A judge has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to eliminate creation of a $1.3 billion tax increment financing district to aid Lincoln Yards, a forthcoming Chicago development.
Creation of the district was pushed through the Chicago City Council during the waning days of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration. However, Cook County Circuit Judge Neil Cohen ruled Monday the union-backed Grassroots Collaborative and Raise Your Hand education advocacy group had no standing to challenge the district's creation.
The two groups maintained the district violated the state's Civil Rights Act because it will deprive largely minority, low-income areas of city revenue.
Timna Axel of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights says the organization may challenge the ruling.
Creation of the district was sought by developer Sterling Bay to build infrastructure for a $6 billion mixed-use development along the Chicago River.
