Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration got the go-ahead Tuesday to acquire land in the Pilsen Industrial corridor to build a new salt operations center for the Department of Streets and Sanitation amid warnings that “not a dollar be spent” until black contractors are involved at every level.
The new salt center serving the Central Business District and Lake Shore Drive would be located at 1635 S. Canal St. That’s where the city plans to acquire seven contiguous parcels and combine them with adjacent city-owned land at 1616 S. Stewart. Together with an alley inbetween, the land would pave the way to build a 47,700-square-foot facility.
It would replace a 59,463 square-foot facility at 1604 S. Clark St. that Robert McKenna, assistant commissioner of Planning and Development, called inefficient and incompatible with the fast-growing area.
“The existing Streets and Sanitation facility on Clark Street consists of a one-story metal shed and a long but narrow parking strip which is not efficient for truck storage or operations,” McKenna told the City Council’s Housing Committee Tuesday.
“The existing facility and the truck traffic it generates is also becoming incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood, which is increasingly residential and commercial. The current DSS facility sits directly across Clark Street from Mariano’s. And the 78, a mostly residential development, is located directly north of the current DSS facility.”
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While the salt operations facility has become “less and less compatible with its neighborhood,” McKenna said the property could be “offered for redevelopment through a request-for-proposals” after a “neighborhood planning process to determine the best use” for the site.
“The future land sale proceeds and subsequent real estate tax revenue that would be generated by the development could offset the cost of building a new Streets and Sanitation facility in the Pilsen industrial corridor,” he said.
Before the final vote, Ald. David Moore (17th) demanded to know the “diversity plan” for involving black contractors and professional service people at all levels of the project.
“We haven’t started that process at all. All of that would start after we get the acquisition authority for the site,” McKenna said.
Moore stood his ground.
“I don’t want a dollar spent until they come to the Contract and Oversight and Equity Committee and they announce who’s getting what. … Not a dollar spent until that happens,” Moore said.
“It’s not just contracting. It’s professional services. Any dollar spent toward this project. I don’t want a dime spent until this comes to Contract, Oversight and Equity and laying it out who’s getting every dime and penny.”
• Also Tuesday, the Housing Committee approved a $1 million grant from the city’s Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund to the Inner-City Muslim Action Network.
The money — year one of a three-year program — would be used to provide affordable housing, construction training and apprenticeship programs for 40 ex-offenders on weekdays and 20 men and women on the weekends.
“Over the past year, IMAN’s multi-generational program, which serves as the perfect platform for a mentor-mentee connection, has given life skills, skills training and housing to its participants and has established a proven track record for best practices by actually assisting those residents in the purchase of their own homes,” said Will Edwards, assistant city housing commissioner for housing preservation programs.
Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) said he got to know IMAN’s Rami Nashashibi during his “previous engagement” as executive director of a non-profit.
“They are the best of us. They do amazing work. I’m so proud to be in a position to be able to support their efforts. They are game-changers. They are individuals focused on peace, focused on prosperity, focused on all of our communities. They do the work that many wish they could do,” Rodriguez said.
• Housing Committee Chairman Harry Osterman (48th) recessed Tuesday’s meeting until 1 p.m. Monday. At that time, Osterman said he expects to take up what he called an “eviction protection ordinance” directly introduced to committee by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Osterman promised to share a copy of the ordinance with members of his committee before that meeting.
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City to build new salt operations center - Chicago Sun-Times
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