COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 2, ch. 2-124

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-124-010 Definitions.

2-124-010 Definitions. The following terms wherever used in this ordinance shall have the following meanings unless a different meaning appears from the context: (a) "Commission" means the community development commission. (b) "City" means the City of Chicago. (c) "Government" means the United States of America or instrumentality thereof. (d) "Redevelopment area" means a slum, blighted, deteriorated or deteriorating area in the aggregate of not less than two acres located within the territorial limits of the city where buildings, improvements or vacant lots are detrimental to the public safety, health, morals, welfare or economic stability because of age, dilapidation, obsolescence, overcrowding, lack of light, ventilation or adequate sanitary facilities, inadequate utilities, excessive land coverage, deleterious land use or layout, inadequate or ineffective use, or failure to generate a proper share of tax revenues, housing opportunities or employment commensurate with the capacity of the area, or any combination of such factors. (e) "Redevelopment plan" means the comprehensive program for the clearing or rehabilitation and the physical development of a redevelopment area. The plan may include, but is not limited to: (1) Land uses; (2) Improvement, alteration or vacation of streets and alleys, provisions for restricted services access and off-street parking; (3) Locations and easements for public and private utilities; (4) Community facilities; (5) Landscaping and site improvement; (6) Analysis and provision for the transportation requirements of the area; (7) Building restrictions; (8) Recommended construction including new buildings, rehabilitation and conversions, demolition of designated structures and elimination of nonconforming uses; (9) Density, number of units, land coverage and setback requirements; (10) Provisions for open spaces and plazas; (11) Recommended standards of maintenance, requirements of applicable health and safety ordinances; (12) Zoning and/or zoning required; (13) Administrative, funding, and financial details and proposals including financing arrangements and costs of public portions of the plan; (14) Recommended timetable of various stages of the program; (15) Relocation of property owners and tenants as may be required to implement the plan; (16) Environmental conditions and proposed remediation; (17) State and federal landmark restrictions; and (18) Any and all other steps needed to carry out the plan. (f) "Redevelopment project area" means a redevelopment area for which a redevelopment plan has been approved by the city council. (g) "Redevelopment project costs" means and includes the sum total of all reasonable or necessary costs incidental to a redevelopment project. Reasonable and necessary costs may include, without limitation, administration costs, studies and surveys, plans, specifications, architectural and engineering services; legal, marketing, planning or other special services; financing; acquisition; demolition; clearing and grading of land; construction; site preparation and equipment and site development of new and rehabilitated buildings, and public and private improvements; property management and maintenance; rehabilitation, construction, repair or remodeling of existing buildings; relocation costs; environmental investigations and remediation; and all necessary and incidental expenses related to the financing of a redevelopment project and issuance of bonds, including an initial bond and interest reserve and credit enhancement, interest on bonds issued to finance a project to completion, and bond issuance costs. (Added Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10936)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-124-020 Established - Composition - Transfer of powers and duties.

2-124-020 Established - Composition - Transfer of powers and duties. (a) There is hereby created the community development commission. The commission shall consist of fifteen members appointed by the mayor with the consent of the city council. The mayor shall initially appoint one member for a one year term, two members for a two year term, two members for a three year term, two members for a four year term and two members for a five year term. The new members appointed pursuant to this amendatory ordinance shall be appointed for terms as follows: one member for a one year term, one member for a two year term, one member for a three year term, one member for a four year term and two members for a five year term. Their successors shall serve for a term of five years. Members shall continue to serve on the commission until their successors are appointed and qualified. If a vacancy occurs in the office of any member, an appointment shall be made in like manner to fill the unexpired term. Five members shall constitute a quorum. The affirmative vote of five members constituting a majority of those voting on the matter shall be required for the commission to take any action. One member shall be designated by the mayor to serve as chairman. All members shall serve without compensation. The mayor in his sole discretion may remove any member from office. A person serving the city in another capacity as officer or employee shall be eligible to serve on the commission. The department of planning and development shall perform the administrative functions of the commission, including, but not limited to, the negotiation of redevelopment agreements. (b) The commission shall assume all rights, powers, duties and obligations of the former commercial district development commission and the former department of urban renewal. All personnel, books, records, property and funds of such former commission and department shall be transferred to the commission. Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, the commercial district development commission and the department of urban renewal may continue to exercise all powers and functions possessed by those bodies prior to the effective date of this ordinance until at least five members of the community development commission have been appointed and qualified. (c) Except as specified in this chapter, the provisions of this ordinance shall not affect any redevelopment project, redevelopment or conservation plan or any agreement relating to a blighted commercial area, a slum and blighted area, a blighted vacant area, a redevelopment area or a conservation area designated prior to the effective date of this ordinance. With respect to such designations, projects, plans or agreements the commission may exercise any power and perform any function of the commercial district development commission or the department of urban renewal authorized by this code or by statute immediately prior to the effective date of this ordinance. (Added Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10936; Amend Coun. J. 10-28-97, p. 54748; Amend Coun. J. 12-10-97, p. 58952; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. VIII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-17-10, p. 106597, Art. IX, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-26-13, p. 67481, Art. I, § 7)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-124-030 Commission - Powers and duties.

2-124-030 Commission - Powers and duties. (a) The Commission may recommend to the City Council that the City: (1) Acquire by purchase, gift, lease, condemnation, option or otherwise any rights in real property, including air rights in any redevelopment project area. If any such real property is subject to easements the corporate authorities in their discretion may acquire the fee simple title to such real property subject to such easements if they determine that such easements will not interfere with carrying out the redevelopment plan; (2) Clear any area acquired, by demolition or removal of existing buildings and structures, and prepare the area for reuse in accordance with the redevelopment plan; (3) Renovate, rehabilitate, or physically relocate any structure or building acquired, or if any structure or building or the land supporting it has not been acquired, permit the owner to renovate or rebuild the structure or building in accordance with the redevelopment plan; (4) Install, repair, construct, reconstruct, or relocate streets, utilities, and site improvements essential to the preparation of the redevelopment project area for use in accordance with a redevelopment plan, and with or without charge grant easements for such utilities; (5) Sell, mortgage, or lease, or otherwise transfer or convey to a private developer any interest in real property acquired pursuant to this chapter or included in a redevelopment project for use in accordance with the redevelopment plan at such time as the City may determine. The Commission shall recommend a selling price or lease rate for such property, which may be less than acquisition costs, that represents the highest reasonable value at which the property is likely to be purchased or leased for development or redevelopment in accordance with the redevelopment plan. However, no sale, mortgage or lease shall ever be made in such manner as to impair the rights or interests of the holder or holders of any bonds issued to finance the project costs of such project. Any development project area may be sold either as an entirety or in such parcels as the Commission may select. It will not be necessary that title be acquired to all real property within the redevelopment area before the sale of a part thereof may be made as provided in this section; (6) Engage in such relocation activities as are prescribed by the redevelopment plan; (7) Enter into such cooperative agreements, with or without consideration, as the Commission shall deem appropriate to carry out the purposes of the redevelopment plan; (8) Make loans and grants, or guarantee loans made by other institutions, public or private, to persons in the redevelopment project areas for the purposes of rehabilitating structures or constructing new structures in such areas; (9) Borrow money, apply for and accept advances, loans, grants, contributions, gifts, services, or other financial assistance from the United States of America, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, the state, county or other public body, or from any source, public or private, for or in aid of any other purposes of the redevelopment plan or redevelopment project; (10) Issue, to defray in whole or in part, redevelopment project costs of any one or more redevelopment projects, bonds or other obligations secured in whole or in part by income and revenues received with respect to the redevelopment projects, on such terms and conditions as the City Council may determine; (11) Raise revenue by the adoption of such taxes and establishment of such special tax districts as are permitted under the constitution and the laws of the State of Illinois; (12) Exercise the power of eminent domain for the acquisition of any interest in real or personal property for the purposes of this chapter; (13) Exercise any one or more of the foregoing powers in any redevelopment project, and to exercise such other powers as shall be necessary to carry out the purposes of the redevelopment plan project; (14) Exercise the powers specified in Section 11-74.4-4(b) – (j) and (l) – (m) of the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the State of Illinois, 65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-1, et seq., as amended, and in Section 11-74.6-15 (b) – (k) and (m) – (n) of the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law of the State of Illinois, 65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-1, et seq., as amended. Nothing in this chapter shall limit the power of the corporate authorities to exercise the foregoing powers notwithstanding any action or failure to act pursuant to this chapter, and nothing in this chapter shall limit the authority of the Commissioner of Planning and Development to exercise powers pursuant to Chapter 2-45 or to limit the authority of the Commissioner of Housing to exercise powers pursuant to Chapter 2-44 of this Code. (b) The Commission shall have and exercise the following powers with respect to the development and redevelopment of any area: (1) Designate, subject to approval by the city council, a redevelopment area and approve the redevelopment plan in the manner prescribed herein; (2) Cooperate with other departments and agencies of the City of Chicago in the implementation of the objectives set forth in this ordinance in the redevelopment of any area; (3) Approve such agreements and undertakings in connection with the disposition of any interest in land to a private developer which will bind the purchaser to redevelop the area in accordance with the redevelopment plan and the objectives contained therein. The commission may approve proposals negotiated with any person by the commissioner of planning and development or his or her designee, or by the commissioner of housing or his or her designee, for the purchase, lease or other transfer of any real property acquired pursuant to this chapter or included in a redevelopment project. (c) Pursuant to Section 11-74.4-4(k) of the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the State of Illinois, 65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-1, et seq., as amended, and pursuant to Section 11-74.6-22 of the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law of the State of Illinois, 65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-1, et seq., as amended, the Commission shall have the power to hold public hearings and make recommendations to the City Council of the City of Chicago concerning the adoption of redevelopment plans, redevelopment projects, and the designation of redevelopment project areas (including redevelopment planning areas), as those terms are defined in Section 11-74.4-3 of the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act and as those terms are defined in Section 11-74.6-10 of the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law. (Added Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10936; Amend Coun. J. 10-1-97, p. 52922; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. VIII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-17-10, p. 106597, Art. IX, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-26-13, p. 67481, Art. I, § 7; Amend Coun. J. 11-14-18, p. 90308, Art. I, § 28; Amend Coun. J. 10-9-24, p. 18538, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-124-040 Commission - Investigations - Public hearings.

2-124-040 Commission - Investigations - Public hearings. Whenever the commission determines that an area or areas within the City of Chicago may be eligible for designation as a redevelopment area within the meaning of this chapter, it shall conduct any necessary investigations, studies, or surveys to determine the eligibility of the area. The commission may conduct such public hearings as it may deem necessary. Such investigations may include but need not be limited to inquiries into the economic, living or housing conditions of the area studied, the opportunities for employment in such area, land uses and the vacancy rates in such areas. The commission may establish and define the duties of neighborhood advisory councils to assist in any investigation, study or survey conducted pursuant to this section, or to assist in the carrying out of a redevelopment plan. Any hearing may be conducted by the commission or by a committee appointed by it, consisting of one or more members of the commission, or by an employee or agent specially authorized by the commission to conduct it. The commission and any member, employee or agent thereof so designated shall have power to administer oaths, take affidavits, and subpoena and require the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books and papers pertaining to such investigation. The commission may after such investigation designate such area as a redevelopment area. Such designation together with an accurate description of the area included in such designation shall be made by resolution of the majority of the commission and be part of the records of the commission. The commission shall present its resolution designating the area as a redevelopment area to the city council for its approval or rejection of the designation. If the city council approves the designation of the area, the commission shall have the authority to exercise in such areas the powers provided pursuant to this chapter; provided, however, that nothing in this ordinance shall restrict the powers otherwise vested in the City of Chicago. The designation of a redevelopment area shall not become effective until it is approved by the city council. (Added Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10936)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-124-050 Commission - Preparation of redevelopment plans.

2-124-050 Commission - Preparation of redevelopment plans. The Commission shall cause to be prepared a redevelopment plan for each redevelopment area designated by the Commission. The Commission, upon its completion of the plan, shall submit to the City Council the plan, accompanied by a resolution of the Commission approving the plan by majority vote. The City Council shall by ordinance adopt or reject such plan. The City may not sell or convey any property in a redevelopment area acquired pursuant to this chapter until a redevelopment plan has been approved by the City Council pursuant to this section. (Added Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10936; Amend Coun. J. 10-9-24, p. 18538, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-124-060 Commission - Administration.

2-124-060 Commission - Administration. The commission may adopt bylaws, rules or regulations applicable to the administration of the commission. (Added Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10936)

Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2603467Fetched: 10/24/2026