logo
Letters: To save mass transit in the Chicago region, we must think long term

Letters: To save mass transit in the Chicago region, we must think long term

Chicago Tribune07-05-2025
The Regional Transportation Authority's new ad campaign has people fuming. There's a lot to criticize about transit management. We think the RTA is missing the mark on the scale of reforms needed to improve transit, but the agency is right about one thing: Funding is urgent.
If lawmakers kick the can down the road, we'll see a lot more public money wasted, economic opportunity squandered, riders ghosted and city streets gridlocked. If we hit summer with no solution, the agencies would immediately roll back service improvements that are currently underway, including Metra's Regional Rail plan, Pace's Pulse bus rapid transit and the CTA's new 10-minute frequent bus network. Instead of making things better, staff members would have to devote their summer and fall to planning for funding cuts, mass layoffs and 40% service cuts by early 2026.
Transit is the backbone of our economy, so this would affect millions of people who never set foot on a bus or train. In just the first year, our region could lose $2.6 billion in gross domestic product, and 500,000 bus riders would be cut off from their local stops. Putting that figure in perspective: The Kennedy Expressway carries only 250,000 cars a day!
Travel needs have changed since COVID-19, but cities around the world have increased transit ridership by serving many trips outside work: school, doctor, family, recreation, etc. That's how transit used to work in Chicago too, before austerity dwindled capacity to a focus on commuters.
Resilient systems diversify! Fast, frequent, safe service throughout the day and week would connect communities across the region, while unified schedules, fares and service planning would save money and improve the rider experience. To make these shifts, we need governance reform, time and stable finances.
Public transportation serves the public good. It is in our collective interest to ensure it works well. Every day we delay in finding a fiscal solution is another day wasted planning cuts instead of planning improvements.
The RTA is not alone in calling for a funding fix. Environmental, business and labor leaders agree. At the Environmental Law & Policy Center, we can see the stakes for our air quality and climate impact if we pushed thousands of people into driving more. We must think long term about what's best for the region, and that means saving transit.
— Lena Guerrero Reynolds, communications and policy advocate, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Chicago
Transforming Chicago
The 'abundance' movement is taking U.S. politics by storm. Named after the recently released book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, its advocates argue that America has the capacity to provide housing, health care and transportation for all, but is held back by regulatory barriers, institutional inertia and a scarcity mindset. More controversially, Klein and Thompson argue that fixing these issues is the key to reviving healthy governance in blue states — and thereby winning back the trust of voters who have gone over to Donald Trump.
The diagnosis could not be more spot-on here in Chicago, where Trump surged in 2024 relative to 2020. So what do these ideas mean here?
First and foremost, abundance means building housing. A lot more housing. Chicago's restrictive zoning rules and high construction costs have led to a virtual collapse in housing development. The results: Rents are spiking, with some outlets reporting a 12% increase in average rents between 2024 and 2025. If the city had trouble retaining people before, a major increase in rents might tip it into serious population loss.
Simply building more homes would keep rents down and generate more tax revenue for the city, but our politicians refuse to make obvious changes. At a minimum, Chicago must eliminate its parking minimums — as cities like San Francisco; Austin, Texas; and Minneapolis have done — and permit four-flats in all residential areas. Beyond that, we should permit larger developments by right in neighborhoods with the transportation infrastructure to support them.
Beyond changes to zoning rules, an abundance approach to land use would move away from the grubby, small-scale thinking of City Hall culture. Arbitrary decision-making among aldermen makes business unpredictable and difficult. Rather than have officials negotiate every little point with individual businesses, the abundance approach would be to simplify the rules, allow more things by default and not make exceptions.
The biggest idea in the abundance movement is that for government to be trustworthy, it has to deliver. Chicago is clearly falling short of that goal — but it doesn't have to.
— Lionel Barrow, Chicago
Austin versus Chicago
In his op-ed ('Austin, Texas, figures out affordable housing while Chicago postures,' May 1), Micky Horstman writes, 'This year, rents in Austin (Texas) dropped again to $1,436 per month. How?' Could it possibly be because of the recent surplus in rental properties and the slowdown in population growth in Austin?
Austin sits on 325 square miles of land and has about 980,000 residents, and Chicago sits on 234 square miles of land and has 2.7 million residents. Could it possibly be because Austin has 40% more land to build on and 37% of Chicago's population? Could it possibly be because of supply and demand, i.e., simple economics?
Definitely has to be policy, right?
— Brian Collins, Orland Park
The tax wagon returns
With respect to the editorial 'Believe it or not, Springfield is mulling a jobs tax' (May 1), I can't believe state Sen. Ram Villivalam. This is the same person who recently pushed for exploring a miles-driven tax. I seem to recall him saying, in typical politician speak, something such as this won't affect anyone since it's a study. Sure, and if the tax passes into law, we are all getting hit with more taxes.
Well, here he is again suggesting more taxes. Sure, he, along with other politicians, will play it off as a 'small' 1% fee, insignificant. We are already one of the highest taxed states in the union. Government's job is not charity, and this sure smells like forced charity. He has only been in office since 2019, but I think he needs to go already. If all he can offer is more taxes, his vision is limited.
Anybody can roll out the tax wagon. Time for new leadership that offer ideas other than taxing the people who are already being taxed into oblivion in Illinois.
— Keith Mockenhaupt, Chicago
Thank a nurse this week
Regardless of their specialty or where they practice, nurses play critical roles in treating injuries and illness, as well as keeping people healthy and safe. They are often at the front line of health care, at the stretcherside delivering expert care while comforting and advocating for their patients and families.
Throughout my years in emergency nursing, I have had the privilege of meeting and working with nurses across many aspects of our profession. My career has taken me through the intensive care unit, the emergency department, flight nursing, hospital leadership, research, advocacy and as a leader at many levels of the Emergency Nurses Association.
Throughout this time, I have learned from and been inspired by nurses from all walks of life, who each traveled a unique path into nursing and have riveting stories to tell about their journeys. I also love presenting at student nursing events and sharing in the excitement of young people who are getting ready to dive into this rewarding, challenging, humbling and amazing profession.
During National Nurses Week, May 6 through 12, I want to express appreciation on behalf of myself and the Emergency Nurses Association for all nurses and the work they do.
Nurses use their expertise to respond to the most traumatic injuries and care for patients in all fields — from oncology to obstetrics to orthopedics. They educate the public about illness and injury prevention, conduct research that leads to better patient outcomes, and teach today's students who are working to be tomorrow's nurses.
I encourage everyone, when they have an opportunity, to thank their nurses for all they do to make communities healthier and safer.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Unearthed chat sheds light on cozy ties between judges, climate activists, raising ethical concerns
Unearthed chat sheds light on cozy ties between judges, climate activists, raising ethical concerns

Fox News

time5 days ago

  • Fox News

Unearthed chat sheds light on cozy ties between judges, climate activists, raising ethical concerns

Print Close By Emma Colton, Breanne Deppisch Published July 17, 2025 EXCLUSIVE: An environmental advocacy group accused of trying to manipulate judges organized a years-long, nationwide online forum with jurists to promote favorable info and litigation updates regarding climate issues – until the email-styled group chat was abruptly made private, Fox News Digital found. The Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) was founded in 2018 by a left-wing environmental nonprofit, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and pitches itself as a "first-of-its-kind effort" that "provides judges with authoritative, objective, and trusted education on climate science, the impacts of climate change, and the ways climate science is arising in the law." But critics, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, say CJP is funded by China and left-wing activists for one purpose. "They fund CJP to train judges," Cruz said during a June hearing. "So, quote, unquote, train in climate science and make them agreeable to creative climate litigation tactics. Then, these left-wing bankrollers turn around and fund the climate litigators who will bring these bogus cases before those same judges that they've just indoctrinated. "This is like paying the players to play and paying the umpire to call the shots the way you want." The group, however, says it provides "neutral, objective information to the judiciary about the science of climate change as it is understood by the expert scientific community and relevant to current and future litigation." SUPREME COURT LIMITS JUDGES' AUTHORITY TO BLOCK INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS OVER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS One of the efforts CJP launched included rolling out an email-styled listserv by which leaders from the Climate Judiciary Project could message directly with judges, documents obtained by Fox News Digital show. The listserv was launched in September 2022 and maintained until May 2024, according to the documents. A portal website page for the forum was previously publicly available, with an archived link saved in July 2024 showing there were 29 members in the group. "Judicial Leaders in Climate Science," the archived website link reviewed by Fox Digital reads, accompanied by a short description that the group was a "Forum for Judicial Leaders in Climate Science to share resources." A link to the forum now leads to an error warning, stating, "Sorry, but that group does not exist." Fox News Digital obtained the archived chat history of the forum, which detailed numerous messages between at least five judges and CJP employees trading links on climate studies, congratulating one another on hosting recent environmental events, sharing updates on recent climate cases that were remanded to state courts, and encouraging each other to participate in other CJP meet-ups. One message posted by Delaware Judge Travis Laster, vice chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, features a YouTube video of a 2022 climate presentation delivered by a Delaware official and a Columbia University professor that focused on the onslaught of climate lawsuits since the mid-2000s. It also included claims that such lawsuits could one day bankrupt the fuel industry. Laster shared the video in the group with a disclaimer to others: "Please do not forward or use without checking with me" as the video is "unlisted" on YouTube and not publicly available. A handful of other judges responded to Laster's video and message, praising it as "great work." SENATORS SOUND OFF AS SUPREME COURT HEARS CASE ON NATIONWIDE INJUNCTIONS "This is great work/great stuff, Travis; congrats on a job well-done, & thank you so much for sharing this!," Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Scheele responded, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. Another judge in a Nebraska county court added that he had not watched the video yet but said the state court administrator's office was interested in a similar program focused on "litigation and climate change." The Nebraska judge said he "may need to lean on all of you for guidance and direction." The judges' correspondence on the forum included their typical email signatures, showcasing their job titles as "judge" as well as which court they preside over. The climate activists also posted messages directed to the judges on the listserv, Fox News Digital found, including a science and policy analyst at the Environmental Law Institute posting a lengthy message on Nov. 15, 2023. The message encouraged judges and climate activists alike to review the government's publication of the Fifth National Climate Assessment that year, which the environmental crusader said contained "good news and bad news." "The bad news is that the impacts of climate change are being felt throughout all regions of the United States, and these impacts are expected to worsen with every fraction of a degree of additional warming. The report finds that climate change will continue to affect our nation's health, food security, water supply, and economy," the message read. CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS ADDRESSES DIVISIONS BETWEEN JUSTICES AFTER SEVERAL RECENT SCOTUS SKIRMISHES "The good news is that the report also notes that it isn't too late for us to act," the message continued, before encouraging the 28 other members of the group to go over CJP's climate curricula, such as "Climate Science 101" and "Climate Litigation 101," and send over any feedback. "As you know, our Climate Judiciary Project exists to be as beneficial to judges as possible, so any insights you might have for us would be very helpful!" the message added when asking members to review the curricula. In another message, CJP's manager, Jared Mummert, sent a message to the group in May 2024 praising the judges for their mentorship of a second group of "Judicial Leaders in Climate Science" – which included 14 judges from 12 states and Puerto Rico – as part of a partnership between CJP and the National Judicial College. The National Judicial College provides judicial training for judges across the country from its Reno, Nevada, campus. "We want to give a special 'thank you' to those who are serving as mentors to this second cohort!" the message read. It added that CJP was ramping up its number of "engagement opportunities" to "every six months for both cohorts of judges to come together to share updates and connect with one another." Fox News Digital reached out to five of the judges on the listserv for comment, four of whom did not respond. Scheele's office told Fox News Digital on Thursday that he first joined the 2022 National Judicial Conference on Climate Science, more than two years before he was appointed to the Court of Appeals of Indiana, after another delegate was unable to attend. "At the last minute, when another appointed delegate was unexpectedly unable to attend, Judge Scheele was asked by Indiana's state court administration to fill in as Indiana's representative, and he accepted the invitation. As is normal in conferences attended by our judges, this conference addressed emerging, hot button issues that might come before the courts," Scheele's office said. It added: "Judge Scheele does not recall any substantive communication on the 'listserv' mentioned. He, like all of our Court of Appeals of Indiana judges, is dedicated to the unbiased, apolitical administration of justice in the State. He, like all of our judges, educates himself on emergent topics in the law and applies his legal training to evaluate the legal issues before him." CJP, for its part, said the now-defunct email list was created in September 2022 to help members of its Judicial Leaders in Climate Science program communicate and network with one another for the duration of the program. The one-year program, established by CJP in coordination with the National Judicial College, "trains state court judges on judicial leadership skills integrated with consensus climate science and how it is arising in the law," the group told Fox News Digital. Judges quietly working behind the scenes with climate and environmental activists have drawn criticism from conservative lawmakers in recent years as climate-focused suits increased, including those who have accused CJP of manipulating the justice system. Cruz, for example, has been at the forefront of condemning CJP for joining forces with the National Judicial College. Cruz argued in a 2024 opinion piece that he is "concerned that this collaboration means court staff are helping far-left climate activists lobby and direct judges behind closed doors." DOJ SUES FOUR BLUE STATES OVER 'UNCONSTITUTIONAL' CLIMATE LAWS THREATENING US ENERGY SECURITY Cruz again railed against CJP during a Senate subcommittee hearing in June, called "Enter the Dragon – China and the Left's Lawfare Against American Energy Dominance," where the Texas Republican argued there is a "systematic campaign" launched by the Chinese Communist Party and American left-wing activists to weaponize the court systems to "undermine American energy dominance." CJP, Cruz said, is a pivotal player in the "lawfare" as it works to secure "judicial capture." Cruz said CJP's claims of neutrality are bluster, and the group instead allegedly promotes "ex parte indoctrination, pressuring judges to set aside the rule of law, and rule instead according to a predetermined political narrative." Judges have previously landed in hot water over climate-related issues in group forums, including in 2019, when a federal judge hit "reply all" to an email chain with 45 other judges and court staff regarding an invitation to a climate seminar for judges hosted by the Environmental Law Institute. The judge was subsequently chastised by colleagues for sharing "this nonsense" and suggested it was an ethics violation, while others defended that flagging the event to others was not unethical. Fox News Digital spoke with Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Zack Smith, who explained there has been an overarching increase in courts promoting trainings for judges on issues they would eventually be asked to preside over impartially, pointing to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts' DEI trainings for judges during the Biden era. The office works as the administrative agency for the U.S. court system, handling issues from finances to tech support. TOP ENERGY GROUP DEMANDS GOVERNOR TAKE SWIFT ACTION AGAINST RADICAL 'EXTREMISTS' CRIPPLING POWER GRID "There's a problem right now with many courts putting forward, seeming to take sides on issues they will be asked to address through the trainings that they're putting forward. And this was a particular problem with the DEI trainings that different federal district courts were putting on, that the Administrative Office of U.S. courts were sponsoring. It appeared that the judiciary itself was encouraging violations of the Constitution, violations of federal law, and most problematically was taking sides in issues they would eventually be asked to sit and preside over impartially," he said. Justice Department officials did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment on the CJP program in question, or other efforts to educate judges more directly on climate issues. Still, news of the program's outreach comes as the U.S. has seen a sharp uptick in climate-related lawsuits in recent years, including cases targeting oil majors Shell, BP and ExxonMobil for allegedly engaging in "deceptive" marketing practices and downplaying the risks of climate change, as well as lawsuits bought against state governments and U.S. agencies, including the Interior Department, for failing to adequately address risks from pollution or adequately protect against the harm caused by climate change, according to plaintiffs who filed the suits. DARK MONEY FUND POURED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO ECO ACTIVIST GROUPS BLOCKING HIGHWAYS, DESTROYING FAMOUS ART CJP's educational events are done "in partnership with leading national judicial education institutions and state judicial authorities, in accordance with their accepted standards," a spokesperson for the group said in an emailed statement. "Its curriculum is fact-based and science-first, grounded in consensus reports and developed with a robust peer review process that meets the highest scholarly standards." "CJP's work is no different than the work of other continuing judicial education organizations that address important complex topics, including medicine, tech and neuroscience," this person added. The number of climate-related lawsuits in the U.S. has increased significantly in recent years, including during the last two years of the Biden administration. To some extent, the educational efforts led by CJP appear to have been enacted in earnest to address real questions or concerns judges might have in presiding over these cases for the first time – many of which seek tens of millions of dollars in damages. The Supreme Court agreed earlier this month to grant a request from ExxonMobil and Chevron to transfer two Louisiana lawsuits from state to federal court. While the move itself is not immediately significant, it will be closely watched by oil and gas majors, as they look to navigate the complex landscape of environmental lawsuits, including lawsuits filed by state and local governments. Oil majors typically prefer to have their cases heard by federal courts, which are seen as more sympathetic to their interests. CLIMATE JUSTICE GROUP HAS DEEP TIES TO JUDGES, EXPERTS INVOLVED IN LITIGATION AMID CLAIMS OF IMPARTIALITY Since Trump's re-election in 2024, the cases appeared to have died down, at least to an extent. U.S. appeals courts have declined to take up many challenges filed on behalf of plaintiffs in several states who have sued claiming government inaction and failure to act to protect against known harms from fossil fuel extraction and production in the U.S. CJP's program is run by ELI in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center, the latter of which bills itself as the "research and education center" for judges across the country. Their work includes partnerships with myriad outside groups beyond the CJP aimed at informing and educating judges on a range of issues, including neuroscience and bioscience, constitutional law, and bankruptcy, among other things. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to their website , the effort is important to help judges understand relevant case law and ethics, sentencing guidelines, and other types of issue-specific programs they might be encountering for the first time. Fox News Digital has previously reported on CJP's cozy relationship with judges, including when the group's president, Jordan Diamond, detailed in a Wall Street Journal letter to the editor in September that the group "doesn't participate in litigation, support or coordinate with any parties in litigation, or advise judges on how they should rule in any case." A subsequent Fox News Digital review published in December found that several CJP expert lawyers and judges continued to have close ties to the curriculum and are deeply involved in climate litigation, including tapping insight from university professors who have also filed several climate-related amicus briefs. "CJP doesn't participate in litigation, support or coordinate with any parties in litigation, or advise judges on how they should rule in any case," an ELI spokesperson defended in a comment to Fox News Digital in December. "Our courses provide judges with access to evidence-based information about climate science and trends in the law." Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this piece. Print Close URL

Maurice Scholten: The RTA has more money to work with than it realizes. State lawmakers need to know this.
Maurice Scholten: The RTA has more money to work with than it realizes. State lawmakers need to know this.

Chicago Tribune

time5 days ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Maurice Scholten: The RTA has more money to work with than it realizes. State lawmakers need to know this.

Public transportation is a critical government service contributing billions of dollars to Illinois' economy and a better quality of life for all Midwestern residents. Efficiently moving people throughout our region has made Illinois a vibrant place. Allowing that to deteriorate in the wake of post-COVID-19 ridership changes would be a catastrophic misstep. How northern Illinois public transportation systems should receive the funding that would reportedly avert fiscal cliff-driven service cuts in 2026 is still under discussion, but an oft-overlooked aspect is a tax law change state lawmakers approved last year. A vast coalition of public transportation advocates, including the Regional Transportation Authority, has referenced since 2022 projections showing an original budget deficit of $730 million that is now calculated to be $771 million as emergency federal funding recedes and operating costs reportedly rise. The coalition hopes state lawmakers return to Springfield and approve a package of new revenues and governance reforms to head off service cuts at the CTA, Metra and Pace. By continuing to cite the $771 million figure, it is apparent the well-meaning coalition is not considering an Illinois sales tax law change that took effect Jan. 1. The new law says retailers in Illinois shipping goods to a customer from outside the state must collect the sales taxes in effect at the delivery address. This means more sales are now subject to the RTA's 0.75% sales tax in the collar counties and the 1% sales tax in Cook County. Here is an example of how the difference benefits Illinois local governments, including the RTA: Imagine someone ordered a shirt in December from an online retailer and had it delivered to their home in Evanston. The retailer has stores in Illinois, but it ships the shirt from an out-of-state warehouse to the customer's address and collects 6.25% in sales tax — the statewide rate on general merchandise. If the same order were placed today, it would be subject to a total sales tax rate in effect at the customer's home in Evanston, which is 10.25%. The local governments imposing a portion of sales tax at the delivery address — the city of Evanston (1.25%), Cook County (1.75%) and the RTA (1%) — would receive the additional tax. Inspired in large part by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc., this law change is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for Illinois local governments, including public transit systems. An analysis of Illinois Department of Revenue data suggests the RTA alone received an additional $94 million from sales taxes and the corresponding 30% match provided by the state of Illinois from retail transactions in the first four months of 2025 than it did in the same time frame in 2024. This represents 14.1% over-the-year growth at a time when the RTA expected sales tax receipts to grow by 3%. Subjecting deliveries from out of state to local sales taxes was introduced in the Illinois Senate in February 2024, and so the RTA could not have built these new revenues into its operating budgets and deficit projections. It would have also had difficulty foreseeing how this law would affect its tax collections when it announced in December a forthcoming $771 million deficit, as evidenced by its more modest sales tax growth forecast. But the RTA has now been aware of the bill since it became law in August 2024, and there are four months worth of tax data reflecting the law change. Cook County even cited this law change for its higher-than-anticipated sales tax collections. Nevertheless, the public transportation coalition continues using the out-of-date $771 million fiscal cliff projections only months before 40% service reductions become real. Using those four months of data, it is reasonable to expect the RTA will finish 2025 with at least $150 million in additional sales tax and matching state revenues that have not been included in the fiscal cliff projections. If economic and buying trends hold steady, then this change should generate more than $225 million in additional revenue in 2026. The RTA should be applying these non-forecasted revenues toward its fiscal cliff budget deficit, thereby leaving lawmakers and public transportation advocates with a smaller hole to fill. The rippling consequences of public transportation service cuts in northern Illinois are too great to simply ignore fiscal realities that have transpired over the past 18 months. Absent other unreported budget gaps that offset the revenues the bill is delivering, continuing to rely on clearly outdated information does not build good intergovernmental faith nor public trust in this vital, regional economic engine. State lawmakers need to know precisely what the system needs to sustain itself, especially if they are expected to justify new taxes and fees to their constituents concerned about other financial pressures. My organization therefore urges the RTA to present new budget projections before lawmakers return to Springfield to take up public transportation reform.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn scraps Lumumba-era park plan at property linked to bribery case
Jackson Mayor John Horhn scraps Lumumba-era park plan at property linked to bribery case

Yahoo

time7 days ago

  • Yahoo

Jackson Mayor John Horhn scraps Lumumba-era park plan at property linked to bribery case

A vacant stretch of concrete in Downtown Jackson once earmarked for a skate park, pickleball and volleyball courts, a community stage and other public amenities will no longer be developed as "The Pulse at Farish Street." Instead, Mayor John Horhn plans to tear up and improve the site — now a crumbling, weed-filled, make-shift parking lot across from the Jackson Convention Complex — and convert it to a functional, upgraded parking area for visitors to the convention center. "We think there's a better use for that property," Horhn said in a phone interview Monday. "So our plans are to convert the funds that have been dedicated to The Pulse to the demolition, which is underway. Then we'll come back with a parking opportunity for folks that are patronizing the convention center." The move represents a sharp pivot from a proposal made just months ago under former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and then-Planning and Development Director Jhai Keeton. That plan, unveiled in January, envisioned a three-phase development on the 7.75-acre site including a vendor park, pavilions, food truck space, and a leisure district with open-container alcohol rules. It came on the heels of a major federal bribery indictment tied to the site involving Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and former Councilman Aaron Banks — all of whom pleaded not guilty to a combined 17 felony charges. A trial is set for July 13, 2026. At the heart of the charges was a proposed convention center hotel that undercover FBI agents claimed they were interested in developing at the site. Federal prosecutors allege the three officials accepted illicit payments, favors and political contributions in exchange for helping advance the agents' bogus real estate company and sway decisions at City Hall. What happened to the Siemens settlement: Federal judge seeks answers on where funds in Jackson, MS, $89.8M Siemens settlement went The site — bordered by Pearl and Pascagoula streets — has sat largely unused since the Jackson Convention Complex opened in 2009. Since the Convention Complex's debut, the lot has bounced from one development dream to another — first a hotel, then a leisure park, and now, a more modest facelift. The latest decision follows visible movement on the site in recent weeks, including a large pile of torn-up cement that suggested imminent construction. The repaving project will require approval from the Jackson City Council, but Horhn said he's confident he'll have the votes needed. "We're going to have to get the City Council to agree to an amendment because they approved the Pulse project prior to us coming into office," Horhn said. "But we don't think it will be that difficult to achieve." The council had already approved $1.5 million for The Pulse, with an additional $600,000 slated from community development block grant funds. Originally, Lumumba and Keeton said the Pulse could generate $800,000 in its first year. Dale Partners Architects PA, the firm originally hired to design The Pulse after council approval in February, may now have an uncertain future. The firm was under contract to develop plans for the project, but with Horhn's decision to scrap The Pulse, it's unclear what will happen next for Dale Partners and their involvement in future development. Keeton, who led the project rollout under the Lumumba administration, is no longer the city's planning director. Horhn recently announced that Von Anderson, who served as interim spokesman on Horhn's transition team, has been named interim director of the planning department. As of this week, it's unclear whether Keeton remains employed by the City of Jackson. Contact Charlie Drape at cdrape@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS Mayor Horhn scraps park project tied to Lumumba bribery case

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store