The unprecedented effort to formulate a comprehensive land-use plan for Chicago’s rapidly-evolving North Branch Industrial Corridor will take another step forward at a public presentation planned for Wednesday, August 10th at UI Labs. The meeting will not only provide city staff a forum to update the public regarding the North Branch Industrial Corridor modernization initiative, but also to receive feedback from local stakeholders.
According to Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development, this public input process is intended to accomplish three specific goals:
- Development of ideas to improve industrial corridors that have the potential for new or continued manufacturing growth.
- Reform some industrial corridors to unlock new economic growth where industry is no longer the main use.
- Development of new funding tools to support improvements in industrial corridors and to increase neighborhood competitiveness.
The meeting will also show preliminary data collected by the city’s high-tech "sMap" social online mapping program. Launched earlier this year, the innovative tool provides members of the public a chance to layout of their individual vision for the North Branch Industrial Corridor while also identifying any trouble spots in the existing built urban environment.
The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on August 10 at UI Labs (1415 N. Cherry St) on Goose Island. Residents looking to attend are encouraged to RSVP for the event here. A number of future meetings are still expected to take before a final plan for the NBIC is ready for city approval. Based on a previously-provided timeline, that date should arrive sometime in 2017.
- City Hosts First North Branch Industrial Corridor Modernization Meeting [Curbed Chicago]
- Neighbors Float Ideas for Finkl Redevelopment at Community Round-Table [Curbed Chicago]
- Previous Lincoln Park coverage [Curbed Chicago]