Senate panel OKs Loyola lake plan

SPRINGFIELD Loyola University's plan to expand its campus on LakeMichigan landfill cleared a Senate committee Wednesday, overcomingopponents' arguments that the public should be guaranteed access tothe land.

The proposed selling of submerged state-owned land to a privateentity sets the stage for debate over use of lakefront land,historically jealously guarded by the city.

"The problem is a couple of principles that involve who owns andcontrols the lakefront," said Sen. Dawn Clark Netsch (D-Chicago), thesolo no vote against the measure, which passed 17-1.

The university wants to buy 25 submerged acres adjacent to itsFar North Side campus for $10,000, of …