Vacant land turns to gold for insiders: Buyers with clout cash in on parcels

This article from the Chicago Tribune is as important as the series "Squandered Heritage" from 2003, which looked at what the writers called "The Demolition Machine" and the failure of the City of Chicago to systematically protect identified historic building resources.

The kinds of points made in this article are similar to those raised with regard to DC's Home Again initiative ever since it was first launched in 2002/2003. It's all about the Growth Machine.