EXPANDED SPORTS COVERAGE SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE Questions? Call 1-800-Tribune Thursday, April 11, 2019 Breaking news at chicagotribune.com With deals, Lightfoot puts clout on the line After developer’s concessions, council OKs Lincoln Yards, The 78 projects By John Byrne and Gregory Pratt Chicago Tribune Less than a week after a resounding election win, May- or-elect Lori Lightfoot put her newfound clout on the line Wednesday and stepped into a political maelstrom in the process by assisting two mas- sive and controversial devel- opment projects toward pas- sage. The $6 billion Lincoln Yards development is set to remake a huge chunk of the North Side, while The 78 will bring millions of square feet of development to 62 acres south of Roosevelt Road and west of Soldier Field. But the deals — signature projects of outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s last months in office — have also drawn stiff criticism because of the size of the public outlays and the fact that the projects are in relatively well-to-do TERRENCE ANTONIO JAMES/CHICAGO TRIBUNE parts of the city where oppo- Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot shakes hands with Gov. J.B. Pritzker in his office Wednesday in Springfield. nents say the tax subsidies officials approved Wednesday aren’t needed. The passage of the huge deals also has proved to be a baptism by fire for Lightfoot During Springfield visit, and her newfound political coalition, with her official as- cension to the mayor’s office still weeks away. The difficul- ties she will face holding Lightfoot preaches unity together that coalition were on full display as the City Council By Bill Ruthhart Mayor-elect: Chicago, rest of state need to can Leader Jim Durkin, R- approved the enormous tax and Rick Pearson Western Springs. On Thurs- subsidies, deals she helped Chicago Tribune have ‘best interests of our constituents at heart’ day, Lightfoot is scheduled to pull together by inducing al- continue her statehouse tour dermen to hold off the vote SPRINGFIELD — Still in strike a conciliatory tone dur- Working together, regardless by meeting Senate leaders and until after the developers the midst of the political ing a speech to the Illinois of party or geography, I see giving a speech to that cham- agreed to award construction honeymoon following her House of Representatives. new opportunities for all of ber. contracts to more women- and landslide win last week, Chi- Her message: Even though us,” Lightfoot said from the Fitting for a politician who minority-owned firms. cago Mayor-elect Lori Light- she’ll soon become mayor of speaker’s podium in the House is still more than a month away Activists, who in many cases foot arrived at the State Capi- the state’s largest city, Chicago chamber. “I-80 is just a stretch from taking office, Lightfoot’s backed Lightfoot’s insurgent tol on Wednesday to glad- and the rest of Illinois share of pavement. It is not a border. visit has been heavy on im- campaign win, blocked hand lawmakers and deliver a many common problems that We are all one state, and agery and photo ops and light LaSalle Street outside City message of unity. can be solved collectively Illinoisans, wherever they live, on specifics. The trip, in many Hall Wednesday, shouted slo- After four years of former without the vitriol that often want the same things for ways, is an opportunity for the gans in the gallery in City Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has existed between Down- themselves and their families.” former federal prosecutor and Council chambers and frequently pitting Chicago state lawmakers south of In- Lightfoot’s speech came on political outsider to introduce chanted in the hallways to against the rest of the state and terstate 80 and those to the a day when she held behind- herself to many lawmakers oppose the up to $2.4 billion in eight years of outgoing Mayor north in the big city. closed-door meetings with with whom she doesn’t have a tax increment financing mon- Rahm Emanuel working to “We are all Illinoisans and Gov. J.B. Pritzker, House history. ey to support The 78 and force his agenda through the we all have the best interests of Speaker Michael Madigan, D- legislature, Lightfoot looked to our constituents at heart. Chicago, and House Republi- Turn to Springfield, Page 8 Turn to Projects, Page 8 Aldermen Barr backs Trump’s hints pay tribute of spying in 2016 election Democrats blast AG’s time when Barr’s independ- ence is under scrutiny. to Emanuel remarks on origins of Barr, appearing before a Russia investigation Senate panel, did not say what Outgoing mayor saluted “spying” may have taken place at final council meeting By Eric Tucker and but seemed to be alluding to a Mary Clare Jalonick surveillance warrant the FBI By Gregory Pratt Associated Press obtained on a Trump aide. He later said he wasn’t sure Chicago Tribune WASHINGTON — Attor- there had been improper sur- ney General William Barr de- veillance but wanted to make Rahm Emanuel presided over clared Wednesday that he sure proper procedures were what is scheduled to be his final thinks “spying did occur” followed. City Council meeting as Chicago against Donald Trump’s presi- Still, his remarks give a mayor Wednesday, drawing trib- dential campaign, suggesting boost to Trump and his sup- utes from aldermen who praised ANTONIO PEREZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE the origins of the Russia inves- porters who insist his 2016 his leadership over the past nearly tigation may have been mis- campaign was unfairly tar- eight years. Mayor Rahm Emanuel presides Wednesday over what was scheduled to handled in remarks that align- Emanuel ran through several of be his final City Council meeting. ed him with the president at a Turn to Barr, Page 11 his administration’s successes, not- ing that the city’s finances are “on nances after he succeeded Mayor “You always stood tall even far firmer footing” after years of Richard M. Daley and called though you’re short,” said Ald. deep problems, the Police Depart- Emanuel the “education mayor,” Carrie Austin, 34th, chair of the BUSINESS ment is on track to “earning the citing his expansion of prekinder- council’s budget committee. trust of every community in Chi- garten classes, among other initia- Without missing a beat, Emanu- cago” and the city is “in a better tives. el replied, “I’ve got a big mouth.” Bankruptcy filing and stronger place today.” No one specifically mentioned Emanuel was on track to seek a by publishing icon Emanuel invoked Lou Gehrig’s the controversies that have roiled third term, but in September he famous “luckiest man on the face Emanuel’s tenure — the Laquan announced he would not run for Johnson Publishing, whose of this earth” speech to summarize McDonald police shooting, tax re-election. His decision set off Ebony and Jet magazines his feelings about the job he will increases and school closings shock waves across the city’s politi- chronicled black life in cede to Lori Lightfoot next month. among them. The city also is facing cal scene and attracted the largest America for decades, has filed City Clerk Anna Valencia read a a projected $252 million budget field of mayoral candidates in for bankruptcy and plans a resolution tracing Emanuel’s rise shortfall as well as $276 million in Chicago’s history — 14. court-supervised sale of its from political operative with a required new public pension pay- Lightfoot, the mayor-elect, and assets. The company filed for consumer rights organization to ments for the 2020 budget. Cook County Board President Toni Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquida- Democratic Party power broker. Nevertheless, the mayor was Preckwinkle emerged from the tion after it was unable to The resolution noted that Emanu- praised for his leadership through Turn to restructure its operations or el “helped stabilize” Chicago’s fi- tough times. Emanuel, Page 8 arrange financing or a sale. EBONY Chicago Weather Center: Complete $2.50 city and suburbs, $3.00 elsewhere High Low Tom Skilling’s forecast 66 46 forecast on back page of A+E section 171st year No. 101 © Chicago Tribune 2 Chicago Tribune | Section 1 | Thursday, April 11, 2019 ANTONIO PEREZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE Chicago Fire midfielder Aleksandar Kataiduring handles the ball during a recent practice in Bridgeview. John Kass Chicago Fire can update logo, but don’t change name ‘VINTAGE CHICAGO: THE BEST OF @VINTAGETRIBUNE ON INSTAGRAM’ All I wanted was to get away from Nicole Hack, chair of Section 8 simply get it to the guys who’ll make The @vintagetribune Insta- Chicago politics and the hell that Chicago — said it is unnecessary for the difference (offensively).” gram, a beloved photogra- comes with it, and to sit in the sun the club to change the name of the The new midfielder Nico Gaitan phy account produced by watching my favorite team, the Chi- team. was still working his way into shape. the photo editors of the cago Fire, at training. Agreed. But just to make sure, I The Polish national midfielder Prze- Chicago Tribune, has been A mental health day after so much talked to Rodriguez about it at prac- myslaw Frankowski was held out of mining the newspaper’s vast brutalizing Chicago politics. A few tice training with an injury. archives since 2014. These hours watching Mo Adams, the quick, Rodriguez notes that nothing in the But I wanted to talk to Mo. I joked are the images that would powerful defensive midfielder with Chicago Fire logo says “soccer.” And with him, comparing him to one of have been posted had Insta- those crunching tackles; Basti, the he says that talk of a rebrand — he the great defensive midfielders in the gram existed in, say, 1932 — great German soccer god; and also calls it a “possible refresh” — isn’t world, N’Golo Kante of Chelsea in the the offbeat, gritty, funny, 20-year-old Djordje Mihailovic, who really news.