RECAP: Chicago Must Build to Grow

SMACNA Greater Chicago welcomed Congressman Mike Quigley to the September 8 Membership Meeting, where he offered a glimpse into the fiscal and political challenges facing Chicago.

He began by pointing to Chicago’s position as a transportation and economic crossroads as one of its greatest assets, saying the city has many of the resources it needs to grow. He also addressed the city’s financial challenges, noting 40% of the city’s revenue currently goes toward debt and pension obligations, and that Chicago faces an $800 million structural shortfall heading into next year. Quigley argued that Chicago can grow its way out of its fiscal challenges rather than relying on additional taxes.

Housing was a key part of that conversation. Quigley said Chicago needs to build 50,000 new housing units, pointing to the roughly 4,200 units approved in Chicago last year compared with 37,000 in New York. He said the city needs to remove barriers that are keeping housing from being built.

For SMACNA members, Quigley’s comments on prevailing wage hit close to home. He explained that because Illinois’ prevailing wage lacks a housing-specific classification under Davis-Bacon, it runs higher than California’s or New York’s, driving up the cost to build subsidized units above what it costs to build market-
rate ones.

Quigley connected housing directly to public safety and education, citing research linking vacant lots to neighborhood crime and arguing that filling those gaps can address multiple civic challenges at once.

He also stressed regional cooperation, saying Chicago can’t solve its fiscal problems without support from the General Assembly — and shouldn’t expect Washington to come to the rescue.

On public safety, Quigley acknowledged improving trends, although Chicago’s violent crime rates remain four times higher than New York City’s.

He closed by urging all Chicagoans to focus on what unites them, emphasizing infrastructure, transit and education as shared priorities across the city.