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A city commission recommended Chicago's Loop area receive $15.5 billion for building developments and transportation improvements by 2020, Chi-Town Daily News reports. Area residents protest, saying such a plan would negatively affect residents' "quality of life" by increasing the population and straining resources in the area, including parking. One resident who spoke against the plan at the Saturday afternoon meeting said that besides changing the character of the South Loop, the money designated for the plan would be better spent on lower-income areas in the city.
Although following the Central Action Plan's spending suggestions is not mandatory, Chi-Town Daily says "its approval by the Chicago Plan Commission signals significant support for spreading the Loop's design beyond its current borders." Members of the commission have significant political power, the report said. The proposed $15.5 billion would be spent over the course of three phases, the first of which would end in 2012 with over a proposed $6.3 billion spent. Where would all the money eventually go? According to the report:
- "$6 billion in transportation projects, including $1.5 billion in upgrades to Chicago Transit Authority signals and capacity and $360 million in renovations at four CTA stations."
- "$281 million in urban-design projects, including $75 million in open-space improvements at Northerly Island Park.
- "$750 million for the Central Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program"
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That really is disgusting. The roads in Gresham, Englewood and South Shore are practically dirt tracks, the Morse L stop has smelled like piss for 25 years, but we can blow $75m on the mayor's butterfly parks.
Chicago's central business district is the 2nd largest in the country behind NY's midtown, and employs 600,000 people (many of whom do commute from the poorer south and west neighborhoods). Considering that the downtown infrastructure is already stretching its capacity, I would think that $15B is a small investment towards the city's prosperity. I mean, what example would we like to follow, New York's continual rise or Detroit's decline?
There's no maps, details or really anything here to point at and say "this is what will happen"
how is it possible to earmark funds for non-itemized expenses?
Also how can people in the south loop legitimately complain about high-rises and the like when that's exactly what the south loop is (and really the only reason anyone has moved down there)?
Actually, here, two seconds of google searching brought up PDF plans of the project.
Come on Chicagoist.
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?contentOID=537035558&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=Dept&entityName=Zoning+and+Land+Use+Planning&deptMainCategoryOID=-536903357&blockName=Zoning+and+Land+Use+Planning/Cont