City Council votes to halt homebuilding along Chicago's 606 trail

CHICAGO - A controversial measure to stop gentrification along Chicago’s 606 trail has passed the city council. 

It's a move that is being closely watched by other neighborhoods that want to put the brakes on new development. The move will halt new homebuilding in a portion of the Logan Square, Humboldt Park, and Hermosa neighborhoods for six months. 

After years of discussion and disagreement on what was actually legal for the city to pursue, two aldermen came up with a plan they claim will protect low-income residents. 

The ordinance covers an area that's 30 blocks by 8 blocks on the city's Northwest Side. Opponents to the ordinance argue their property values will suffer.  

They also point to the real estate dealings of one of the ordinance's co-sponsors, longtime Chicago Alderman Roberto Maldonado.  

The Chicago Reader called him, "the real estate king of the Chicago City Council" in 2009, claiming he had bought and sold more property than any city council member, specifically in the area where he has just halted development.  

We reached out to his office for comment and have not heard back. 

"It’s a good thing and a bad thing,” said Yvette Riveria, Logan Square resident. “I think we should all live together as a mixed community, you know you can make your condominiums, we can make low income and we can all live together and make this neighborhood safer." 

The freeze will stand for six months, enough time, alderman believe, to put together a longtime plan to throttle new development without displacing current residents. 

Aldermen in Pilsen and Little Village, another Chicago area seeing gentrification, are also eyeing the plan.