Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, with support from Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) and developer Related Midwest, announced the formation of a Community Advisory Council (CAC) that will serve as a conduit for community input as the $7 billion “The 78” development project on the Near South Side moves forward. Working with the developer and the local aldermen, the City is soliciting applications from community members to serve on the CAC. An application for CAC volunteers is available at www.chicago.gov/78. The 17-member CAC will consist of neighborhood representatives, community leaders, design professionals, and subject-matter experts appointed by Mayor Lightfoot and Ald. Sigcho-Lopez in consultation with neighboring aldermen and local stakeholders. The group will meet quarterly starting in early 2020, making recommendations ranging from public infrastructure design to traffic control and open space, among other issues. Encompassing 62 acres of vacant land along the South Branch of the Chicago River, The 78 is planned to include approximately 13 million square feet of new commercial, residential and institutional construction. The project is anticipated to generate 39,000 permanent and temporary jobs, 12 acres of open space, multiple infrastructure improvements including a new Red Line subway station at 15th Street, and a 20 percent affordable housing commitment.