May 30, 2025

Alderman Reilly Reports

Alderman Reilly Dedicates Honorary Street Sign for Anthony A. Durpetti

Last week, Alderman Reilly unveiled an honorary street sign for Anthony A. Durpetti, the late owner of Gene & Georgetti Steakhouse in River North. Anthony took over the restaurant in 1989 and turned it into an iconic symbol of hospitality in Chicago’s central business district.

Alderman Reilly secured City Council approval to designate the northwest corner of East Illinois Street and North Franklin Street as “Anthony A. Durpetti Way” near the entrance of the steakhouse Anthony owned for nearly four decades.

It was Alderman Reilly’s pleasure to read a City Council Resolution (R2024-0012871) honoring Anthony A. Durpetti in front of his family, friends, and co-workers at the unveiling ceremony. Anthony was a friendly face for so many diners across Chicago, and his life was marked by generosity, humor, infectious spirit, and business acumen. Please see the photos below from the unveiling ceremony.

42nd Ward Development Updates

On Wednesday, May 28 we sent an update to keep you informed on the many new developments moving forward in the 42nd Ward. From adaptive reuse projects that update historic buildings to new construction on long vacant lots, there’s strong interest in investing in Downtown Chicago. These proposals reflect renewed confidence in the central business district and a shared commitment to its long-term vitality. Please review the project details below—we welcome your feedback as part of our transparent community review process.

PD Amendment Proposal for 150 West Hubbard Street:

In 2016, the City Council approved a Planned Development (PD) for a 19-story (235’ tall) Hyatt Andaz Hotel at 150 West Hubbard Street / 430 North LaSalle Street. The approved project included 196 hotel rooms and nearly 19,000 square feet of public food, beverage, and event space, including a rooftop bar. The development was intended for luxury travelers and long-stay guests, with no on-site parking due to the site’s proximity to public transit. Andaz locations are known for being a destination for weddings and corporate gatherings.

Based upon changed market conditions, the property owner is now seeking to amend the PD to revise the program for a new hotel concept. The proposed new hotel is designed for The Cloud One Hotel, a popular “affordable luxury” company, which operates nearly 100 locations in Europe.

The revised building was previously proposed as shorter (16 stories and 193 feet tall) with more and smaller rooms (341 keys), and eliminating all of the public event space, including the rooftop bar. After thorough review, Alderman Reilly directed the property owner to scale back the project. The project is now proposed with 297 rooms, and a further reduced height to 15 stories and 186 feet in height. Approximately 3,800 square feet of ground-floor restaurant space is proposed as the only commercial space in the building, and all outdoor spaces would be limited to hotel guests. No on-site parking is included in the amended plan. The revised plans, comparison images and traffic study can all be found here.

Type 1 Application for 223 West Erie:

Concord Capital is proposing to adaptively reuse the existing building at 223 West Erie by converting its upper floors from office to residential use, while preserving the ground-floor retail. The project will create approximately 66 new rental apartments without altering the building’s height, footprint, or envelope. An on-site loading dock accessed from the public alley will be used to support the residential use. No zoning change is required. To allow the building to remain in its current form, the development team will seek a transit-served location parking reduction, to reduce the required rear yard setback, and other minor zoning relief. The building has been nominated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as part of this redevelopment effort, which will deliver much-needed new housing to the area while preserving and ensuring the long-term sustainability of this historic resource.

These projects will be reviewed at an upcoming Chicago Plan Commission meeting, with subsequent approval required by City Council. As part of Alderman Reilly’s transparent community process for new developments, your comments and observations are welcome. Please click here to provide your feedback on 42nd Ward developments.

Proposed Landmark Designation:

161 East Erie Street

On May 15, 2025, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks held a public hearing regarding the proposed designation of 161 East Erie Street as a Chicago Landmark. The hearing included presentations from City staff and testimony from the property owner, as well as community stakeholders. This public hearing was a required step in the process, as the property owner did not consent to the proposed designation.

The Commission is expected to issue a final recommendation on landmark designation at its next meeting on Monday, June 9. That meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed for those who wish to follow the proceedings. Click here for information on the livestream and hearing schedule. Alderman Reilly appreciates the community’s engagement on this matter and will continue to share updates as they become available.

Chicago Blues Festival Next Weekend

Next weekend, the Chicago Blues Festival will take place in Grant Park from Thursday, June 5 through Sunday, June 8. The Chicago Blues Festival is the world’s largest blues festival, and admission is free for attendees. There will be several stages set up in Grant Park, including at Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the North and South Promenade. For more information, please click here.

After 6pm Thursday-Sunday, all guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by somebody 21 years or older. All entrances will be handicap accessible–please see the event entrance map below.

CAPS Meetings

18th District: (312-742-5778 / CAPS.018District@chicagopolice.org)

There are no scheduled beat meetings for this district for the remainder of the month.

1st District: (312-745-4381 / CAPS.001District@chicagopolice.org)

There are no scheduled beat meetings for this district for the remainder of the month.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Filming:

Fairmont Hotel: 200 N Columbus

On Wednesday, May 28th, through Saturday, May 31st, a commercial will be filming scenes at 200 N Columbus Dr. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations from 5:30am-midnight daily:

Both Sides of Middle Stetson from Middle Lake St to Middle South Water

If you have any questions, concerns or special needs, please contact Dan Marcus (312-539-6841).

190 N LaSalle

On Wednesday, June 4th, a movie will be filming scenes at 190 S LaSalle St. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations from 6/4 at 7am through 6/5 at 3am:

East Side of Wells St from Jackson Blvd to Monroe St
Both Sides of LaSalle ST from Jackson Blvd to Monroe St
Both Sides of Marble Pl from Wells St to LaSalle St

There will also be intermittent traffic control at the following location from Wednesday, 6/4 at 8pm to Thursday, 6/5 at 2am:

Marble Pl from Wells to LaSalle

If you have any questions, concerns or special needs, please contact Oscar Montesdeoca (773-372-4989) or Matt Cholewick (708-527-8289).

435 W Erie & 731 N LaSalle

On Friday, June 6th, a commercial will be filming scenes at 435 W Erie & 731 N LaSalle. The filming will not include any loud scenes. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations from 6am to 6pm on 6/6:

Both Sides of Erie from Hudson to Kingsbury
North Side of Superior from LaSalle to Clark

If you have any questions, concerns or special needs, please contact Adam Boor (312-469-0061).

Ohio Street I-90/94 Feeder Ramp Resurfacing

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will be performing resurfacing work on the outbound lanes of the Ohio Street feeder ramp. Only two lanes will be closed at a time. The project is estimated to be in progress until late 2025.

676 North Michigan Avenue Façade Project

Redmond Construction was hired to complete a façade project at 676 North Michigan Avenue. Currently, the following closures are in-place:

Sidewalk on the south side of Huron, from Michigan Avenue to a point 150' west thereof
Curb lane on the south side of Huron, from Michigan Avenue to a point 150' west thereof is being used as a pedestrian walkway
Partial sidewalk closure the west side of Michigan, from Huron to a point 100' south thereof

This project is expected to be completed by fall 2025.

State Street Bridge Project

On Monday, April 28, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) began emergency structural repairs to the State Street Bridge. Throughout the project, the bridge will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. State Street will remain open on both sides of the bridge during construction, and vehicles crossing the river will be rerouted to Clark Street and Dearborn Street.

The project is expected to be completed at the beginning of December 2025. Please see the flyer below for more information.

River North Lighting Project

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has completed new light pole installation in the area bounded by Chicago, Ontario, Orleans, and the river. CDOT has begun removal of the old light poles and continues to restore infrastructure trenching.

Pin & Link Project on Randolph and Columbus

CDOT crews are scheduled to perform steel work and bridge expansion joint rehab along Randolph Street, Columbus Drive, and Stetson Avenue. Please see details below:

General Construction Schedule:

7:00am - 3:30pm, Monday - Friday; with the occasional extension to 5:30pm as needed.

Scope of Work and Access Impacts During Construction:

In general, one lane of travel will be open at all times along each roadway, level, and direction. Access along sidewalks will remain open with detours around the work areas.

This project is expected to be completed at the end of June 2025. Asphalt restoration will occur in July 2025.

East Randolph Street Viaduct

CDOT will be performing work on a viaduct on East Randolph Street. The project will require the closure of the westbound lane on East Randolph Street between Columbus Drive and Stetson Street. The eastbound-to-westbound turnaround lane on East Randolph Street will also be closed. The closures will remain in place until June 13.

Bally's Casino Caisson Pours

Caisson pours are nearing completion and will be followed by foundation and utility work
Caisson pours could be delayed due to temporary construction halt at the Casino site
Total number of Casino and Hotel caissons: 356
Casino Piles – a total of 202

Work hours will continue to be 8am-8pm. However, if an issue arises during a pour, there is the potential that crews will work past 8pm. Once a caisson pour begins, it cannot stop until it is finished.

Bally's Casino Construction Resumed

Construction at the Bally's Casino site has resumed after briefly being halted by order of the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB). The IGB ordered the site to pause construction temporarily after it discovered Bally's was using an undisclosed and unapproved contractor.