May 1 - 7, 2024

PLEASE COME AND JOIN A CELEBRATION OF LIFE!

Held to commemorate the lives of our neighbors who were buried by the Office of the Cook County Medical Examiner

Wednesday May 22, 2024 12:00 Noon - 1:00 PM

77 West Washington — Chicago

Featuring: Luciano Antonio, Guitarist Heitor Garcia, Percussionist

LIVESTREAMED ON WWW.CHICAGOTEMPLE.ORG

Keynote Speaker DR. BRAD BRAXTON

President and Professor of Public Theology for CTS Chicago

Official Greetings from Ms. Toni Preckwinkle President of The Cook County Board of Commissioners

“To live and die alone is a human tragedy, but not to be remembered and mourned after earthly life is an ugly blemish on human dignity.”

W. Earl Lewis (1949-1999)

Founder, The Interfaith Memorial Service for Indigent Persons

& Entertainment Event highlights of the week!

Sportswise

The SportsWise team discusses the state of horse racing ahead of the Kentucky Derby.

Cover Story: Psychedelic churches

More and more surveys point to decreasing membership in religious institutions and a corresponding rise of “nones”the religiously unaffiliated. Many people might assume that this indicates the absence of belief or a lack of spirituality. While abandoning mainstream religious affiliation, many turn to alternative expressions, including secular, atheist and psychedelic churches. These churches demonstrate not a rejection of religion, as surveys suggest, but continued interest in spiritual community, rituals and virtues.

From the Streets

Mayor Brandon Johnson wins City Council approval of restructuring expiring Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts into $1.25 billion in bonds for housing and economic development, in the first of three stories on affordable housing. Johnson also announces TIF support for four projects on or around the LaSalle Street financial district that will create 1,000 homes (more than 300 affordable), and the Lawson House reopens at Chicago avenue and State street, now with kitchenettes and bathrooms in each of its rehabbed 409 units.

The Playground

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Lil' Orphan Arnie!

‘POOR PEOPLE! The Musical Parody’ Hell in a Handbag Productions presents “POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical,” an insane homage to many of the char acters, songs and tropes of those very expensive Broadway and West End musicals about the less fortunate (“Annie,” “Oliver!,” “Les Miz,” “Sweeney Todd”... you get the gist). It’s 1979 in dangerous, smoky, glorious New York City. Our story’s red-headed protagonist Li’l Orphan Arnie is fleeing from the guardianship of a sex-starved, meth-cooking madwoman. Out on the streets, they befriend a slinky dancing cat, who leads them to a magical manhole, transporting them back in time to Paris, France in 1815. Trading in one poverty-plagued lifestyle for another, Arnie gives up the desire to find their parents and joins forces with a gang of pick-pocketing prostitutes, led by the mysterious Fagin. Life becomes even more dire when Mama Moneybags, a corrupt Republican from the future, takes it upon herself to put Fagin’s troupe out of work. Thankfully, there’s a bounty of colorful, destitute characters to help save the day. Will the sun come out tomorrow? May 2 – June 16 at The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. Previews (May 2-9) $25, regular run (May 10 - June 16) $42 at handbagproductions.org

Cupid is a Knavish Lad!

‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’

The Joffrey Ballet closes its 2023-24 season with the return of “Midsummer Night's Dream” by internationally renowned Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman. Premiered by The Joffrey Ballet to North American audiences in 2018 to critical acclaim, Ekman's “Midsummer Night's Dream” is a mind-bending trip to a surreal realm of unearthly delights. More than a Shakespearean play, this fully immersive theatrical experience pays homage to the summer solstice and the Scandinavian Midsummer holiday—a time of uproarious celebration, mystery, adventure, and love. May 2 & 3 at 7:30 p.m., May 4 at 2 & 7:30 p.m., and May 5 at 2 p.m. at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Upper Wacker Drive. Tickets start at $35 at joffrey.org

Feel the Beat!

Jesse Montgomery + Third Coast Percussion

Acclaimed composer, violinist, and educator Jessie Montgomery is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-in-Residence and a 2024 Grammy Award-winner for Best Contemporary Classical Composition (“Rounds” for solo piano and string orchestra). Third Coast Percussion is collaborating with her in a dynamic program that equally showcases her excellence as both a visionary creator and a virtuosic performer. “Study No. 1,” her first-ever work for percussion ensemble, draws a vast universe of sounds out of a compact set of instruments.

In addition to composing, Montgomery joins the ensemble and percussionist She-e Wu on stage to perform Lou Harrison’s “Concerto for Violin with Percussion Orchestra”–a tour de force that draws inspiration from the vibrant sounds of Javanese gamelan. The program also features captivating works by Armenian jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan, contemporary icon Philip Glass, and flute + electronics duo Flutronix. May 3, 7:30 p.m. at Holtschneider Performance Center of DePaul University, 2330 N. Halsted St. Tickets start ar $25 at thirdcoastpercussion.com

Honoring a Legend!

26th Annual Worldwide Toast to Harry Caray

Get ready for an udderly legendary celebration at Harry Caray’s Tavern on Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave. On May 2, fans are invited to gather for the 26th Annual Worldwide Toast to Harry Caray honoring the anniversary of Harry Caray’s passing with a Holy Cow! extravaganza. Actor Jason Alexander steps in as Toastmaster for the 5:30 p.m. toast, joined by stars like Chris Kattan, James Denton, Ryan Dempster, and Ron Kittle. It’s a cow-themed affair, so don your best cow attire and ring those cowbells! Two 800-lb. Black Angus cows will make an appearance, corralled by Bill Hook, all in homage to Harry’s famous catchphrase. The festivities will be broadcast live on the Score’s Parkins & Spiegel Show on AM 670 from 4-7 p.m., so whether you’re in Chicago or somewhere else, raise a glass to the man, the myth, and the unforgettable catchphrase that continues to unite us all.

Spring Season!

ART on THE MART

ART on THE MART’s spring season (now - June 5) will kick off with a commission by internationally acclaimed artist Nora Turato. This new projection will explore contemporary society’s fixation with self-optimization while also continuing the artist’s exploration of language. On view alongside Turato’s work for the 2024 spring season will be the annual Chicago Public Schools projection (May 1 – May 12) made in conjunction with the All-City Visual Arts program and featuring artwork by CPS seniors. FREE on the Riverwalk across from THE MART, 222 W. Merchandise Place.

Art & Giving Back!

Arts of Life ‘Enchanted Garden’ Benefit Auction

On Friday May 3, from 6:30 - 11 p.m., Arts of Life, a local nonprofit that provides creative arts communities for artists with intellectual disabilities, will transform the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave., into an “Enchanted Garden,” featuring a curated auction of 41 contemporary artworks by both Arts of Life artists and other celebrated artists. Don't miss this opportunity to roam through the conservatory afterhours while mingling with artists and adding to your art collection! Tickets start at $75 (or join virtually for free!) at artsoflife.org/event/enchanted-garden-benefit-auction/

‘Bluey’s Big Play’

IAm Groot!

Free Comic Book Day

Taking place on the first Saturday in May (May 4), Free Comic Book Day is the biggest event in the comic book industry—a single day when over 2,000 comic shops around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops! Shops all over Chicagoland will be participating, may we suggest one of the 3 Graham Cracker Comics locations: 3120 N. Sheffield, 5028 N. Clark St., or 77 E. Madison St. Or check out the new Goblin Market Manga & Curiosities, 2868 N. Lincoln Ave., or visit the shop closest to you!

Shop 'til You Drop!

Marché Privé

Marché Privé, a curated luxury pop-up market, presents its inaugural event celebrating Chicago’s BIPOC creative entrepreneurs. Scheduled to coincide with Derby Day, Marché Privé will take place on Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. This daytime social and vendor fair aims to be a celebration for all, offering an opportunity to support local BIPOC businesses. The event will feature a vibrant atmosphere with music provided by DJ Tess and a bar open for purchases. FREE.

Play for Kids!

“Bluey’s Big Play” is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy Award-winning children’s television series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. Join the Heelers in their first live theater show featuring brilliantly created puppets brought to life. W hen Dad feels like a little bit of a Sunday afternoon out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag. Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m., 2 & 5 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. at Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive. Tickets start at $33 at auditoriumtheatre.org

Stay Woke!

‘The Thanksgiving Play’ Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of Larissa FastHorse’s “The Thanksgiving Play,” a biting comedy about everything right, wrong and woke in America. Four (very) well-intentioned theatre people walk into an elementary school. The work at hand: a Thanksgiving pageant that won’t ruffle any feathers. Rambunctious, thorny and not politically correct, it serves up the hypocrisies of woke America on a big, family-style platter. “The Thanksgiving Play” will play through June 2 in Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater, 1646 N. Halsted St. Single tickets start at $20 at steppenwolf.org or the box office at (312) 335-1650.

Why is horse racing declining?

John: The Kentucky Derby is the first Saturday in May, and people are willing to pay anywhere from $131 to $12,000 for a seat at Churchill Downs. So why is horse racing declining?

Allen: Horses are dying. From 2009 to 2021, more than 7,200 horses died or were euthanized across the U.S. from racing-related leg injuries, respiratory, digestive and multi-organ system disorders, according to The Jockey Club. Young people – a lot of people – are turned off by that.

William: I was big on horse racing when I first moved up here because my best friend used to moonlight at offtrack betting. On Saturdays I would go with him and we'd watch the races and I'd bet on one or two. But even then, I heard rumors about horses hurting.

Russell: I don’t know if it’s in decline or not, especially if you got Fanduel and can bet from home. I don’t bet on sports that much, but I will on the Derby. I like to see the women’s wear, the excitement of the crowd. My old man used to take me to Sportsman’s Park. The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes come after the Derby – maybe we’ll have a Triple Crown winner this year.

Donald: You have to have a crowd that’s interested, people that spend large amounts of money to talk shenanigans when their horse might be in last place. Bragging rights has slowed down, so I think the sport will be through by the end of the decade. Why would you spend money like that when you could see the Bulls?

John: Statistics show that it is declining. The crowds at Belmont in New York have gone down 88% since 1978, according to The Economist. Also, 40 tracks have closed since 2000. In 1989, there were 74,000 races. In 2022, there were only 33,433. Since 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting, there's been less demand for horse racing. You got basketball, football, baseball, hockey. To Allen’s point, in 2019, 42 horses died at Santa Anita Park in California, mostly from limb injuries. Horses

have little soft tissue in their fragile legs, so a break can cut off circulation, leaving them prone to infection. Congress passed the Horseracing Safety and Integrity Act to federally regulate testing for performanceenhancing drugs in 2020, but the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, was disqualified the next February after a failed drug test. His trainer, Bob Baffert, denied any wrongdoing, and was immediately banned from the derby for two years.

Allen: Racing has always been about money, prestige and respect. I remember Chicago used to have four racetracks: Hawthorne, Washington Park, Sportsmen’s and Arlington. All closed except for Hawthorne. You don't have to go to the track nowadays because of off-track betting and Peacock on TV.

William: Allen hit the nail on the head when he said it's real-

ly about money and prestige. Therefore, really not a sport. Secondly: $12,000 a ticket. I wouldn’t pay that for a World Series game with the Cubs.

Russell: I hope that it'll be perfect this time. No cheating, no dying.

Donald: It’s prestige. These busy bodies are paying thousands so they can be checked out, trying to outclass the next person. Sports Book has all of it, so get your bragging rights out of there.

John: Gaming is as American as apple pie. It should be legalized in all 50 states and DC.

William: Quit horsing around. It's not as American as apple pie. Baseball is.

Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Vendors (clockwise): A. Allen, Russell Adams, Donald Morris, William Plowman and John Hagan chat about the world of sports.

SPIRITUAL (BUT NOT RELIGIOUS) AMERICANS ARE FINDING NEW WAYS OF PuRSUING MEANING

More and more surveys point to decreasing membership in religious institutions and a corresponding rise of “nones” - the religiously unaffiliated. Many people might assume that this indicates the absence of belief or a lack of spirituality.

Particularly in the West, people tend to think about religion in terms of belief in a higher power, such as God. For many nones, however, spirituality does not need a god or the supernatural to address questions of purpose, meaning, belonging and well-being.

While abandoning mainstream religious affiliation, many turn to alternative expressions, including secular, atheist and psychedelic churches.

For about a decade, as a scholar who studies alternative expressions of spirituality, I have tracked these groups online, visited churches and interacted with attendees. At times, I have been able to attend services or simply visit locations. At other times, out of respect for participants, I have met members – but not during services and rituals.

These churches demonstrate not a rejection of religion, as surveys suggest, but continued interest in spiritual community, rituals and virtues.

Psychedelic churches

One such church is The Divine Assembly, or TDA, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 2020 as “a magic mushroom church” by Steve Urquhart, a former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, TDA conducts worship that con-

nects people without dogma or intermediaries. TDA is not atheistic but maintains an inclusive notion of belief regarding God or a higher power.

Where members depart from traditional notions of religion and church, however, is within their practices and aims. Through psychedelic drugs, members believe they can directly experience the divine – as they define it – while gaining insight into their own and others’ well-being. Within the church, members participate in collective meaning-making rituals that fortify their everyday lives.

Distinctly, using psilocybin is not part of these activities, nor are instructions provided on conducting mushroom ceremonies. This is done on one’s own time, according to individual practices.

Through the church, members participate in practices to help cultivate the value of psychedelic exploration. These include a range of activities, from ice baths to meditation in a room with flashing lights. TDA also offers courses on growing psilocybin through its educational initiative “shroomiversity.”

To borrow from its stated mission, TDA works to connect “people to self, others and the Divine.” It also seeks to “protect responsible and religious use of psilocybin, and cultivate health and healing.” This mission does not deny the place of belief but highlights broader therapeutic concerns.

Through shared rituals, members cultivate community while enhancing their total well-being.

by Morgan Shipley, courtesy of The Conversation

An ayahuasca ceremony at a Hummingbird Church in Hildale, Utah, in 2022 (Jessie Wardarski photo).

Mushroom churches: an American tradition

Louisville, Kentucky’s Psanctuary Church brings “people together for healing and connection to divine revelation through communion with sacred mushrooms.” Nondenominational, Psanctuary defines itself as a “Constitutional Church.”

Indicating their legal status as a a nonprofit, tax-exempt, faith-based organization, Psanctuary situates itself as a uniquely American religion. For Psanctuary and other psychedelic churches, the use of psychedelics is simultaneously a sacred right and an expression of political freedom.

As with many psychedelic churches, Psanctuary is not atheistic. It understands divinity as “pure consciousness” that “permeates all being.” Positioned this way, religion moves away from monotheistic understandings of God.

Instead, it follows non-Western, indigenous and New Age understandings that view divinity as within everyone. It also reorients people from seeking salvation in a world to come by encouraging focus on the present.

Like TDA, religion for Psanctuary expresses the pursuit of “pure consciousness” as “the origin of health and wellbeing.” By experiencing this origin through psychedelics, members are “empowered to discover our own divinity.”

This dual emphasis on self-divinity and healing reflects common themes across psychedelic churches.

The Church of Ambrosia & Zide Door

Inspired by The Church of Ambrosia, a nondenominational, interfaith religion, Zide Door in Oakland, California, supports “the safe access and use of Entheogenic Plants.” Founded in 2019 by Dave Hodges, Zide Door affords space for members to “explore their spirituality.”

Commonly, mainstream religion requires believers to interact with the sacred through designated leaders or texts. At Zide Door and other psychedelic churches, the emphasis is on self-realization and interconnection through direct experience.

Psychedelics offer members firsthand access to religious understanding. Church, accordingly, becomes a place to support individual awakening.

Sacred Garden Community captures this shift. Also located in Oakland, SGC – as it announces on its website – is a “postmodern church” based on “faith of least dogma.” Through psychedelic sacraments, SGC claims to facilitate “direct experience of and relationship to Divine presence for individuals and community.”

Beyond the experience, SGC helps members integrate “the benefits” the “experience and relationship can bring” into everyday life. Like other psychedelic churches, SGC highlights how rejection of conventional religion is often accompanied by new avenues to pursue spirituality.

Ayahuasca churches & healing

Ayahuasca churches rely on indigenous understandings of ayahuasca, a plant-based psychedelic brew. For Indigenous people of South America, ayahuasca is a sacred rite based on local knowledge. They argue that removing ayahuasca from that context takes away its power and impact.

Indigenous practitioners and scholars thus warn about both the appropriation and commodification of indigenous practices. While such concerns should not be ignored, ayahuasca churches tell us much about contemporary religion.

The turn to ayahuasca rituals highlights the growing connection between spiritual needs and healing. The emergence of

More on Ayahuasca

Being on an ayahuasca retreat will change your life, says the Hummingbird Church website, which offers detailed steps for preparation.

ayahuasca churches in the U.S. suggests that such healing requires the support of community.

California-based Hummingbird Church, for example, draws from ayahuasca rituals to provide “participants with opportunities to recharge their body, mind and soul with positive energy and reconnect with themselves.” Its “Statement of Faith” emphasizes this commitment to holistic healing.

It also situates the divine in “earthly” terms. Members, they believe, “should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.”

Ayahuasca is brewed from the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub along with the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine. Ancient Amazonian tribes used this drink for spiritual and religious purposes and it is still used today as a sacred beverage in Brazil and North America.

In the week leading up to the ceremony, participants are instructed to drink at least two liters of water a day and to stop eating red meat and pork. They also give up alcohol, sodas and marijuana.

Three nights before, they begin bathing with chamomile water alone. They also eat lots of soups, vegetables, fruits, chicken and fish, until the day before the ceremony, when they eat broth and no rice.

Located in Orlando, Florida, members of Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church of Mother Earth believe likewise. As members contend, “What is of the Earth is our holy sacrament.” Like others, they position psychedelics “as tools” that benefit “physical health, spiritual growth, and personal evolution.”

Through ayahuasca, members of both churches see psychedelic rituals as aiding in individual rejuvenation. Once rejuvenated, members believe they help restore nature or assist in another’s healing.

Well-being as spirituality

Collectively, these churches demonstrate not a rejection of religion, as the term “none” might suggest, but an embrace of well-being as spirituality.

Left: Preparation of Ayahuasca in Province of Pastaza, Ecuador (Terpsichore photo). Center: A participant at an ayahuasca ceremony at a Hummingbird Church retreat in Hildale, Utah, in October 2022 (Jessie Wardarski photo). Right: Bob Stanley (photo courtesy of Don Lattin).

And while they are distinct in many ways, they also share some common goals: They seek to provide members and practitioners ways to heal emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.

A key lesson members connect to psychedelics is the intrinsic sacredness of each person: The divine is not elsewhere but within everyone.

To be a none might reflect one’s total rejection of supernatural belief. But as psychedelic churches illustrate, identifying that way can also indicate spiritual pursuits that refuse to fit nicely within traditional religious categories.

Morgan Shipley is Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality & Associate Chair of Religious Studies at Michigan State University.

Sacred Garden Church: Believe what you want

Sacred Garden Church began after drug reform advocates convinced the Oakland City Council to get police to stop arresting people for using plant-based psychedelics like magic mushrooms and ayahuasca.

You can believe what you want to believe and still belong to Secret Garden. Members of this “post-modern church” adhere to a “faith of least dogma.” As defined in its entirety on its website: “We are open to the possibility that respectful practice with the Sacraments of our Church can bring about a direct experience of the Divine, within this lifetime.”

These sacraments are required. Without “intentional, respectful, and caring practice with entheogenic sacraments,” the church believes most members would be unable “to achieve the soul level revelation and insight” required to achieve this experience with the Divine.

The church’s senior pastor is Bob “Otis” Stanley, a Tennessee born-and-bred authority on the psychoactive properties of plants and fungi. Stanley grew up in the 1970s in a conservative Methodist family and holds a master’s of divinity degree from the University of Chicago.

“Religions assert all kinds of things,” Stanley told LucidNews for its “God on Psychedelics” project. “Christianity will say after you die you go to heaven. Buddhism might say if you meditate like this for many lifetimes, eventually you’ll have some nirvana. That’s lovely. I don’t know what happens when I die, but this I know. It is possible to have a direct experience of the divine — whether you call it satori or God coming and saying ‘hello.’ We can have that experience in this lifetime…That’s why we need these sacraments.”

The SGC content library and Sunday Service Archive encompass a deep knowledge of sacred plants, molecules and fungi. Confirmed membership, with the right to vote in SGC elections, comes after attending eight events over three months. Confirmed members may also go through an intake process to become a practitioner at ceremonies.

Members are also asked to make a tax-deductible donation on a sliding scale. These start at $50 a year for someone with less than $50,000 annual income up to $1,000 a year for those with annual income of $250,000 to $500,000; scholarships are available.

www.sacredgarden.life

www.lucid.news/all-entheogens-welcome-oakland-church

City COuncil Oks Johnson's tif restructuring into $1.25B bonds for housing and Economic development

Mayor Brandon Johnson won Chicago City Council approval April 19 of his plan to restructure more than 40 Chicago TIF (Tax Increment Financing) districts expiring over the next three years into $1.25 million worth of bonds for affordable housing and economic development. The proposal passed by a 32-17 vote, although some alderpersons wanted greater oversight: City Council approval on any project over $1 million. Mayoral allies prevailed, so approval will be required only above $5 million.

TIFs were designed as an incentive for blighted areas that would not otherwise be developed. The reason is that as new housing, sewers, lighting and other infrastructure are built in TIF districts, assessed valuation rises and this “increment” is retained for new projects.

The $1.25 billion in Housing and Economic Development bonds will not require new taxes, because when TIFs expire after 23 years, the money in them is returned to the City corporate fund and all underlying taxing bodies, such as Chicago Public Schools (CPS). An anticipated $150 million in new annual revenue will be added to the City's levy over the next 10 years, with increases to $290 million over the next 15. CPS will see nearly $5 billion in new funding over the next 15 years.

The increase to the city’s tax base will mean more money to repay the General Obligation bonds. The Chicago Department of Housing (DOH) and Department of Planning and Development (DPD) will each receive $125 million for five years, 2024-2028.

DOH would use its $625 million for:

• $360-390 million to construct and preserve affordable rental homes.

• $210-240 million to construct and preserve affordable owner-occupied housing.

• $20-30 million to preserve single-room occupancy structures.

DPD’s $625 million would go to:

• $400-500 million for neighborhood development grants.

• $80-115 million for small business support.

• $55-90 million for jobs and wealth building, including workforce training and missing middle housing infill development.

Chicago has more TIFs than any large city in the U.S. Critics contend that some TIFs are in neighborhoods affluent enough to attract investment on their own. Still others say that TIFs spur gentrification. City officials say the bonds will be more equitable.

“The bond proceeds will provide a more strategic approach and expand the geography where we can provide critical funding assistance,” Chicago Department of Housing Commissioner Lissette Castaneda said.

– Suzanne Hanney, from online materials

Lawson House opens

Lawson House, 20 W. Chicago Ave., had a walk-through April 1 of its rehabbed 409 single room occupancy apartments. Formerly unhoused men and women residents will have access to supportive services.

Opened in 1931 as a YMCA, the 24-story Art Deco building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its $122 million redevelopment began with sale of the building for $1 to Peter Holsten and an agreement to maintain affordable housing for 50 years.

Each unit was upgraded to today’s standards, which include an ensuite bathroom, kitchenette and air conditioning. The 145- to 160-square-foot rooms are furnished with a twin bed, drawers, kitchen table and chairs; 1 in 4 units are accessible. There will be a terrace on the 19th floor, with a bathroom and food prep area; residents’ lounges on each floor, onsite laundry, and gym.

– Suzanne Hanney, from online materials

Underutilized Loop buildings one step closer to becoming mixed housing

Four adaptive re-use projects collectively valued at $528 million in the Loop’s financial district will create more than 1,000 new apartments within underutilized office buildings. At least 319 of the units will be affordable to tenants earning an average of 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), or about $53,000 for a two-person household thanks to $150 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF).

"By creating more than 1,000 homes, including more than 300 affordable units, we are investing in the futures of countless Chicago families, and keeping our Loop community a welcoming hub for all,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the April 3 announcement.

The projects include:

111 W. Monroe St.

Planned for 14 floors within two adjacent buildings, including a 1911 highrise, the $202.8 million Prime Group Inc. and Capri Investor LLC project would create 345 units, 105 of them affordable through $40 million in TIF assistance. Other proposed funding includes 4% low-income housing tax credits, tax exempt bonds, a federal loan, and historic tax credits. A potential city landmark designation would also make the project eligible for a property tax incentive that would support a planned, 228key hotel within the complex.

208 S. LaSalle St.

Prime Group plans 226 units, 68 of them affordable through $26.2 million in TIF for four floors within a 100-year-old city landmark. Other proposed funding includes 4% low-income housing tax credits, tax exempt bonds and a federal loan. City review and underwriting resulted in the project’s TIF request being reduced by $6.8 million from the original submission.

30 N. LaSalle St.

Planned for 14 floors within a 1975 a high-rise, the $130.2 million Golub & Co. LLC and American General Life Insurance project would create 349 units, 105 affordable through $57 million in TIF. City review and underwriting resulted in the project’s TIF request being reduced by $5 million from the original submission.

79 W. Monroe St.

Planned for the 1913 Bell Federal building by Campari Group, the $64.2 million project would repurpose eight floors as 117 residences, 41 of them affordable through $28 million in TIF assistance. Key architectural features would be restored through a formal City of Chicago landmark designation, including the iconic “Weather Bell.” Federal historic tax credits are another anticipated funding source.

Totaling more than 1.3 million square feet, the projects would reduce a record 5 million square feet of vacant commercial space in the LaSalle corridor by more than 25%, and encourage development of stores and restaurants, city officials said.

Two other short-listed adaptive reuse proposals for 135 S. LaSalle St. and 105 W. Adams St. continue to be evaluated for City support by the Department of Planning and Development and the Department of Housing.

The two departments initiated the projects with an invitation for proposals in 2022. Construction will begin in early 2025, subject to review by the Community Development Commission and Landmarks Commission, and City Council approval of TIF funding.

– Suzanne Hanney, from prepared materials

Crossword

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