32nd Ward Newsletter August 22, 2025

Greetings!

We had a hopping and successful shredding event today. Thank you to Midway, Menards, Sheriff Tom Dart’s office for providing their prescription disposal program, and to Commissioner Marcelino Garcia from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District for providing a rain barrel to be given away! You can also purchase a rain barrel from the MWRD here. The truck did arrive late because of an vehicle issue, so we truly appreciate your patience and apologize for the delay. Staffers were outside assisting and monitoring progress the whole time while taking requests for different city issues. Thank you to the over 150 residents we saw today who shredded and recycled a ton of paper!

The Bucktown Arts Fest is this weekend. This event has been happening in Bucktown since the early 1980's and I hope you'll support it once again. Unfortunately, there was a mix up with the No Parking Signs so please try to move your car by 8/23 at midnight if you're on the route. The orange City signs say 10 a.m. but the white paper signs are the correct ones. Whatever you can do to assist the Festival and artists is appreciated.

There are also many late summer and fall events coming up including the Chicago House Music Fest, RETRO on Roscoe, and the Bloomingdale Trail (606) Run. Please see below for more info on events.

Finally, we added an update on Lincoln Yards, now moving in part to become Foundry Yards. We are excited to see forward movement on the site and will be providing updates as the new plans move forward.

Have a nice weekend.

Alderman Scott Waguespack

Bucktown Arts Fest

Click flyer above for more info.

Foundry Yards Replaces Part of Lincoln Yards

After the demise of the north side of the Lincoln Yards (LY) project earlier this year, with OZK Bank pulling the plug on the long awaited Sterling Bay project, a new plan has emerged dubbed Foundry Park. 


Over the past year, my staff and I have been working on revitalizing the floundering LY project, reaching out to potential tenants for several parts of the LY area, including the Chicago Fire for a new stadium. Many of these attempts to bring in new life to the LY area didn't work for the developer. OZK decided in March that they had enough of waiting for something to happen with Sterling Bay on their portion of the project. As many of you know, the Chicago Fire decided to settle on the 78 location off of Roosevelt. 


Since then, we have been working with a new developer, led by Jim Letchinger at JDL, who is in partnership with OZK and Kayne Andersen to redevelop the area north of and west along Cortland Avenue. The initial plans call for a residential and retail based development, with a focus on open green spaces, utilizing the river, and creating a pedestrian friendly plan. We also continue to work on the Bloomingdale Trail extension that requires much more engineering work to cross the UP Metra rail as well as Elston and the Chicago River. Congressman Quigley has been partnering with us on funding and planning issues for the Metra station (which will not be moved to a new location) and the trail extension.


JDL is working with our office, the city planners at CDOT and DPD, and is meeting with community groups and others to discuss the ideas and direction for the project. The new version of the development will require us to prepare and pass an amended planned development ordinance but the TIF district will stay in place and help fund the public improvements needed in the area.

Below are a couple of the initial concepts for the area but they are not final. We will provide updated information as it becomes available, including public meeting dates. We look forward to seeing the new plans come to fruition and finally revitalizing the new Foundry Yards and beyond. Here are some background articles that also tell a small part of the story:

Lincoln Yards was supposed to transform the North Side. What went wrong? Developer Sterling Bay is losing the Lincoln Park site to impatient lenders.

Lincoln Yards’ Only Completed Building Is For Sale

One of nation’s largest development sites gets new investors, name and vision in Chicago

2025 Street Cleaning Calendar

Next week, street sweeping will occur in sections 14, 15, and 16 (Bucktown). Click on the map above to see your section's schedule.

Please be on the lookout for signs and make sure to move your vehicle on your scheduled day (south and east sides of the street are normally done on the first day, north and west on the second; please watch for signs). Sweepers will do more than one pass on the block in their initial cleaning but will not come back to clean sections outside of their officially scheduled day.

Please take the time to help clear the curb in front of your property to keep the sewers flowing well. Any landscaping debris should be bagged and put in the alley by your trash cans. Please do not sweep landscaping debris into the street. Piles of leaves and heavy garbage also clog the sweepers and will cause significant delays. Other large objects like branches and metal will also damage the sweepers, so please remove them from curbs.

Residents can view street sweepers in real time using the Sweeper Tracker online tool. 

Public Safety Section

Ashland Resurfacing

CDOT is going to start an Ashland Arterial Resurfacing project next week, between School and Ridge. The portion in the 32nd ward is only between School and Roscoe, and is included in the 1^st of total 3 phases. This 1^st phase is between School and Montrose. CDOT anticipates completion of this phase during 2025.

In the 32nd ward, CDOT will be constructing concrete curb extensions at Ashland intersections with School, Henderson, and Roscoe. After concrete is poured, the street will be resurfaced. 

CDOT expects temporary parking impacts during construction, and will retain travel in both directions throughout the project. 

IDOT Safe Routes to School Program

Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced that the 2025 Safe Routes to School program will be accepting applications from August 1 through October 13. Safe Routes to School has three main goals: enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school; to make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; and to facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity (within 2 miles) of primary, middle, and high schools (grades K-12).

For complete information about this IDOT opportunity, visit this link.

 Safety & Security Rebates for SSA #33

Take advantage of Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area #33's safety & security rebates! Each pin holder is eligible for up to $2,000 each year towards improving security measures, such as installing anti-graffiti film, buzzer systems, security cameras, and more. More information can be found online here, or you can email them directly at ssa33@wickerparkbucktown.com.

In other SSA #33 news, they are looking for a contractor to assist with their rat birth control distribution; find the details online here. And speaking of rat birth control distribution, SSA #33 is launching a residential pilot where residents can purchase it at a wholesale value- $130 instead of $200. More information can be found online here. 

Check Out These FREE Events from the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce

Fall Wine Wobble (9/18 from 6-9 PM on Division St)

Sip, Stroll, and Shop Local This Fall!

We couldn’t wine-d down the excitement for fall—so why wait? Celebrate the season’s arrival in one of Chicago’s most vibrant neighborhoods: Wicker Park!

Join us for the Fall Wine Wobble, a festive evening of sipping fine wines, nibbling tasty bites, and discovering the best of local small businesses on Division Street—from spas and art galleries to jewelry boutiques and more!

Early Bird Tickets Sales begin 8/24

WPBCC Lunch & Learn (9/30 from 12-1:30 PM @ Studio 424)

Come hang out for a Lunch & Learn with intellectual property pro Julie A. Katz, JD! She’ll share simple, must-know tips for small businesses on protecting your trademarks and copyrights. You’ll also learn how to keep your brand and products safe.

Bonus: Lunch is on us, courtesy of WPBCC member Balanced Plate Nutrition.

12:00 PM: A light lunch will be served

12:30 PM: Programing Begins

1:00 PM: Q & A

Learn more here!

Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend

Get ready to refresh, recharge, and feel your best during Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend!

Health & Wellness Showcase featuring free mini-spa services

Open and free to public featuring free mini-spa services including chair massage, mini facial, ear acupuncture, skin treatment, brow & lash consultation, and more.

Saturday, September 6, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lincoln Common Plaza, 2335 N. Lincoln

Free Outdoor Workout Classes

Sign up for free outdoor workout classes on Saturday, September 6 and Sunday, September 7.

Click here to sign up for classes.

Meet Me On Milwaukee!

On the last Sundays of August, September, and October, Milwaukee Ave will be closed to automobile traffic between the North/Damen intersection and Ashland from 10 AM - 5 PM to encourage neighbors to get out and explore!

Hang out with us in the street, listen to live music, and shop and dine up and down Milwaukee as your favorite local businesses will be setting up shop on the sidewalks!

Milwaukee Ave

between North/Damen and Ashland

August 31st, 10 AM - 5 PM

Businesses on Milwaukee Ave and beyond are invited to set up shop in the street for Meet Me on Milwaukee!

If your business is located within the street closure for Meet Me on Milwaukee, you can set up on the sidewalk in front of your store. Businesses on Damen, North, Western, Armitage, Ashland, and Division, are also invited to set up in the side streets surrounding Milwaukee Ave and connect our business community!

Free Mammograms at Humboldt Park

As part of their efforts to promote community wellbeing across the city, the Chicago Park District has partnered with RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center to host a free mobile mammogram screening event in the parking lot of the Humboldt Park Boathouse starting on August 25 for women ages 40 and older.

Location:

Humboldt Park Boathouse – Parking Lot

1301 N. Humboldt Dr.

Chicago, IL 60622

Dates & Time:

August 25 – August 29 | 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

September 1 – Closed for Labor Day

September 2 – 5 | 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Details:

• A mammogram is an X-ray image that examines the breast for signs of breast cancer.
• Free mammograms are available for women ages 40 and over
• No insurance is required
• Walk-ins are welcome; appointments are also available at 312-942-3225
• The mammograms will take place within a mobile unit.

FREE: Chicago House Music Festival and Conference

The four-day music festival celebrates the global impact of Chicago’s homegrown genre with free programming, performances and events at Millennium Park and across downtown Chicago. For the complete schedule, visit ChicagoHouseMusicFestival.us

City News

• Woman Gets 7 Years for Citywide Stabbing Spree
• Stolen Service Dog, Bam Bam, Returned to Blind Man in Logan Square
• IDOT Announces Reopening of Kennedy Expressway Lanes
• City Council Should Start Policing Its Own Bad Behavior, Chicago’s Watchdog Says
• Applications Sought for Chicago’s Next Police Misconduct Agency Chief
• Johnson to Unveil Budget Plan Mid-October, Starting Months of Tension Over $1B Gap
• Mike Quigley Among Potential Chicago Mayoral Candidates Mulling Run