Chicago, IL. Mayor Dodges Questions on Wal-Mart

Daley mum on OKing Wal-Mart [Chicago Tribune]

Mayor Daley bobbed and weaved on Friday when asked whether he was prepared to grant a developer’s request for administrative approval within 30 days to build a Chatham Wal-Mart.

“Developers ask for a lot. [That’s] one thing about developers. And we’ll assess that. I’m not gonna answer that,” the mayor said.

Daley continued to do the political sidestep when asked whether he believes there needs to be another City Council vote—or should be one politically—before Wal-Mart gets the go-ahead to build a supercenter at 83rd and Stewart.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know,” he said.

Pressed on whether he wants to re-live the City Council donnybrook that gave birth to the big-box minimum-wage ordinance he killed with his first-ever veto, Daley said, “I don’t know. I have no idea.”

The Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier this week that Arcon Development has written a letter to Planning and Development Commissioner Arnold Randall asking for approval to build Chicago’s second Wal-Mart and first supercenter that sells groceries.

Peggy Kral, development director for Arcon, refused to comment on the ultimatum.

The City Council rezoned the site in 2004 on a promise that Wal-Mart “is not and will not be” part of the Chatham Market development.

Since then, the project has changed developers. Arcon has been unable to attract a second anchor tenant other than Wal-Mart, according to local Ald. Howard Brookins (21st).

Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, November 19, 2007