Chicago City Wire

City land dispositions will now follow an expedited sales process, a change approved by the City Council today. The procedural improvements were identified by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Cut the Tape initiative. These changes aim to streamline neighborhood revitalization efforts involving nearly 10,000 parcels of vacant land owned by the City.

The new procedures eliminate the requirement for proposed sales and acquisitions to be submitted to the Chicago Plan Commission for omnibus approval. They also limit the Community Development Commission's (CDC) review of land sales for parcels originally acquired through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funding or being sold for projects developed with TIF funding.

Previously, the Plan Commission voted on all City land sales and acquisitions via omnibus resolutions, typically addressing five to ten items per meeting. Similarly, the CDC reviewed all transactions in TIF districts, handling about two per meeting. It is noted that neither commission is mandated by state law or municipal code to make recommendations on City land transactions.

With these changes, most sales will be reserved for review and approval by the City Council. This adjustment aims to reduce typical timelines by weeks and allows commission staff to focus on other responsibilities.