Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Taxation
Plaintiff filed suit for declaratory and injunctive relief against developers and City, challenging formation of TIF District and Business District, and use of municipal sales taxes from project to reimburse developers for infrastructure improvements. Existence of 100-year-old underground mine, unused since 1940s, qualifies property as "blighted" within meaning of TIF Act, and impaired the sound growth of project area given evidence of need for remediation and nearby subsidence events. Farmland portion of TIF District was vacant through subdivision and therefore blighted, as whether a parcel is "vacant" under Act does not depend on how land was used or controlled but whether it was subdivided. Developers' contribution of $250,000 to City's revitalization project was not a reimbursable cost or "signing bonus", and did not void the Redevelopment Agreement.(CHAPMAN, concurring; SPOMER, dissenting.)