Committee on Housing and Real Estate

The stream is live, you can watch it here https://livestream.com/accounts/28669066/events/8800236

Here is a copy of today’s agenda. https://t.co/ACRTQSdMH0

The meeting is called to order at 10:03 am. Ald. Harry Osterman, @48Ward, is taking roll call.

We’re getting started with the one public speaker scheduled for today.

Paul Colgan kept it short and sweet. Moving on to item one.

Item 1: Loan restructuring and subordination and associated property transfer to RAHF V/5T Englewood LLC for acquisition and rehabilitation of Englewood Gardens residential development.

Joseph Lewis from the @ChicagoDOH is presenting on the proposed sale of the property.

Some info on the current and proposed owners https://t.co/ypahf5Nqs1

The item is moved and will move on to the next meeting.

Item 2: Sale of City-owned property at 508-510 S Cicero Ave to Workers for Christ Ministries Apostolic Church to be used for parking

Approved, moves on to the next meeting

Item 3: Amendment of Municipal Code Sections 2-44-050 and 2-45-040 regarding powers and duties of Commissioners of Housing and Planning and Development

A substitution to this amendment was emailed to the board. It changes a 3-year, instead of a 5-year time period to work on this project.

Motion to accept the substitute is moved.

Maggie Cassidy and Michael Gaynor of @ChicagoDOH are presenting on the The Code Amendment.

Cassidy says that most of he land that goes into scavenger sales ends up there.

They’re calling for collaboration between the land bank and the city, essentially saying that they can get more done together than by operating separately. https://t.co/joLqeU1lOW

Some alderman were confused by this map, thinking that it shows exclusively the land that the city would be looking into obtaining, but it’s not. https://t.co/K3865Oq7YD

@AldPatDowell3rd asks if alderman currently have to sign off on the what the land bank acquires, but the answer is no.

She says that this is something they should look into because sometimes alderman have more information on potential buyers who may be unfit or contribute to gentrification.

Ald. Raymond Lopez asks what would happen if an alderman objects to a land acquisition?

The reps from @ChicagoDOH say they would be willing to meet and discuss any potential alderman disapproval but he asks again, “what if I object?”

He says that departments have come into his ward and “swooped in at the last minute” and taken over, leading to bad land/building owners, calling some of the buildings “disgusting”.

Ald. King says that there used to be communication between the land bank and alderman, and asks why that isn’t the case anymore.

The say there has been so change to the process.

The motion is passed to the next meeting.

There are no more items on the agenda, the meeting is adjourned at 10:57 am.