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January 5, 2024
Happy New Year, Neighbors!
Some of you may have noticed that this newsletter was not published on Tuesday as expected. My apologies for the delayed publication, we’re migrating to a new platform next week and are still working out some kinks. I’m sending this one out tonight with some important reminders. We’ll be back to a full-sized newsletter next Friday!
- Tomorrow is the first Saturday of the month which means the 11th Ward office will be open from 9am - Noon. Stop by and see us! We still have calendars and COVID tests available!
- Monday, January 8, from 6am to 10pm, the City’s Shared Cost Sidewalk Program will be open for applications. This is a first come, first served program where property owners can share the cost of installing new sidewalks with the city. For more information, see below.
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'Tis the season for recycling your Christmas trees! If you have a tree you’d like to recycle, visit one of the many park district locations participating in the program, a full list is available here. Note, the closest location to the 11th Ward is McKinley Park located at 2210 W. Pershing Road.
- On January 18, from 5pm - 7pm, my office is partnering with the office of Cook County Board of Review Commissioner, George Cardenas, Cook County Commissioner, John P. Daley and other local elected officials for a free workshop on how to “Appeal your property tax assessment” Analysts will be on hand to assist with your appeal and answer questions in English and Cantonese. The event will be held at Nativity of Our Lord Church - 653 W. 37th Street.
- We’re moving our first Ward Quarterly Meeting of 2024 from January 18 to the following Thursday, January 25. Please note the date change due to the conflict with the tax appeal workshop and be on the lookout for more details in next week’s newsletter.
The first City Council meeting of the year will be on January 24th.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Nicole
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REMINDER! Shared Sidewalk Program
*** The 2024 Shared Cost Sidewalk Program will be open for applications on Monday, January 8, 2024, from 6 am to 10 pm. ***
The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program is an extremely popular voluntary program in which property owners share the cost of sidewalk repair with the City. Thousands of Chicagoans have been a part of this popular program, taking advantage of the low cost, exceptional value, and ease of participation.
The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program cost per square foot charged to property owners is well below what a private contractor would charge. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities may qualify for a further discounted rate.
Applications will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. The number of participants is based on the availability of funds. The program typically reaches capacity quickly, so you are encouraged to apply early. Please note that if you applied for the program in previous years, you must apply again in 2024 if you wish to be considered for the 2024 program. Applications will only be accepted through the City’s 311 system by calling 311, through the City’s service request website https://311.chicago.gov, or through the free CHI311 mobile apps on iOS Apple, and Android. The property owner’s contact information and the property address are required at the time of request.
The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program provides great value to property owners while helping improve neighborhoods. Should you have any questions, please contact CDOT at (312) 744-1746 or email cdotsharedcost@cityofchicago.org.
Click on the links below for more information on the program.
Program overview / Frequently asked questions
As always, residents can report other sidewalk conditions to 311 by phone or via the city website.
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Announcements & Information | |
Demolition Notice for 3815 S. Ashland
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DSI Advises that American Demolition Corporation (847-608-0010) has been contracted to demolish the building at 3815 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL.
In accordance with the City of Chicago requirements, you are hereby notified that the proposed demolition work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024 or as soon as a Demolition Permit is obtained.
Shortly before demolition, the City of Chicago may be using the structure at the above address for Chicago Fire Department training exercise.
"Nuisance controls imposed by the City of Chicago that apply to demolition work include the following:
- Dust: In order to avoid excessive Dust, the area must be kept wet during processing except during periods that are below freezing. Chutes, plastic tarps, and other measures are also necessary to provide dust control. Chutes are also required when lowering debris from upper floors.
- Water and Mud: Any large amounts of water or mud debris must be removed, including water and mud surrounding streets on a daily basis.
- Waste Materials Management: Building refuse must not litter the demolition site. All litter and waste must be removed from a site in a timely manner and taken to a permitted waste or recycling facility. However, certain recyclable materials that will be reused may remain on the demolition site.
- Waste Left on Site: In the event waste and debris must be stored on the site temporarily , they must be placed in containers and secured. If any materials are capable of becoming windblown or dispersing particles into the air, they must be secured and covered with a tarp or some other type of covering.
- Site Cleanliness: Additional regulations governing the cleanliness of all construction and demolition sites are set forth in section 13-32-125 of the municipal code of Chicago, which may be found on the City of Chicago Department of Building's web site, www.cityofchicago.org.
Violations of City of Chicago ordinance and regulations governing demolitions may be reported to the city by calling 3-1-1.
Demolition will take approximately 6 months to complete. During this time, American Demolition will take necessary precautions to ensure this job is accomplished safely and with the least possible inconvenience to neighbors.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call.
Sincerely,
Michael Stella
Development Solutions, Inc.
Project Executive
(312) 629-2800 Ext. 1017
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Free Admission Days
Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium is free for Illinois residents (with proof of residency) every Wednesday evening from 4:00 pm–10:00 pm. Stop by after work or school, or for date night and enjoy everything the Adler has to offer at night, for free as part of our Illinois Resident Discount Days program.
Reserve your free Museum Entry tickets and add on any sky shows for the full experience! Illinois residents may upgrade to a Museum Entry +2 pass at a discounted price and gain access to any of our breathtaking sky shows. You’ll be given an option to do this upon checkout. All tickets must be purchased online and in advance. All sales are final. Proof of residency will be required upon checkout. To show proof of residency, you can use a valid Illinois driver’s license or photo ID, Illinois student ID with photo, or a photo ID plus a document (utility bill, lease, etc.) that shows your name and Illinois address.
Website: https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/visit/tickets/special-offers/
Field Museum
Free Wednesdays are the perfect opportunity for you to explore our general admission exhibitions with your family or a group of science-loving friends. Adventure through the wilderness on a desert safari, explore ancient civilizations, and come face-to-face with prehistoric creatures— all in one place. The Field Museum has so much to explore, you’ll need more than just a day to see it all. But don’t worry; for Illinois Residents, every Wednesday in January is free.
Tickets for Free Wednesdays are only available to Illinois residents on-site and cannot be reserved in advance. Please ask a Visitor Services staff member for the special offer and show your Illinois proof of residency. You cannot take advantage of Free Days when buying tickets online.
Website: https://www.fieldmuseum.org/our-events/free-wednesdays
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11th Ward Snow and Winter Weather Reminders!
Sign Up for the the 11th Ward Volunteer Snow Team: Not everyone has the ability to shovel their sidewalk or has the resources to hire someone to do it. If you are in need of assistance, or if you're a volunteer able to help, please complete the form here. We'll for our best to match volunteers based on proximity and availability and send alerts when it snows more than 2 inches.
Remember to shovel your sidewalk: Under the Chicago municipal code, property owners and occupants are responsible for keeping sidewalks clear of snow and ice. The city mandates that a 5-foot clearance must be made along the sidewalk in order to ensure safety for all pedestrians and especially for those in wheelchairs, with strollers, or with assistive mobility devices. Click here for more Snow Removal FAQs.
Residents or property owners must shovel snow as soon as possible after it falls. Snow that falls between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. must be removed no later than 10 p.m., and snow that falls between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. must be removed by 10 a.m.
If sidewalks are uncleared, you may report them to 311, but we also recommend sharing the address with our office so we can contact the property owner to remind them of their responsibilities or see if they need assistance.
Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing
Prolonged, frigid temperatures put pipes at risk of freezing both outside AND inside. To help prevent expensive repairs from your interior plumbing freezing and bursting:
- Keep your home adequately heated.
- Make sure that warm air can circulate under cabinets and in areas where there is plumbing on the outside walls.
- Keep a trickle of water running at the faucet farthest from where the main water line enters your home. a small trickle of water can prevent thousands of dollars in property damage.
- If you do have a pipe freeze, use a blow dryer or heating pad to thaw it, not an open flame.
And if the water service line that carries water from the street into your home breaks or leaks, please call 311 and notify them after you have had a licensed plumber make the repair. The Department of Water Management will follow up to coordinate replacing the line.
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11th Ward
2023 Constituent Education Resource Card
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The 11th Ward office is happy to announce has a free ‘Constituent Education Resource Card’ available to residents wishing to visit select museums and zoos in the Chicagoland area. Constituents can reserve our Constituent Education Resource Card on a first come first serve basis (more instructions below), to visit any of the following museums in 2023:
- Adler Planetarium
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Brookfield Zoo
- Chicago Botanic Garden
- Chicago Children’s Museum
- Chicago History Museum
- Dusable Museum of African American History
- The Field Museum
- Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
- Lincoln Park Zoo
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Museum of Science and Industry
- National Museum of Mexican Art
- National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
- Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
- John G. Shedd Aquarium
Only one group of up to four (4) can reserve the pass at a time. The pass must be picked up and brought back to the 11th Ward Office. Constituents need to call for an appointment to come to the office to pick up the pass before visiting the museums. We recommend calling two business days before your scheduled visit.
It is strongly recommended that families utilizing the card contact the museum they plan to visit to learn if pre-registration is required to visit.
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Recycle Your Tree!
Chicago Park District is partnering with the Chicago Department of Streets & Sanitation to recycle ♻️your holiday 🎄 tree at any of the 27 locations citywide from Jan 6 to Jan. 20. Don't forget to remove the decorations & lights. 📌Bonus: Get free mulch at six designated sites starting Jan. 8. 👉 Find the list of sites at chicagorecycles.org
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Chicago Park District
Get a jump start on your New Year’s Resolutions! Chicago Parks' 71 fitness centers will be 🆓 from Dec. 27 to Jan. 7. Visit your local center to get started early on your 2024 fitness 🏋️♀️ & wellness goals.
👉 Pre-book your visit at www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/fitness-centers
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Canaryville Little League | |
Canaryville Little League Board Positions
Board positions for the 2024 season are now open. If you or anyone you know would like to apply, please sign up at: https://www.cvillell.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1438778
Like and Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLittleLeague
Visit us at: https://www.cvillell.com
For any questions, feel free to message us on FB Messenger or email us at socialmedia@cvillell.com
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All Chicago Police Districts have now been decompressed meaning there are no longer migrants being staged at or sleeping in them. The city is currently operating more than 25 shelters with no publicly announced plans to move forward with base camp tents in either Brighton Park or Morgan Park. The State of Illinois is currently working to open a former CVS location as a 200 bed shelter in Little Village. Buses continue to arrive in Chicago and the city has now instituted a permitting system by which buses carrying migrants from the border to Chicago must register for a permit to drop passengers off in a designated landing zone and with the authorization of city officials.
I continue to field questions and requests from residents about how we can help to find proper shelter for the migrants here in the 11th Ward while others have expressed their concerns and objections to any of our programs being displaced. Please know that if or when the time comes for a shelter or respite center in the 11th Ward, there will be an opportunity for the community to weigh in. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts and or concerns at our email address: ward11@cityofchicago.org.
What's happening in the ward
Given the 9th and 1st District police stations have been fully decompressed the traffic to the store and the demand for the items has become less intense. Thanks to our volunteers who have been keeping the shop running for many more months than any of us could have anticipated. We are currently at our max space capacity at the store and have paused accepting any additional donations.
How you can help
We are in need of volunteers to help us organize and sort our free shop as we get ready for colder weather. Thanks to those who volunteered yesterday to help with the changeover to winter clothing. If you'd like to volunteer, please email us at: ward11@cityofchicago.org.
If you’re interested in helping, click here for the 11th Ward Migrant Support Group and learn how you can get involved.
Many thanks to all of our neighbors who have organized themselves and coordinated volunteers, and donated supplies and meals.
The City of Chicago is accepting donations through an Amazon Wishlist set up in partnership with Instituto del Progreso Latino. To donate, please click here.
If you are a landlord looking to aid the migrant mission with apartments for rent, Catholic Charities will conduct a vetting process to confirm eligibility, send us an email so we can connect you to the right team.
Chicago Furniture Bank In partnership with New Life Centers, the Chicago Furniture Bank is providing furniture to new arrivals resettling into permanent housing. Chicago Furniture Bank is also the largest provider of free furniture to Chicago’s unhoused population. To donate extra furniture to our unhoused neighbors, including new arrivals, go to: https://www.chicagofurniturebank.org/
a. Schedule Furniture Pick-Up here: https://www.chicagofurniturebank.org/pickups
b. Donation Drop-offs: 4801 S Whipple St, Chicago, IL, 60632 [Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm]
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9th District Police
District Council & Beat Meeting Schedules
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The 2024 Schedule will be available at a later date.
Recordings of Beat meetings can be found on our YouTube channel here.
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Are you a business in the ward that's hiring?
Send us your job opportunities and we'll share them.
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The office has extended hours on Monday nights until 7:30 p.m. is open on the first Saturday of each month from 9:00am - 12:00 pm, if it's a holiday weekend, the office will
be open the following Saturday and/or Monday.
Alderwoman Lee will be happy to see residents on Monday nights from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. If you'd like to make an appointment, please call the ward office at 773.254.6677.
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11th Ward Office| 3659 South Halsted Chicago, IL 60609 |
773-254-6677
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