Chicago Sun Times - Fran Spielman
Armed with a new “disparity study,” the mayor wants to extend the construction set-aside program until December 2027 and relax its eligibility requirements.
Chicago’s construction set-aside program for minorities and women is one of the last surviving big-city programs in the country.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot plans to keep it that way for at least six years, while relaxing standards that prematurely push minority contractors out of the program — but not relaxing them enough to satisfy some aldermen.