A letter to Mr. Hopkins

For about our class policy we are learning about who represents us. We learned about the Aldermen, Congressmen, state senators and so on. This action project is about writing a letter to someone who represents you I choose 2nd ward alderman Brian Hopkins. He is signing a proposal for a new TIF district and major development called Lincoln yards.

Dear Aderman Hopkins,

I want to say I fully agree with your support on the Lincoln Yards Project. I feel that it would make the vacant space actually profitable. Three things that this can do for you bring in tax dollars which you can use to fix other important issues. Also, you will clean up an area that is empty and makes is populated and clean. Also, it can bring in new business which affects the income of the area.

I agree with you that this can bring jobs to their area. The agenda given to supporters noted Sterling Bay’s intention to create more than 10,000 construction jobs in addition to 24,000 permanent jobs, according to the company. Another thing to remember is at the moment the land is mostly industrial or vacant. If Sterling Bay builds Lincoln Yards it will become some of the most valuable residential and commercial property in the city. Property owners there would be paying tens of millions of dollars in property taxes. But the vast majority of this money would—as I said—be diverted from the schools to the TIF. This was by former mayor Rahm Emanuel


Unfortunately, there is opposition to this. Some people think that the money given to the company from the government is uneasy and should be spent in other places. What I think about this is that the government will make so much money from the taxes of the places that it has a change of making it back. To be honest, though I think you gave them a perfect amount because this I a huge project and there are many hidden expenses when building things. My father worked in construction for a few decades and he knows some small issue has the possibility of taking on hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This project is an amazing idea and I think will change Chicago forever. I think this because other big companies like sterling bay will see this massive project and then think maybe they can do the same in another vacant area. Like everything there clearly is some opposition from racially related issues to just not wanting change this can be overcome though. I am fully in support of you during this build.


Thanks,