Developing a New Chicago: CAC’s Priorities

The Bears are flirting with home fields other than Soldier Field.
The White Sox may move from Bridgeport to The 78.
The Thompson Center is being taken over and remodeled by Google.

It’s a time of change and development in Chicago, especially for some of our most infamous structures – the ones people think about when they hear the word “Chicago.” The CAC is a booster for the city and is staying involved in these conversations (and so many more) so we can be a voice for the people, and a source of unbiased information for citizens to learn about how these modernizations of our city will affect them. We need a robust public dialogue that helps protect Chicagoans’ shared interests, and the CAC is creating the space for these dialogues through our programming plan for 2024.

Our recent conversations around these topics have tended to fall into 5 buckets, defining the lens through which we plan on sharing information on each of these projects, and many more in Chicago’s 77 (soon to be 78?) neighborhoods.   

1.     Environmental: Demolition, new construction, adaptive reuse: what’s better for the planet and the city varies from case to case; a thorough analysis of the environmental impact of each option is necessary.  Additionally, developments must prioritize open programmable green space, and in the case of Soldier Field, consider Chicago’s 1836 mandate for a lakefront “forever open, clear and free.”

2.     Social: Programming, retail and restaurant space is important for all Chicagoans and visitors, but for those things to truly be successful they must be authentic to Chicago’s culture. Authenticity is almost impossible to manufacture, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on solutions that create the social vibe we all love, truly listen to citizens, and make space for conversation.

3.     Financial: All of these projects should generate revenue and tax income for our city, utilize responsible funding methods and have solutions to maintain revenue streams throughout all four seasons.

4.     Accessibility:  It’s important that new developments consider solutions like underground parking and proximity to public transportation so that no Chicagoan feels that they’re unreachable or unwelcoming.

5.     Design-Forward: Chicago is the capital of architecture and innovation. Any plans for building and rebuilding the city must uphold this high standard and our longstanding reputation as a a leader in innovation, development, and creating what’s new and next.

In 2024, we look forward to bringing diverse stakeholders together to ask these kinds of questions publicly and attempt to find answers. The Bears and White Sox sagas also relates to our twin areas of focus this year: the Emerging Downtown and the Accessible City, part of the CAC’s commitment to being a leading forum for design issues and urban issues that impact us all. Stay tuned for more on these topics via our new exhibition opening this April at the center.