The Chicago Tribune has done a massive investigation into the rezoning process in Chicago. Not surprisingly, the Trib finds that developers and aldermen have some pretty cozy relationships, and that development is more often driven by money rather than by planning.
There’s no mention of eminent domain being used in any of these developments, but “Neighborhoods for Sale,” what the paper’s termed an “occasional series,” provides good background for property owners located in one of the more than 140 Tax Increment Financing districts (TIFs), where eminent domain can be used to hand property over to these very same developers.
Part I: How cash, clout transform Chicago neighborhoods
Part II: Community input an illusion