On Friday, July 15, Alderman Reilly joined the Steve Cochran show with Pete McMurray and Andrea Darlas on WLS Radio. They discussed recent incidents Downtown, police resources and policing policies, and the casino. Please click here to listen to the interview.

CDOT Arterial Street Resurfacing Projects

The Chicago Department of Transportation recently completed arterial street resurfacing and concrete work at the following locations:

• West Illinois Street, from North State Street to North Wells Street
• East Illinois Street, from North McClurg Court to North Streeter Drive

The concrete work consisted of ADA ramp improvements and curb extensions, which narrow wide streets and make it safer for pedestrians to cross the intersection. 

Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for future infrastructure improvements.

Lollapalooza 2022

Lollapalooza will be taking place in Grant Park on Thursday, July 28th at 11:00 a.m. to Sunday, July 31st at 10:00 p.m. The venue closes each night shortly after 10:00 p.m. Please visit www.lollapalooza.com/information for a map of access points, stages, and vendors. Similar to years past, several artists will be using pyrotechnics in their performances. Closures for the event will consist of the following: 

Street Closures:

• Balbo, from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive: July 13th to August 7th
• Jackson, from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive: July 13th to August 6th
• Balbo, from Michigan to Columbus: July 25th to August 1st
• Jackson, from Michigan to Columbus: July 25th to August 1st
• Columbus, from Monroe to Roosevelt: July 25th to August 1st
• Columbus (Northbound, two center lanes), from 13th Street to Roosevelt: July 25th to August 1st
• Congress Parkway, from Michigan to Columbus: July 25th to August 1st
• Monroe, from Michigan to Lake Shore Drive: July 27th to August 1st with limited access for the Art Institute of Chicago

Sidewalk Closures:

• Michigan, from Jackson to Balbo: July27th to July 31st
• Balbo (both sides), from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive: July 13th to August 5th
• Columbus (Northbound side), from Roosevelt to the 9th St. Yard: July 13th to August 5th
• Columbus (Southbound side), from 9th St. Yard to S. Ida B. Wells: July 18th to August 4th
• Jackson (both sides), from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive: July 18th to August 5th
• Lake Shore Drive (Northbound side), from Monroe to Roosevelt: July 20th to July 20th
• Monroe (Eastbound side), from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive: July 18th to August 3rd
• Lake Shore Drive (Southbound side), from Monroe to Roosevelt: July 23rd to August 6 th
• Balbo (both sides), from Michigan to Columbus: July 25th to August 1st
• Jackson (both sides), from Michigan to Columbus: July 26th to August 2nd
• Congress Parkway/Circle, from Michigan to Columbus: July 25 th to August 1st
• Congress Parkway (Westbound & Eastbound side), from Michigan to Columbus: July 23rd to July 24th
• Columbus (both sides), from Monroe to Roosevelt: July 25th to August 1st
• S Michigan Ave, from 11th St. Bridge to Jackson: July 28 th to July 31st
• Lake Shore Drive (Northbound side), from Monroe to Roosevelt: August 2 nd to August 2nd
• Pedestrians will not be allowed access to the Museum Campus Tunnel from July 28-31.
• To access the lakefront along this closure, pedestrians must use the north sidewalk of Roosevelt.

To report an immediate concern during the event, please use the following Neighborhood Call-In Line: (252) 513-7621. The line will be active from Monday, July 25th through Monday, August 1st.

Casino Update

The City of Chicago in coordination with Bally’s Chicago is hosting a Virtual Community Meeting on Tuesday, July 19th at 6 PM regarding the temporary casino at the Medinah Temple, 600 North Wabash Street. Click here to register for the virtual meeting.

At this meeting, Bally’s Chicago will present its plans with respect to historic preservation and answer questions related to historic preservation of the Medinah Temple, since it is a Chicago Landmark. This is in advance of the Landmark Department's Permit Review Committee review of the project, scheduled to take place in August.

The community may submit any questions or comments in advance via email to [email protected]. Additional public engagement related to traffic, public safety, and other community concerns will take place at an in-person public engagement session in the near future. However, the July 19th meeting will focus solely on historic preservation.

The Mayor’s Office also recently announced the creation of a Casino Community Advisory Council (CAC) in order to create a forum for ongoing community engagement throughout the development of the Casino. The CAC will have 20 members representing impacted community areas, as well as subject matter experts in a range of fields including transportation/infrastructure, economic equity, and gambling addiction. The deadline to apply is today - if you are interested in serving on this CAC, please click here. 

Alderman Reilly remains extremely frustrated about the City Council’s approval of the casino at these locations. Please click here to review Alderman Reilly’s position on the matter, published in Reilly Reports on May 27, 2022. 

The casino proposal is still awaiting review by the Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) to discuss the proposed amendment to the Planned Development. CPC will also allow for additional public comment. After CPC, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) will consider the application and there will be another opportunity for the public to weigh in on the issuance of the casino license. Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for more information regarding public engagement opportunities with the IGB.

Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) to Consider 42nd Ward PD Amendment on July 21st

On Thursday, July 21, at 10:00am, the Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) will host a virtual meeting to review proposed applications and/or amendments, including one proposal within the 42nd Ward, detailed below. Rules for public participation in virtual meetings are now available. A link to live stream the meeting will be added to CPC’s website on July 21st.

On May 23, 2022, Alderman Reilly introduced an ordinance to amend Residential-Business Planned Development (PD) 735. PD #735 governs two parcels within the 42nd Ward: a mixed-use building, located at 2 East Erie Street (Sub-Area A), and a surface parking lot, located at 1 West Huron Street (Sub-Area B). The ordinance proposes to remove “lodging” or “hotel/motel” as a permitted use in Sub-Area B (1 West Huron Street) of PD 735. No other changes are proposed to the existing PD. 

The surface parking lot within PD #735 is directly adjacent to the Eurostar Magnificent Mile Hotel, located at 660 North State Street. Since PD #735 currently permits all uses in the B7-6 General Central Business District and accessory parking, the proposed ordinance amends the permitted use statement to exclude “hotel”. Alderman Reilly proposed this amendment to prevent a hotel development on the empty lot located at 1 West Huron Street.

Free Brookfield Zoo Tickets for 42nd Ward Residents!

Alderman Reilly’s Office has 100 free admission tickets to the Brookfield Zoo for 42nd Ward residents. Alderman Reilly would like to thank Commissioner Bill Lowry for helping secure the tickets for the 42nd Ward. For the latest information about Brookfield Zoo and its safety procedures, please click here. 

Tickets will be distributed as follows on a first-come-first-served basis: 

• Family: five tickets  
• Individual: two tickets  

Parking passes are also available for residents but are very limited in quantity. Please email Alderman Reilly’s Office at   [email protected] to reserve your tickets, while supplies last. Reserved tickets must be picked up at City Hall, Room 200 with proof of residence.  

(Image Courtesy of the Brookfield Zoo)

Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge Repair Project

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will begin repairs to the Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge over the Chicago River in early August, 2022. 

This project consists of the following:

• Concrete repairs on the Grand Avenue Viaduct
• Steel repairs to the Bridge 
• Concrete repairs on the Bridge
• Replacement of the steel grid decking of the Bridge

The project will occur in two phases. During phase 1, westbound vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge over the Chicago River will be prohibited. Phase 1 will be completed mid-September (weather dependent) - Phase 2 will begin immediately after. 

Throughout the duration of Phase 1, westbound traffic on Grand Avenue will be detoured northbound on LaSalle Street, westbound on Chicago Avenue, southbound on Ashland Avenue, back to westbound on Grand Avenue. Please click here to view a map of the detour route for Phase 1. 

The entire project is expected to be finished mid-November (weather dependent). Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for updates regarding Phase 2 of the Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge Repair Project.

Crime & Safety: Postcard Writing Campaign

Alderman Reilly is extremely frustrated with the ongoing criminal activity plaguing our City, and the lack of accountability from the Cook County Criminal Justice System. He is in constant communication with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Office about crime in the Downtown neighborhoods. Most recently, Alderman Reilly sent a letter to Superintendent Brown relating to downtown crime, described in Reilly Reports on May 20th.

All law enforcement agencies should work collaboratively to resolve the increase in crime. While CPD does great work, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s Office and Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans need to increase their efforts to hold criminals accountable.

We are asking residents to participate in a postcard writing campaign to State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s Office and Chief Judge Evans to express concerns about the lack of accountability and releasing individuals accused of violent crimes on electronic monitoring.  

Postcards can be picked up at the 42nd Ward Constituent Service Office located at 121 North LaSalle Street, Room 200 (Monday - Friday from 9am to 3pm). Please click here for sample postcard language, mailing addresses, and more information about the campaign.

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) manages Chicago City Markets and is excited to bring back the Daley Plaza Farmers Market located at 50 West Washington Street. 

The Farmers Market is held on Thursdays from 7am to 2pm. Please click here to learn more about Chicago City Markets and other farmers markets throughout the City of Chicago.

Beginning June 7, the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents (SOAR) will host its annual Farmers Market at the Museum of Contemporary Art located at 220 E. Chicago Avenue. SOAR's Farmers Market is open every Tuesday from 7am-2pm.

Please click here for more information about SOAR's Farmers Market. 

CDOT has identified Lake Shore Drive Bridge adjustments that need to be made. This project will occur during the overnight hours to accommodate weekly boat runs during the day. This work will occur on Mondays and Thursdays beginning June 9. The project is expected to be completed in mid-July. 

Upper Lake Shore Drive will be closed from Illinois Street to Monroe Street and Lower Lake Shore Drive will be closed from Grand Ave. to Lower Wacker Drive. 

Detour Route:

Southbound traffic will be directed off onto westbound Grand Ave., to southbound Columbus Ave., to eastbound Monroe St. and back to LSD. Northbound traffic will be directed off at westbound Monroe St., to northbound Columbus Ave., to eastbound Illinois St. and back to LSD. 

CDOT has scheduled emergency work on the Dearborn Bridge to begin June 13 (weather dependent). They will be conducting the following work:

• Replacing both sidewalks
• Replacing all of the bridge grating
• Replacing the beam structures 

The project is expected to be completed in December 2022 (weather dependent). 

The bridge will be reduced to one lane of traffic/sidewalk at a time. Bike traffic will be detoured to Clark Street via the north side of Upper Wacker Drive.

• 18th District: (312-742-5778 / [email protected])
• Beat 1824 Meeting scheduled on Thursday, July 21st at 6 PM
• 1st District: (312-745-4381 / [email protected])
• Beat 133 Meeting scheduled on Wednesday, July 20th at 3 PM
• Beat 131 Meeting scheduled on Wednesday, July 20th at 6 PM
• 12th District: (312-746-8306 / [email protected])
• Beat 1214 Meeting scheduled on July 20th at 7 PM 

NASCAR Press Conference Street Closures

On Tuesday, July 19, from 2:30-3:30pm, the Mayor will hold a press conference at North Water and Cityfront Plaza. During the press conference, the following streets will be closed:

• Upper North Water, from Columbus Drive to Cityfront Plaza
• Cityfront Plaza, from Upper North Water to Illinois Street

There will be a fire lane on North Water Street for emergency response vehicles. 

Atlas Stationers Sidewalk Sale

On Monday, August 18 and Tuesday, August 19, there will be a sidewalk sale at 227 West Lake Street. Pedestrian traffic will not be obstructed during the sidewalk sale. 

120 East Oak Street Interior Demo/Facade Project

In mid-July, Skender Construction will begin an interior demo and facade project at 120 East Oak Street. Work hours will be 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday. 

Throughout the project, the following will be closed:

• 12' of sidewalk in front of 120 East Oak Street for a scissor lift and covered pedestrian walkway
• Curb lane in front of 120 East Oak Street

The project is expected to be completed in 15 weeks (weather dependent).

618 S Michigan Sidewalk Work

Columbia College is repairing sidewalk cracks and caulking adjacent to their building at 618 S. Michigan Avenue.

There will be an 8' wide/21' long construction fence in-place at this location throughout the project.

Work hours are 8am-5pm. The project will be finished in late July.

Chase Tower Clark Street Tunnel Project

In mid-July, Berglund Construction will begin repairs on the Chase Tower Clark Street tunnel at 23 S. Clark Street. The project scope consists of repairing Chase’s below-grade tunnel structures that cross below Clark Street at 23 S. Clark St, and will require excavation of Clark Street in that area to access the tunnel structures to perform repairs.

There will be one lane of southbound traffic open at all times. Berglund will have flaggers and barricades in-place throughout the project. 

The project will last 26 months. Berglund would like to begin mid-June. Works hours will be Monday-Friday, from 8am-5pm.

Demolition Notice: 535 N. St. Clair Street

Precision Excavation & Demolition (PED) was hired to demo the parking structure at 535 N St. Clair Street. Demolition will begin in September, and work hours will be Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm.

PED plans to install a high bay pedestrian canopy on the north side of Grand, from St. Clair to a point 100' east thereof. Additionally, they plan to prohibit parking on the north side of Grand, from St. Clair to a point 100' east thereof. Both the canopy and parking restrictions will be in-place throughout the project. 

The sidewalk on the east side of St. Clair, from Grand to appoint 100' north thereof will be closed for the first week of the project. Construction fencing will be put in-pace between the sidewalk and the site. 

PED plans to demo the building from west to east. They will have dust mitigation in-place and bait for rodents before work begins. All demolition activities will occur on their property. The crane will not be on ROW. 

The entire demolition will take one month to complete. 

Cassidy Tire Demolition

On Monday, May 9, McHugh Construction began demolition of Cassidy Tire located at 344/350 N. Canal Street. McHugh's contractor (Atlas) will demo the building from the back (south side) to the front (north side). The demolition is expected to last 2 months. 

Immediately after the demolition is completed, construction of the 33-story mixed-use building will begin. During demolition and throughout construction, McHugh Constriction will occupy the curb lane on the west side of Canal along 344/350 N. Canal Street's property line. The construction company has leased the area north of the building from the railroad to use as a staging area. Additionally, they will use the parking lot south of the building as a staging area too.

As a reminder, this project is contributing numerous public benefits. Click here for a list of public benefits, and stay tuned to Reilly Reports for future updates on this project and implementation of these public benefits.  

All work is expected to take 24 months to complete (weather dependent).

311 W Huron Project

In June, ARCO Murray began construction of a new building at 311 W. Huron Street. Work hours will be Monday-Friday, from 9am-5pm (8pm during caisson pours).

Throughout the project, the following City right-of-way will be occupied:

• Sidewalk/curb lane on the south side of Huron, from Franklin west to the end of 311 W Huron's property line - approximately 150'. The sidewalk will be used to store their concrete pump, dumpster, and hoist dock. Trucks will back into the site at this location too. Jersey barriers will be placed in the curb lane to create a protected pedestrian path.
• 3' of the sidewalk on the west side of Franklin, from Huron to the first alley south thereof. This leaves 6' of clearance. They will need to push the fence out a few feet during excavation.
• 150' of the east/west alley bounded by Huron, Franklin, Erie, and Orleans will be closed. The closure is from Franklin to a point 150' west thereof. 

The project is expected to be completed in September 2023 (weather dependent). 

Randolph Street Viaduct Repair

This project is on-hold due to supply chain issues. The contractors will demobilize the site and reopen traffic lanes the week of June 27.

CDOT expects work to begin again in mid-July.

Peoples Gas Main Installation Project: Bellevue, from Lake Shore Drive to Rush

At the end of May 2022, Peoples Gas began installing a 900' gas main on the south side of Bellevue Place, from Inner Lake Shore Drive to Rush Street.

The main will be installed in sections of 150'. Once the gas main is installed, service lines will be connected from the new main to each building on the north side of the street.

This will require trenching from the south to north side of the street. All work is expected to be completed by late July (weather dependent). Curb-to-curb restoration will occur in August. 

Millennium Park Music Festivals 

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced the return of the following free summer music festivals in Millennium Park:

• Millennium Park Summer Music Series (June 20 – August 18)
• Chicago Jazz Festival (citywide and in Millennium Park including Jay Pritzker Pavilion): Thursday – Sunday, September 1–4
• Chicago House Music Festival and Conference (Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park): Friday, September 16
• World Music Festival Chicago (citywide): Friday, September 30 – Sunday, October 2

Gas Main Replacement - Michigan, Monroe to Lake

On Monday, February 7, Peoples Gas began a gas main replacement on the west side of Michigan Avenue, from Monroe to Lake. Work hours will be 9am-4pm. This project is expected to be completed in August 2022 (weather dependent).

214 West Erie Street Renovations

On Monday, December 13, Crane Construction began renovations of 214 West Erie Street. During construction, the following will be closed:

• Sidewalk/curb lane in front of 214 West Erie Street. The curb lane will be used as a pedestrian walkway. Crane Construction will place jersey barriers and ramps in the curb lane to protect pedestrians and provide wheelchair access. 
• Close 100' of the north/south alley adjacent to 214 W Erie Street. This is a T alley and residents of 222 W Erie will still be able to access their parking garage from the alley entrance on Franklin and Huron.

This project is expected to be completed summer of 2022 (weather dependent).

LG Construction: 751 N. Hudson and 451 W Chicago 

LG Construction has recently broke ground at 751 N. Hudson Avenue and 451 W. Chicago Avenue, which are adjacent parcels. Work hours will be 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday.

Throughout the project, the following will be closed:

• Sidewalk/curb lane/traffic lane of the east side of Hudson, from Chicago to the first alley south thereof
• Sidewalk/curb lane/traffic lane on the west side of Sedgwick, from Chicago to the first alley south thereof
• Sidewalk/curb lane on the south side of Chicago, from Hudson to Sedgwick

There will be a protected pedestrian walkway in the curb lane on the south side of Chicago Avenue, from Hudson Avenue to Sedgwick Street.

This project is expected to take 18 months to complete (weather dependent). 

354 North Union Construction

The Onni Group is constructing a 33 story residential building with 373 units. Work hours will be 8am-8pm, daily. 

Parking will be prohibited on North Union, from West Kinzie to the cul-de-sac west thereof throughout the project. All construction equipment and vehicles will be staged on the Onni Group’s property. This project will take approximately two years to complete. 

430 N. Michigan Lobby Renovation

In September 2021, GNP Realty Partners began renovating the lobby at 430 N. Michigan Avenue. Throughout the project, there will be a 40’ urban canopy on the sidewalk in front of the building. In order to place the canopy on the sidewalk, the planter bed and City Information Panel (CIP) at this location will be temporarily removed. Both the planter bed and CIP will be reinstalled upon completion of the project. The project is expected to be completed in July 2022. 

South Water Street Viaduct Replacement

This project is on hold due to supply chain issues. The viaduct will remain closed while the project is on-hold. 

CDOT hopes to begin work again in mid-July. 

Overnight Parking Ban Downtown

Until further notice, overnight parking will be restricted on the following streets during the weekend:  

• Both sides of Huron from Rush to Dearborn
• Both sides of New Street, from Illinois to North Water
• Both sides of Stetson, from Randolph to Wacker 
• Both sides of Beaubien Court, from Randolph to Lake 
• Both sides of Randolph, from Harbor to Michigan 

As always, please make sure to read all posted signage before parking your vehicle downtown.