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Outgoing Planning Chief Regrets Two Projects That Didn’t Happen
David Reifman, Commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, will leave his post when Emanuel leaves his. Reifman’s resignation will be effective on inauguration day, May 20.
In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Reifman said he had only two regrets, both involving large-scale developments on the South Side. Reifman regretted not making more progress on development at U.S. Steel’s 440-acre former South Works facility, and at the Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville.
The city bought the Reese site for an Olympic Village that was never built when Chicago failed to land the 2016 games.
Several attempts to redevelop the massive South Works site have come and gone over the years. A year ago, Irish developer Emerald Living scrapped plans to build 20,000 modular homes there (pictured) because of environmental concerns.
U.S. Steel will “have to be realistic” about the site’s environmental issues, Reifman said.
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