A razor-thin majority of local residents at a public meeting on the Clybourn Corridor PMD support lifting zoning regulations on the district to facilitate development, in what can be called a litmus test as the debate moves forward.

Nearly 300 people attended the meeting at DePaul University last night, many with suggestions for what to do with the 28-acre A. Finkl & Sons site that's owned by Sterling Bay. Ideas ranged from turning Finkl into a tech hub to building a movie studio, DNA Info reports.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel suggested easing zoning restrictions on PMDs last month, with the caveat that developers seeking a zoning change would pay into a fund earmarked for infrastructure improvements in the area. Ald. Brian Hopkins, whose ward includes the Finkl site, is also in favor of relaxing the restrictions. Supporters of the PMD plan insist zoning regulations prevent rampant development. Some plans for the Finkl site will be presented 6pm on June 6 at UI Labs, 1415 N Cherry. [DNA]