S
terling Bay is pushing for a fast-track approval of its massive Lincoln Park housing project, potentially upending the long-standing tradition of aldermanic privilege in Chicago. The development firm is seeking City Council's sign-off on a proposed two-tower apartments plan that failed to pass the zoning committee despite meeting local affordable housing goals. The 615-unit project at 1840 North Marcey Street would reserve a quarter for households making below area median income, aligning with city criteria for transit-oriented housing and affordability in high-cost neighborhoods.

    However, Ald. Scott Waguespack of the 32nd Ward has opposed the plan, arguing it demands excessive property tax reductions without sufficient benefits to the neighborhood. Sterling Bay's move raises questions about whether developments advancing citywide affordable housing priorities should bypass local opposition. The developer is invoking a provision under Chicago's 2022 zoning reforms that allows projects meeting affordability and transit-access benchmarks to bypass committee processes if no City Council vote occurs within 300 days.

    This alternate path is part of a trend where developers across the nation are experimenting with tools to sidestep local governments opposed to certain housing developments. Sterling Bay's managing director, Fred Krol, emphasized the project's alignment with citywide goals, criticizing local opposition as contradictory to the city's stated priorities. The city's Department of Planning and Development endorsed the project in June, citing its potential to provide much-needed affordable housing in one of Chicago's most expensive neighborhoods.

    Sterling Bay will hold a public meeting at the project site on Wednesday evening to discuss the proposal. If successful, this unprecedented maneuver could pave a new path for advancing future housing development in Chicago.