – March 2002

Regular meetings with community organizations to discuss scope of Wilson Yard project within confines of the TIF district.  Out of these meetings were came the preliminary concept of creating a single project that would develop the Wilson Yard strip in conjunction with the redeveloping the private land along Broadway, including the Azusa building, the Aldi’s, and the vacant lot in between the Aldi’s and the McJunkin building.

April 15, 2002

City issues the Request for Qualification for the Purchase and Redevelopment of the Wilson Yard Site.

May 9, 2002

Pre-Submittal Conference for Potential Developers

June 14, 2002

RFQ Responses due to City

July, 2002

City Department of Planning and Development conducts interviews with three developers that responded to RFQ.

August, 2002

City Department of Planning and Development announces chosen development team. Final approval required by Community Development Commission and City Council.

August, 2002

City Department of Planning and Development and selected Master Developer enter into a Memorandum of Intent.

October 2002

Peter Holsten and project team introduced at community meeting with all relevant city departments and representatives from area community groups.

November 2002

Memorandum of Intent is finalized. The City and the Master Developer negotiate the Term Sheet.

December 2002 – June 2003

Master Developer holds various community meetings with area community groups.

June 2003

Community Status Report meeting held.

Acquiring the Funding, Land, and Components for Development

August 2003 – September 2005 

August – September 2003

Public hearings before Community Development Commission and City Council Housing Committee on acquisition of Broadway/Montrose building and approval by City Council.

February 2004

Community Status Report meeting held at Truman College.  More than 200 people attend.

September 2004

Community Hearing & Community Development Commission public hearing and approval of designation of Wilson Yard Development I, LLC as project master developer

December 2004

Chicago Plan Commission public hearing, review and approval of proposed Planned Development for Wilson Yard

January 2005

City Council Zoning Committee hearing and approval of Planned Development for Wilson Yard. Approval by City Council.

May 2005

Finance Committee hearing and City Council Approval of redevelopment agreement.

August – September 2005

Public Hearings before Chicago Plan Commission, City Council Zoning Committee and City Council Finance Committee regarding amendments to Wilson Yard Planned Development and Wilson Yard Redevelopment Agreement. Passage of both by City Council.

Development Finalized, Construction Occurs

September 2005 – Winter 2007/2008 

September 2005

Fourth Community Status Report Meeting held, an estimated 600 people attend.

February 2006

Movie Theaters removed from Wilson Yard and replaced with additional retail. Infrastructure work on sewers and water connections for Wilson Yard begins.

October 2006

Construction begins on Aldi (Phase I)

January – February 2007

Completion of Aldi, and vaction of old building by Aldi

February – March 2007

Demolition of Aldi and begin construction of Target, retail, parking and residential components of Wilson Yard Redevelopment Plan.