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City Cast Chicago

Have you ever wondered what Chicago will look like in 10 years? How about 20? Chicago has many projects in the works seeking to revamp the city we know and love.

Here are eight projects to watch in Chicago.

This 19-acre project will feature a museum, gardens, an events facility, a Chicago Public Library branch, and more. Construction for this project began in 2021, but it has faced fierce criticism over the years as 

nearby residents worry about displacement

PsiQuantum will open the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park at the former U.S. Steel South Works site, which closed in 1992. 

, along with the University of Illinois and other educational institutions. 

Neighbors worried about displacement and environmental impacts disrupted a meeting Tuesday about the campus

CTA is extending the Red Line 5.5 miles in a 

 rebuild from the existing terminal at 95th/Dan Ryan to 130th Street. Four new stations will be added with the hope of bringing more transportation to Chicago’s South Side. Construction is set to start in 2026.

, which looks to increase housing, jobs, and services near the extension.

This project got its name because developers are calling it Chicago’s 78th neighborhood. The 62-acre site on the Chicago River will include new homes, outdoor recreational spaces, and more. 

It’s also been floated as the new home of the White Sox

. However, construction has been slow going, especially after the University of Illinois pulled out of its plan to create its Discovery Partner Institute at the site.

The former Michael Reese Hospital has been under development as a mixed-use site for years. While construction on the first phase broke ground in 2023, 

developers are now angling to become the new home for the Chicago Bears

 with a $3.2 billion arena, a mixed-use community, and a bridge over DuSable Lakeshore Drive.

This $7 billion project will revamp the area outside of the United Center. Planned in phases, the privately-financed 1901 Project will include 9,463 residential units, 1,309 hotel keys, a music hall, and other commercial spaces. 

United Center owners hope to begin construction this summer

Redevelopment of Cabrini-Green is set to begin this year. The plan is eventually to create 4,080 new housing units across four key sites: Rowhomes, Sedgwick, Division, and Larrabee. The last of the Cabrini-Green public housing high-rises came down in 2011, 

after decades of disinvestment and demolition

This 50-acre development along the riverfront sits between Bucktown, Wicker Park, and Lincoln Park. The proposal includes residential spaces, parks, transportation, and more. But the project has 

languished for years due to financial challenges

Significant changes are coming for Chicago, and we will be keeping tabs for you on how the city transforms over the next decade.

Have you ever wondered what Chicago will look like in 10 years? How about 20? Check out some of the city's biggest projects in the works.

Eight Chicago Development Projects You Should Know

The Vision of Future Chicago

What Chicagoans have been wondering. We break down why things in Chicago are the way they are and how they work.

Chicago, Explained

The rent’s due soon, and maybe you’re 

. Now’s the perfect time to check on your unit and ensure it's in top condition.

A security deposit is held by your landlord to cover potential damage. Your security deposit can also be withheld due to unpaid rent charges. Landlords must 

return whatever is left of your security deposit within 45 days of when you move out

A security deposit is different from a move-in fee

. Move-in fees are non-refundable, with the intention that your landlord will fix the unit after you leave.

Here are some tips to help get your full security deposit back.

 If something gets damaged or stops working, make sure to get it fixed as soon as the issue arises.

Note rules regarding pets, painting, and leaving furniture behind

 removing all garbage and unwanted items from inside as well as 

wiping down surfaces and sweeping the floor

Provide your landlord with your new address

 so they can get you your itemized statement and security deposit.

 detailing the costs of repairs 30 days after you vacate your unit.

What Happens If You Don’t Get Your Deposit Back?

If your security deposit isn’t returned and you feel it should be, you can send a 

 to the landlord. If you don’t hear a response or your demands are not reached, 

you can sue the landlord in small claims court

How To Get Your Security Deposit Back in Chicago

Four years after applying to build a single-family home on a vacant lot bordering West Loop and East Garfield Park, Makema Adkins closed on the lot and broke ground this month.

 in 2022. She caught us up on what took so long.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Last we talked, you said you thought you’d break ground in March 2023. It’s July 2024. What happened?

“Oh my gosh, what didn't happen? When I talked to you guys, we had done phase 1 and 2 [environmental] testing. And then it turns out that we needed phase 3 testing, which is very expensive, very involved.”

What advice would you give to your 2020 self?

“I would tell my 2020 self to be a little more annoying. You turn in the application and you realize that I have to go through different departments, and you want to give people time and grace to do their job. But at the 2-and-a-half year mark, I was so desperate for information that I would just go on LinkedIn to see who worked for the city — who worked in the planning department — and I would just spam all of those people.”

“And sending ‘I need an update’ email every week instead of every two weeks, which is what I was doing. Maybe including more people in the department, maybe including bosses of people who I was talking to would have helped.”

“I love my neighborhood. I've been there for 15 years. My kids go to the Montessori school two blocks away. I love the school. It's close. The lot in my neighborhood is closer to downtown. I've seen a lot of growth in the neighborhood. I see the potential of the neighborhood.”

✅ Plus, what the city could do better 

We get an update on an attempt to turn a vacant lot into a new home.

Why is Buying a Vacant Lot So Hard?

What Chicago celebrities, public figures and key citizens have to say about living here.

3 Questions With Chicago Public Figures

3 Questions With

Practically every Chicagoan will tell you that their city has the greatest architecture in the world. So why is Chicago so obsessed with its architecture?

“The history of Chicago and its people is written in its architecture,” said Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bey 

. Here are a few notable terms to help you appreciate Chicago’s buildings and impress everyone you know ahead of this week's 

According to Bey, a Chicago bungalow is kind of a “different animal” from the tropical style where it gets its name. These homes are typically 1.5 stories high, made of brick, relatively narrow, and fireproof.

Head for the “Bungalow Belt” from the far Northwest to the Southwest and Southeast sides.

“You can start a fist fight in a bar” over the differences in these building types, Bey told us. So to keep you safe out there, here’s the breakdown: A skyscraper can be a high-rise, but not all high-rises are skyscrapers. If he had to put his boxing gloves on, Bey said a building over 14 stories is a skyscraper.

Many of the condos and apartments along the lakefront are considered high-rises and are typically shorter than the skyscrapers downtown.

This architectural style originating in France and influenced by Egyptian architecture is characterized by stylish and streamlined geometric shapes. It became popular in the U.S. in the 1920s and 1930s.

Which Chicago buildings are in this style?

 Check out the Carbide and Carbon Building, the Chicago Board of Trade, Merchandise Mart, and Lee’s favorite, the Chicago Vocational High School.

📣 From greystones to modernism, dive deeper into Chicago architecture on the City Cast Chicago podcast.

🎧 Impress your out-of-town visitors

Practically every Chicagoan will tell you that their city has the greatest architecture in the world. We've got a guide to notable architectural styles and terms to help you sound like an expert.

Your Guide to Chicago Architecture

Everything to know about Chicago neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Chicago Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

With a snowy Halloween in the forecast, Chicagoans need help staying warm — especially the city’s growing migrant population. Here’s where you can donate.

City of Chicago and Instituto del Progreso Latino

To help migrants, purchase items off the rapid response Amazon wishlist, or donate new items at New Life Centers in North Lawndale.


The national organization wants to provide more than 18,000 coats to asylum-seekers in Chicago. Donate at one of the 100-plus Chicagoland locations.

Chance the Rapper’s nonprofit is seeking gently used or new warm clothing items like coats, scarves, and gloves at 18 sites across the city through Dec. 3. They’re also accepting new hygiene products and toys.

Send coats to local kids via the Chicago chapter’s Amazon wishlist, host a virtual coat drive, or make a financial contribution.


The team is partnering with Jewel-Osco for its annual coat drive. Drop off a coat at Soldier Field at the Nov. 9 game or at your local Jewel.

GettyImages-73209868.jpg

Where to Donate Winter Coats in Chicago

Where to Donate Winter Coats

Tips and tricks for living your best Chicago life, by locals, for locals.

Chicago Life Hacks

Northwest and Southwest siders who live near airports are deeply familiar with the sounds of planes taking off and touching down at O’Hare and Midway — and all the disturbances the noises cause.

A free program is helping eligible residents soundproof their homes.

Noise pollution is unwanted or disturbing sounds that affect everyday activities like sleeping and talking. 

Sounds that are above 85 decibels or higher can be harmful to our ears

, according to the National Institutes of Health. (A motorcycle emits up to 100 dB, and fireworks up to 120 dB.)

In addition to noise-related hearing loss, residents who live by airports are more at risk of developing high blood pressure and stress-related illnesses.

 has soundproofed more than 20,000 homes since the ‘90s. Milhouse Inc., Vice President of Program Management James Fifer and senior engineer Dan Mullane told Hey Chicago how it works.

Eligible homes in noisy areas by the airports are identified, and then installation includes new windows, doors, and even air conditioning (the latter helps residents keep windows closed in the summer).

The reception? More than 90% of survey respondents were satisfied with the change, Mullane said.

Check to see if you are in the eligible regions by O'Hare

. Complain to 311 about airport noise. (It’s one of the 

Chicago is the third noisiest city in the country

 due to airport operations, population density, and music fests, according to a study by 42Floors.

Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Dan Mullane's name.

A free program is helping eligible residents near O'Hare and Midway soundproof their homes.

How Chicagoans Can Get Homes Soundproofed From Airport Noise

Get to know the natural side of Chicago: the plants, animals, weather and more that make our city unique.

Chicago Urban Almanac

Urban Almanac

Cook County’s property tax sale system could soon look different — pending Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature.

When homeowners are delinquent on their property tax payments, private investors can buy up that debt, putting owners at risk of owing large-interest payments.

Annual interest on delinquent property taxes would drop from 18% to 9%, giving owners more time to catch up on back payments. 


A loophole that has long been criticized would close

. Currently, tax buyers can more easily get a refund on the property even after collecting interest payments. This law would set a higher bar for buyers to prove the property was "sold in error.”

 Two studies released last year by the Cook County Treasurer’s office showed how the law was harming communities of color. The system was launched 80 years ago by the 

same officials who created modern segregation

 Affected owners, many of whom are Black and Latinx, would save between $25 million and $35 million a year, county Treasurer Maria Pappas said.

 … and he is expected to sign the bill into law.

+ Speaking of property taxes, did yours skyrocket? 

Check out Axios’ guide about how to appeal

Local Civics: Property Tax Changes

What's being decided in Chicago City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and Chicago City Council. 

housing

The Vision of Future Chicago

How To Get Your Security Deposit Back in Chicago

Why is Buying a Vacant Lot So Hard?

Latest articles

The Vision of Future Chicago

How To Get Your Security Deposit Back in Chicago

Why is Buying a Vacant Lot So Hard?

Your Guide to Chicago Architecture

Where to Donate Winter Coats

How Chicagoans Can Get Homes Soundproofed From Airport Noise

Local Civics: Property Tax Changes

Latest articles

Your Guide to Chicago Architecture

Where to Donate Winter Coats

How Chicagoans Can Get Homes Soundproofed From Airport Noise

Local Civics: Property Tax Changes