CHICAGO--Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, with the support of Alderman Brian Hopkins (2nd) and developer Sterling Bay, today announced the formation of a Community Advisory Council (CAC) that will serve as a conduit for community input as the $6 billion Lincoln Yards mixed-use project moves forward along the North Branch of the Chicago River over the next three years.

Working with the developer and the local aldermen, the City is soliciting applications from community members to serve on the CAC. An application for CAC volunteers is available at www.chicago.gov/lincolnyards.

"The Lincoln Yards Community Advisory Council will ensure transparency by giving a voice to residents, stakeholders and others impacted by the project,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “As I’ve made clear from the beginning, this project and others like it must utilize inclusive development, create new jobs for our residents, and include public input at every step of the way. With the help of this Community Advisory Council, the City will ensure this project creates affordable housing, makes 21st-century transit-oriented improvements and connects our City’s residents to shared resources.”

The 14-member CAC will consist of neighborhood representatives, community leaders, design professionals, and subject-matter experts appointed by Mayor Lightfoot and Ald. Hopkins in consultation with neighboring aldermen and local stakeholders. The group will meet at least quarterly starting in early 2020, making recommendations ranging from public infrastructure design to traffic control and open space, among other issues.

The CAC’s recommendations will be made to Sterling Bay and City of Chicago departments on an advisory basis and implemented where possible throughout the duration of Lincoln Yards’ anticipated 10-year construction timeline. A special charter for the CAC will provide a framework for the group’s membership and meeting protocols.

“As a company born and raised right here in Chicago, and as local residents dedicated to improving the future of this City, the team at Sterling Bay is committed to making Lincoln Yards a community that’s reflective of all those who call Chicago home,” Sterling Bay CEO Andy Gloor said. “We take this enormous responsibility to heart, and we’re excited to get this collaboration moving forward as we begin our work”

Encompassing 53 acres of vacant, former industrial land, Lincoln Yards is planned to include approximately 14 million square feet of new commercial and residential construction. The project is anticipated to generate 24,000 permanent and temporary jobs, 1,200 units of affordable housing, 21 acres of park space, and multiple infrastructure and transportation improvements.

As with any large redevelopment, the  City will simultaneously monitor Lincoln Yards for compliance with a comprehensive redevelopment agreement approved by City Council earlier this year that includes terms for minority- and women-owned business participation, affordable housing, and public infrastructure improvements, among other provisions.

“Lincoln Yards will deliver tens of thousands of new jobs, vital new infrastructure and public amenities,” Ald. Hopkins said. “The formation of the CAC will provide important community input that the City and Sterling Bay will use and implement as plans for Lincoln Yards unfold. I’d like to thank Mayor Lightfoot and Sterling Bay for their collaborative efforts in creating the CAC, which will give residents the ability to offer valuable insights on a project that will benefit the entire city.”

Since taking office, Mayor Lightfoot’s administration has taken steps to ensure all major development projects like Lincoln Yards and the 78 will be met with robust and inclusive community engagement processes.  Earlier this year, the Lightfoot administration put forward new public engagement guidelines for large development projects. These guidelines, which are currently under consideration by the Chicago Plan Commission, would require new protocols for “Master Planned Development” projects that move forward on large development sites like the former Michael Reese hospital in Bronzeville, General Iron in Lincoln Park, and USX in South Chicago. The guidelines could be adopted by Plan Commission this winter.

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