Agenda here:

Chairman Sighco-Lopez (25) calls the meeting to order. He begins the meeting with a roll call to establish a quorum.

We have a quorum with 13 members present. The first item on the agenda is the approval of the June 2024 Rule 45 Report. That agenda item is passed. Now on to the public commentary period. The first speaker is George Blakemore.

The next public speaker is Zoe. They voiced a complaint about her mother’s property being torn down without her say so.

The next public speaker is also accusing the city of stealing property from Black property owners.

The public commentary period has been full of election predictions, xenophobia, and homophobia.

The public commentary period is over. Chairman Sigcho-Lopez moves on to the agenda. O2024-0010117 Acceptance of reconveyance deeds from Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation for properties in the 26th Ward.

The total value of the 5 empty lots being returned to the city is estimated at 971,000 dollars.

The addresses of the vacant lots being returned to the city: are 1256 N Artesian Ave, 1353 N Maplewood Ave, 3301 W Crystal St, 1020 N Kedzie Ave, and the release of 3047 W Wabansia Ave.

The agenda item is passed on to the City Council meeting next week. Now on to the next agenda item aldermanic introductions.

Designation of Alloy Real Property at 2031-2033 N Kingsbury St and
Annexation Real Property at 2032 Clybourn Ave as a low-affordability community. The property would be turned into affordable apartments in the 2nd Ward.

The agenda item passes on to the next meeting. (O2024-0010159) Designation of 2418-2430 N Milwaukee Ave, 2930-2950 W Fullerton Ave a Low-Affordability Community. The project will have 62 units and will include 12 affordable units for the community in the 1st Ward.

Ald. Taylor (20) asks the Chair for more details regarding affordability. The agenda item moves on to the next meeting.

The next item on the agenda is another aldermanic introduction in the 1st Ward. O2024-0010155 Designation of 1628 W Division St as a Low-Affordability Community.

(O2024-0010155) Designation of 1628 W Division St as a Low-Affordability Community moves on to the next meeting.

The next agenda item is the sale of city-owned property within the ChiBlockBuilder platform at 1953 E. 72nd to Walter Green and 6903 S Dorchester Ave to Theaster Gates.

Ald Taylor and Ald Dowell want DPD to update the ChiBlockBuilder program to make sure that people who are buying side lots are maintaining and improving that property.

These side lot properties are sold to Chicagoans at 10% of the market price in hopes of curbing vacant lots in the city.

Ald. Taylor wants the DPD to do something about the market speculation driving the purchase of side lots in the Woodlawn community.

O2024-0010198 passes on to the next meeting.

O2024-0010195 sale of city-owned property within the ChiBlockBuilder platform at 7630 S Blackstone Ave to Evelyn Hurde and at 1316 E 73rd St to Andrea Carter also passes on to the next meeting.

Agenda items 7-10 are passed as well. These properties were also sold under the ChiBlockBuilder program.

Agenda items 11 & 12 are the sales of properties owned by the city to someone who resides in the adjacent property. The agenda items will be reported at the next meeting on July 17th.

With no further business before the committee, Chairman Sigcho-Lopez calls for a motion to adjourn. The motion is seconded. The meeting is adjourned.

Chicago City Council’s Committee on Housing and Real Estate meeting ends at 2:28 p.m. This ends my coverage for @chidocumenters, find more information through Sheila Lewis’ notes at