Overview

• The rezoning application for a 26-story luxury hotel near the Obama Presidential Center is pending before the Chicago Plan Commission after being deferred from the zoning committee agenda.
• Community activists, led by the Obama CBA Coalition, held a rally demanding City Council pass the South Shore Housing Preservation ordinance before approving the hotel project.
• The South Shore ordinance, stalled for 18 months, seeks to address rising rents, evictions, and poor housing conditions through affordable housing protections and tenant support programs.
• Developer Allison Davis, through Aquinnah Investment Trust, plans to build the hotel on a mix of privately and city-owned lots, with the city intending to sell its parcels at fair market value.
• Protesters argue that the proposed hotel prioritizes private development over addressing displacement risks and affordability challenges for long-time residents.