Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she has “a number of concerns” about a potential upcoming vote on a proposal to curb development near the 606.

While the city’s housing, planning, building and zoning departments are working to address “legitimate concerns” from residents in gentrifying areas citywide, “we need to use a surgical knife and not a club,” she said, adding that the city would not want to draw lawsuits from homeowners.



The proposal from Ald. Roberto Maldonado, 26th, and Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, was introduced in December. It would impact buildings around the 606 between Hirsch Street, Western Avenue, Palmer Street and Kostner Avenue, barring the city from building, demolishing or rezoning any residential property in the area from Feb. 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021.

The ordinance also seeks a study on “the forces which lead to housing instability” and “issue recommendations on methods of stabilizing housing and promoting the preservation of community” in the area.

Lightfoot suggested the proposal was still too broad, and didn't hint at a middle ground emerging. “Fourteen months seems like an inordinately long period of time to me,” the mayor told reporters Friday, expounding on her opposition from earlier this week. As for halting demolitions, she said, “I don’t even know how we do that as a practical matter. . . .Doing it in such a wide swath—I have concerns about it.”

Maldonado said earlier this week that the only concerns the Lightfoot administration raised before the break were an exemption for affordable housing developments and minor permits. He was caught off guard when the Housing Committee met and recessed without considering his proposal. Before the holiday break, he said he believed he and the administration had been on the same page, and any delay in a vote would be a betrayal of trust.

Housing Chair Harry Osterman said Tuesday he expected Maldonado to work on “technical amendments . . . with various departments, and if that gets worked out, then we’ll be back next week,” he said. “I understand the importance of the ordinance to his committee.”

While the Housing Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Maldonado and Rosa have said they expect a vote, the 606 item is not on the agenda.