Taft Chicago partners Liz Butler and Graham Grady were selected to join the City of Chicago’s Cut the Tape Task Force. In December 2023, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed Executive Order No. 2023-21, tasking 14 City departments with identifying administrative burdens inherent in the City’s development review processes.

In April 2024, the Johnson Administration released the Cut the Tape Report, highlighting 100+ action steps the City may take to alleviate administrative burden in order to facilitate the creation of more affordable, supportive, and market-rate housing units, stimulate business and commercial development in all neighborhoods, minimize project delays, and increase satisfaction with City processes. The initiative aims to enhance efficiency, streamline processes, and catalyze growth across Chicago’s housing and real estate development sectors by eliminating redundant and inefficient steps in the development process.

The City of Chicago has pledged to take action with three strategies:

• Build Faster – accelerate development by streamlining approval processes
• Build Everywhere – allow more housing and commercial businesses to be developed across the city
• Build Together – collaborate with public, private, and philanthropic stakeholders to generate innovative solutions

The Cut the Tape Task Force was formed to develop a plan of action to implement the recommendations of the Cut the Tape Report. The Task Force is comprised of experts and practitioners in housing and commercial real estate development. Task Force members are responsible for supporting the City with strategy, implementation, and measuring the success of the Cut the Tape Initiative. To learn more about the Initiative, click here.

To read the full press release, click here.

Butler focuses her practice in the areas of land use, zoning, entitlements, urban planning, public incentives, historic preservation, and economic development, as well as general real estate transactions. She works closely with developers, city officials, and community groups to navigate the complex web of regulations and approvals required for large-scale development projects.

Grady advises real estate developers, investors, and property owners on land use entitlements and economic incentives. He helps secure necessary approvals for land developments in the Chicago metropolitan area and throughout the Midwest. Grady is a former member of the Chicago Plan Commissioner and served as the City of Chicago Zoning Administrator and Commissioner of Buildings. He currently serves on the board of directors of World Business Chicago, and was selected to join the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.