Advocating for Chinatown in the 78 Development

September 24, 2025

Statement regarding Chicago Plan Commission and Zoning Committee approval of 78 Stadium Plans

From the onset of the anticipated 78th project led by Related Midwest in the Chinatown area of Chicago, the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) has been mobilizing residents, raising awareness about community concerns, and advocating for the preservation of Chinatown and its surrounding neighborhoods.

With the expected rise in rents, increased traffic congestion due to lack of public transportation improvements, and little to no meaningful attention from Related Midwest to our community’s concerns, we are disappointed that this major development project is now moving forward.

We call on Related Midwest and all involved parties to listen to community concerns and for consideration of the long-term impact of this development on Chinatown families, small businesses, and neighbors who will be most directly affected.

CBCAC remains committed to advocating for sustainable and equitable development for the Chinatown community and surrounding residents. We will continue to ensure residents and businesses are informed and have a way to express their concerns as the development moves forward. We will continue to engage with all involved parties to advocate for local hiring and maximizing affordable housing on site to protect our community.

September 16, 2025

Letter of concern sent to Chicago Plan Commission ahead of September 18 vote on stadium project in the 78

Chairwoman Laura Flores

Chicago Plan Commission

City of Chicago

121 N. LaSalle St.

Chicago, Illinois 60602

RE: Planned Development No. 1434 located at 1434 101-213 W. Roosevelt Rd. /

1200-1558 S. Clark St.

Dear Chairwoman Flores:

This is an urgent call to protect Chicago’s iconic Chinatown from inequitable development, as we are on the brink of significant changes coming to the city of Chicago’s iconic Chinatown.

These changes will affect the infrastructure and neighborhood of Chinatown and the surrounding areas. The proposal includes construction of a stadium of the Chicago Fire along with luxury highrise and development along the Chicago River in creation of the 78th neighborhood in the city of Chicago.

Chicago’s Chinatown is more than a neighborhood—it is a living story of migration, resilience, and cultural pride. For over a century, generations have built a community here against the odds, creating a vibrant home for families, small businesses, and visitors from around the world. But today, this historic neighborhood faces one of the greatest threats in its history.

We ask for the city of Chicago’s partnership in protecting residents and small businesses from gentrification and cultural erasure by conducting a Displacement Impact Study conducted by a neutral third party agreed upon by a planning development committee; the committee should include local resident representation. The study should include Chinatown, Bronzeville and Pilsen neighborhoods and consultation from community representatives of these neighborhoods before any final development approval.

We ask that the city of Chicago support the status of Chinatown as a Cultural District designated by the State of Illinois that already protects and supports Chinatown’s heritage, small businesses, and public spaces.

We also request that a third party conduct a neutral traffic study on the impact of the proposed development — not only for Chinatown, we would like to include the surrounding areas: Bronzeville, Pilsen and South Loop — to fully consider its effects on traffic and transit. The current study failed to address traffic congestion in and around Wentworth Ave. and Clark St., weekend safety risks from pedestrian-traffic conflicts and improved signage, speed reduction, protected bike lanes and crowd management.

And finally, we call upon all involved parties to demonstrate its commitment to equitable and inclusive development through the co-creation of a Community Benefits Agreement.

As Chicago’s Chinatown is more than a neighborhood—it’s a cultural anchor and home to generations of immigrants who built a thriving community despite systemic barriers. Yet today, this historic neighborhood is under threat from large-scale development proposals that fail to account for the lived realities of residents and small business owners.

For the past eight years, since General Mediterranean Holdings purchased the city’s riverside property and Related Midwest gained development rights, the plans for the 78 have shifted again and again.

The latest proposal to build a Chicago Fire stadium by 2028 has grown community concerns. The proposed development now seeks to roll back TIF infrastructure improvements to hurry the stadium build along. The Redevelopment Agreement infrastructure improvements are no longer part of the plan, these include: a new Red Line L Stop, the relocation of Metra Tracks, improvements to Clark street for pedestrians and cyclists, and a 15th street roadway and rail bridge.

These plans raise serious red flags: already-congested streets will face overwhelming traffic, public transit access remains inadequate, and the lack of meaningful infrastructure planning threatens to make the area even less accessible for new residents, surrounding communities, visitors and tourists. Chinatown’s particular concerns with its historic and narrow streets where new tourists will traverse during the neighborhood’s most congested and busy times: weekends. Wentworth Ave will become a default entry/exit out of the property, adding safety concerns for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike.

In addition, Related Midwest is ignoring equitable transit-oriented development principles—despite this being a stated priority for the City of Chicago. Instead of centering equitable access and sustainable mobility, the current plan risks deepening disparities, overburdening roads, and sidelining the very people who have preserved and grown Chinatown for over a century. An alternative to reaching the property would be by riverfront - its current plan is insufficient and could create a destination that would be reached by private individuals with personal boats.

We ask the City of Chicago to work with the Friends of the Chicago River, to uphold the goals of its adopted river vision plans and the Chicago River Design Guidelines. We ask the specifics to be studied as details such as ensuring that the South Branch riverwalk of the proposed development is extended in a way that enhances the city’s environmental, social, and economic vitality, while keeping ecological restoration and river protection at the center of all phases of development.

Chicago’s Chinatown residents express concern over what is described as a long faced inequitable treatment in development planning—receiving less investment in public transportation, green space, and pedestrian safety compared to other neighborhoods. Without intentional action, these new developments risk displacement, cultural erasure, and a loss of community identity. Given that the community leaders before us have demanded these institutions over generations, it is our duty to maintain them for future generations to use and improve on.

We ask the City of Chicago to halt any plans that move forward without equitable engagement, robust transit solutions, and safeguards for the existing community.

Signed,

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community

Active Transportation Alliance

Metropolitan Planning Council

Better Streets Chicago

11th Ward Independent Political Organization

People Matter

Friends of the Chicago River

Elevated Chicago

Ping Tom Park Advisory Council

Lugenia Burns Hope Center

Teen Coalition of Chinatown