The zoning committee unanimously approved the controversial plan to redevelop the Lincoln Park Hospital site last Tuesday, only two weeks before the aldermanic runoff elections. The plan, dubbed New Webster Square, will include a high-rise apartment building, office and commercial space, as well as a grocery store with a 255-space parking lot on the site of the now-closed Lincoln Park Hospital at 550 W Webster Ave.

On Tuesday, March 22, the city zoning committee signed off on the project, with not a single member opposing it. This has further cleared the path for the redevelopment of the site, after the current alderman Vi Daley announced in an email last month that she was content with the changes made by the developers, and would no longer delay the process.

But it has not always been a smooth ride. The years long debate over the future of Lincoln Park Hospital has been marked by heated discussions, with residents and local politicians largely divided on the issue. The retail component of the project remained the subject of most controversy, with locals calling it “this big box,” “elephant,” and “a nightmare scenario.” Last month, Kim Schilf, president and CEO of the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce was booed, after saying she supports the redevelopment.

However, the timing and the urgency with which Ald. Vi Daley pushed forward with the project has generated a number of questions. On April 5, aldermanic runoff elections will take place, and Vi Daley will consequently retire from her post in early May.

In an interview earlier last month, Daley said she would like to see the plan go through the City Council, the next and final stage of the process, before she steps down.

“Taking a pass on the project could leave Lincoln Park with an empty hospital building for years to come,” she said.

Former Alderman Martin Oberman said that due to Daley’s lame-duck status, the committee should not have gone forward with the vote.

“The alderman is no longer accountable, she’s leaving office in a couple months,” he said.

The plan will likely be signed before the next alderman is determined, but it has nevertheless played a significant role in the elections and has been used as leverage to generate support. Committeeman Michele Smith, one of the two candidates, opposes the project. The other, Tim Egan, administrator for Norwegian-American Hospital, supports it.