Alderman Reilly is very pleased to report the successful adaptive reuse of an historic Streeterville building - the Lake Shore Athletic Club at 850 N. Lake Shore Drive.  

Alderman Reilly worked closely with the Chicago and Illinois landmark preservation community to designate and save a number of architecturally important historic buildings across downtown Chicago, including Jarvis Hunt's 1927 Lakeshore Club at 850 North Lake Shore Drive.

Upon taking office in May 2007, the pending demolition of the Lake Shore Athletic Club was the first controversial development issue to hit the Alderman's desk. With a demolition permit filed five weeks prior to Reilly taking office, and a looming demolition deadline of July 16th, 2007, the Alderman immediately intervened to preserve the building. Six months after declaring his opposition to a proposal by Northwestern University and Fifield Development to demolish the historic Lake Shore Athletic Club, Alderman Brendan Reilly was able to announce the building had been saved from demolition and slated for renovation.

After a thorough and deliberative community process, it was found that the building could and should be re-used.

Alderman Reilly is happy to report that after remaining empty for 9 years, 850 Lake Shore Drive reopened its doors in January 2014 as a luxury apartment building, adding to the distinctive "lakefront row" including designs by Lucien Lagrange and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Together with restoration architects, Booth Hansen incorporated many historical elements in this newly designed 19 story building, including brass pieces and the chandeliers from the former ballroom - now converted into 850 Lake Shore Drive's social room. The re-use now features 198 luxury apartment units, of which most enjoy views of Lake Michigan, due to the building's half hexagon shape.

(Matthew Phillips of Integrated Development Group, Alderman Reilly and Joe Valenti of Valenti Construction at a 2010 event celebrating the construction of 850 n. LSD and removal of an antique silver chandelier from former dining room) 

(Mediterranean Dining Room, 1920s) 

Alderman Reilly Visits with 42nd Ward Neighborhood Groups

Alderman Reilly recently spoke at the 2014 River North Business Association (RNBA) Annual Meeting, held February 4th at the Allerton Hotel. Alderman Reilly was glad to participate in a special surprise bagpiper procession honoring France Langan, outgoing RNBA Chairman of the Board.

 

  

 

 

 

Last month, Alderman Reilly was also invited by the Fulton River District Association (FRDA) / Neighbors of West Loop to give a "State of the 42nd Ward" address.  

 

At the January 22nd event at OVIE Bar and Grill, Alderman Reilly discussed upcoming and current developments, new infrastructure improvements and other neighborhood updates in the Fulton River District and West Loop.

 

A summary of the event was chronicled in a recent FRDA/Neighbors of West Loop newsletter. 

 

 

Alderman Reilly thanks Sharon Romack, RNBA President and CEO, and Larry Gage, FRDA President for inviting him to speak to their members.

 

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• The City to promote open data in the procurement process
• City and Cook County to increase coordination in the release of related datasets
• The release of new dataset including additional 311 calls, city-owned assets, business violations, specific public safety and hazard violations, and building code violations

By making data accessible, the City's significant expansion of content and growth in traffic has facilitated the development of numerous innovative civic applications by independent developers, such as:

• Chicago Works, which allows residents to make service requests to 311 and track issues as they are addressed
• Wasmycartowed.com, which lets users look up their car by license plate, make, or model and find out if it has been towed or relocated
• Adopt a Sidewalk, which allows users to adopt certain paths of sidewalk that they can maintain throughout the winter
• SweepAround.us, which allows users to input their address and find out when their street will be swept next. It also provides the option to register for text, e-mail and calendar alerts.
• ChicagoLobbyists.org, which provides users with information about lobbying in Chicago.

For a full list of City Data apps, visit:  

http://digital.cityofchicago.org/index.php/open-data-applications

To read the press release, click here.

City Holiday Monday, February 17, 2014: President's Day (Washington's Birthday)

The Offices of Alderman Brendan Reilly will be closed Monday, February 17th for President George Washington's Birthday.

Additionally, all public libraries, Chicago Public Schools and non-essential City departments will be closed during this time to comply with the City of Chicago mandatory holiday schedule.  If you have a need for city services, please call 311 for non-emergency requests, or dial 911 if you require immediate assistance.

Alderman Reilly's 42nd Ward Constituent Service Office will also be closed Saturday, February 15th.  

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In a Primary Election, citizens vote to determine which candidate will represent their political party in the General Election.

Voter Registration 

There are several ways to register to vote before the Tuesday, February 18, 2014 deadline:

1. Complete the Illinois Voter Registration Application
2. Visit the Chicago Board of Elections at 69 W. Washington, 6th Floor 
3. Visit an IL Secretary of State's Office if obtaining new driver's license or state ID
4. Register through an active deputy registrar
5. NEW in 2014! 17-year-olds (born on or before November 4, 1996) can register and vote in the March 18, 2014 Primary Election 

To check on the status of your voter registration, please click here.

Grace Period Voter Registration 

Grace Period Voter Registration is the safety-net program for those who missed the standard deadline to register - February 18, 2014.

Grace Period Voter Registration is offered from February 19 to March 15, 2014 and requires the voter to register or update their records in-person at the Election Board Offices, located at 69 W. Washington Street, 6th Floor. They are open from 9:00am - 5:00pm Mondays through Saturdays, with Sunday hours to be determined. 

Voters need to bring at least two forms of identification, and at least one ID must the address of their new/updated registration.After registering, "grace period" participants vote during the same visit. Those who use Grace Period registration/voting cannot use Early Voting, Absentee Voting or Voting in the Polling Place on Election Day and must vote during the same visit when they register.

Early Voting 

Early Voting for the 2014 Primary Election will be offered from Monday, March 3 through Saturday, March 15, 2014 at the following locations near the 42nd Ward:

Museum of Broadcast Communications

360 N. State Street

9:00am - 5:00pm
Open Mondays through Saturdays

Board of Elections 

9:00am - 3:00pm Sundays

 
A list with all of the locations where early voting is available is viewable here .

During Early Voting:

• Voters registered in the City of Chicago may use any Early Voting site in the city, regardless of where the voters live.
• Voters don't need a reason or excuse to use Early Voting -- but voters do need to present government-issued photo identification.
• Ballots cast in Early Voting are final. After casting ballots in Early Voting, voters may not return to amend, change or undo a ballot for any reason. It is a felony to vote more than once -- or to attempt to vote more than once -- in the same election.

Absentee Voting
Any registered voter in Illinois may cast an absentee ballot by mail.  Voters do not need a reason or excuse to vote absentee by mail.

February 6, 2014 is the first day that civilian voters in the United States may apply to cast an absentee ballot in March 18, 2014 Primary Election.

Qualifications for Absentee Voting:

• Anyone registered to vote in Chicago are eligible to cast absentee ballots.  However, the voter must file a completed and signed request for absentee ballot by the legal deadline.
• Applications for military and civilians overseas must be received at the Election Board by close of business on Monday, March 10, 2014.
• Applications from voters in the United States must be received at the Election Board by close of business on Thursday, March 13, 2014.

Please click here for detailed information about Absentee Voting.

Key Dates to Remember

• February 18, 2014: Deadline to register to vote.
• February 19 through March 15, 2014: In-person Grace Period Voter Registration offered at Election Board, 69 W. Washington St., 6th Floor.
• March 3 through March 15, 2014: Early Voting offered at 51 sites throughout the city
• March 10, 2014: Military/Civilian Overseas voter applications must be received by Election Board. Fax and email applications accepted. 
• March 13, 2014: All other absentee applications must be received by Election Board.
• March 16 to 17, 2014: In-person absentee voting offered at the Election Board, 69 W. Washington St., 6th Floor.
• March 17, 2014: Last day absentee ballots may be postmarked and certified by the voter or delivered in person to Election Board.
• March 18, 2014: If a voter failed to submit an absentee ballot with a postmark before Election Day (March 17 or earlier), the voter may submit the unused absentee ballot to the judges at the polling place designated for that voter's precinct and cast a ballot in person.
• April 1, 2014: Last day that a mailed absentee ballot (postmarked or certified March 17 or earlier) may arrive at the Election Board to be included in the count.

More information is available at the Chicago Board of Elections website.

Chicago Volunteer Expo

The Chicago Volunteer Expo is a one-stop shop for Chicagoans looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities. There are so many ways to give back to your community in 2014.  Find the one that is right for you at the Chicago Volunteer Expo.

Visit over 75 nonprofit organizations from all over the city to learn how you can lend a hand.  Whether your passion is the environment, the arts, or social justice, there is a volunteer opportunity waiting for you. All ages welcome at this free event.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

2430 N. Cannon Dr. 

Chicago, IL 60614

For more information, visit chicagovolunteerexpo.com.

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Free Social Media Marketing Seminar

As part of the Online Marketing Contest presented by Chicago City Treasurer Stephanie Neely and Constant Contact, FREE marketing seminars will be held on a variety of online marketing topics such as email, social media, mobile, and more! Information on Educational Event Series #4 can be found here. 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

8:30am - 12:00pm noon

USB Tower

1 N. Wacker Dr., Michigan Ballroom

Chicago, IL 60606

For more information or to register, click here.

Chicago Cultural Center's Winter Open House  

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) cordially invites all Chicago residents and visitors to attend the Chicago Cultural Center Winter Open House.

Friday, February 21, 2014

11:00am - 7:30pm

Chicago Cultural Center

78 E. Washington Street

Chicago IL, 60602

Live entertainment begins at 11 a.m. with the Juicebox performance series and continues with a Wired Fridays mid-day DJ dance party at noon. The Open House concludes with opening receptions for two new exhibitions, Mecca Flat Blues and Thirty-Five Years of Public Art, and LiveWire Chicago's premiere of Assistance by Leslye Headland across the street at the Storefront Theater at 7:30pm.  

All events are FREE unless noted.  A full schedule of events is available here. 

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Chicago Police Department Events and Notices 

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Street Closures and Construction Updates

Filming of a Simulated Bomb Threat at Daley Plaza and City Hall

Date and Time: Friday, February 14, 2014 at 6:30 pm to Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 7 am

Location: Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington)

Traffic Impact: There will be intermittent street closures at the following locations:

• Washington from Clark to Dearborn
• Randolph from Clark to Dearborn
• Dearborn from Washington to Randolph
• Clark from Washington to Randolph

Commercial Filming on LaSalle St.

Date and Time: Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Location: LaSalle Street between Madison and Calhoun

Traffic Impact: Filming will take place outside along this stretch of LaSalle Street and there will be a "No Parking/Tow Zone" in effect on the west side of LaSalle St (between Madison and Calhoun)

Street Closures on Harrison Street Bridge

Date and Time: Monday, February 17, 2014 and until September 2014

Location and Traffic Impact: the Harrison Street Bridge over I-90/94 (The Kennedy), between S. Halsted St. and S. DesPlaines St. will be closed while the Illinois Department of Transportation performs construction work on The Circle Interchange

Lane Reduction on Halsted Street Bridge

Date and Time:  Starting Monday, February 17 and until September
Location and Traffic Impact:  The Halsted Street Bridge over I-290 (The Eisenhower) will be reduced to one lane in each direction while the Illinois Department of Transportation performs construction work on The Circle Interchange.  Detours will also be in effect and encouraged.

Emergency Sewer Work on Wabash

Date and Time:  Starting Monday, January 27, 2014 and lasting until late February

Location:  Wabash Ave (from Washington to Madison)

Residential and Traffic Impacts: Wabash Avenue from Washington to Madison will be completely closed to all traffic from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and 70 feet of parking will be occupied on both sides of the street at all other times in order to remove debris from a sewer pipe.  There should be no impact to pedestrians.  There will be some night-time noise.

Lane Closure on Wacker at Lake Shore Drive

Date and Time:  Now in effect through mid-March, 2014

Location: Intersection of Wacker Drive and Lake Shore Drive

Traffic Impacts:  To accommodate the replacement of a counter-lock on the bridge (the mechanism that keeps the bridge level), CDOT is required to close a turn lane on Wacker Drive headed into Lake Shore Drive, and a northbound travel lane on Lake Shore Drive.

Partial Lane Closure on Hubbard Street  

Date and Time:  Starts Tuesday, January 14 to early February, 2014

Location:  Hubbard Street (from Orleans to Kingsbury)

Traffic impact:  To accommodate an electrical hookup to a construction site, there will be partial lane closures and temporary parking restrictions along the block

Water Project at 900-930 N. State Street

Date and Time:  Wednesday January 22 to late February, 2014

Location:  N. State St. (from Walton to Delaware)

Erie Street Closed to Through Traffic for Construction Near NMH

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850 N. Lake Shore Drive Recently Reopened as Luxury Apartments - an Adaptive Re-use Success Story!

Free Social Media Marketing Seminar

 Chicago Cultural Center's Winter Open House 

Utility Assistance and Community Resource Fair

Join your Alderman in the St. Patrick's Day Parade! 

Your Upcoming CAPS Meeting 

Registration for March 18 Primary Ends Tuesday, February 18, 2014