Critics also have questioned whether there is some economic or political motivation that caused Tillman and the city to shift the Mid-South’s recommendation for the Blues District four blocks south. Alderman Tillman’s influence in the development of the Blues District has been glaring. Tillman was the founder of Tobacco Road Inc., a non-profit company that joined with the city in developing the $19.5 million project of the Harold Washington Cultural Center, which was funded by private and public sources in a TIF (tax increment financing) District. Through this company other buildings have been erected at the intersection. The interconnections of local politicians, the city, and family business appear to be weaving a web of kickbacks and handouts.

Tillman’s and the city's decision to move the Blues District to 47^th St. is not without credibility though. While the Mid-South’s Plan called for the work to be done on 43^rd St. in conjunction with an African Marketplace, there are many benefits to having the cultural development zone in its present location. The Mid-South recommended major commercial growth at the intersection of 47^th St. and Cottage Grove because it had potential to draw shoppers from the middle class neighborhoods of Kenwood and Hyde Park. (Mid-South Planning Commission 1993, 123)