Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces Year of Progress on ‘Cut the Tape’ Initiative to Streamline Development Process
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CHICAGO ~ Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has released an update on his Cut the Tape initiative, which aims to make the city a more business-friendly and affordable place. After a year of progress, the Cut the Tape Task Force has made significant strides in implementing recommendations from the Cut the Tape report.

The task force, which consists of representatives from 14 city departments, has successfully driven advancements in 96 out of 107 recommendations. These include strategic reforms to outdated zoning regulations that hinder development, streamlining approval processes by empowering departments to make administrative decisions, and consolidating review processes to expedite development.

In a statement, Mayor Johnson expressed his pride in the progress made over the past year and his excitement for future transformative work. He emphasized that this initiative is another step towards making Chicago the safest and most affordable big city in America.

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The updated report outlines three key impact areas: reforming outdated policies, streamlining approvals, and enhancing transparency and trust. These reforms aim to make it easier for businesses and developers to navigate the development process in Chicago.

Deputy Mayor for Business and Neighborhood Development Kenya Merritt stated that their goal is to make Chicago the easiest big city to build housing and start a business. She expressed pride in the hard work and collaboration that has led to significant accomplishments over the past year.

Chief Operating Officer John Roberson echoed this sentiment, emphasizing their focus on making City government more responsive to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and developers. He acknowledged that while they have accomplished a lot in the past year, there is still much work ahead. However, he remains confident that by bringing people together, they can continue to make significant progress.

As Co-Chair of the Task Force, Paul Shadle of DLA Piper LLP praised Cut the Tape for incorporating input and feedback from the development community into their approach. He believes that these changes will lower costs and make Chicago a more predictable and transparent city for housing preservation and business development. This, in turn, will make the city more attractive to capital markets.

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Maggie Cassidy of Community Investment Corporation also commended the initiative for streamlining environmental reviews for City-owned vacant land. She noted that this new process eliminates lengthy delays and allows for quicker transformation of vacant lots into valuable neighborhood assets.

The updated report also outlines bold reforms that the Johnson administration plans to pursue in the coming year. These include modernizing parking rules, streamlining the Economic Disclosure Statement (EDS) Process, modernizing the Architectural and Technical Standards (ATS) Manual, and launching a unified "City Wallet" to simplify transactions. These reforms aim to eliminate barriers to housing and economic development and make Chicago more affordable for working people.

Overall, the Cut the Tape initiative has made significant progress in its first year and has ambitious plans for the future. The full report can be found on the City of Chicago's website.

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