October 10, 2025

Alderman Reilly Reports

Alderman Reilly's Office Closed on Monday, October 13 for Columbus Day

Alderman Reilly’s 42nd Ward Office, all Chicago Public Libraries, and other government offices will be closed on Monday, October 14th for Columbus Day as mandated by the City of Chicago holiday schedule. If you need non-emergency city services, please call 311. Please dial 911 if you require immediate assistance.

Emergency Repairs on the Grand Avenue Bridge Starting October 13

CDOT recently announced plans to complete emergency repairs on the Grand Avenue Bridge. Construction will begin on Monday, October 13 and will be completed on Friday, October 24, with work taking place from 8am - 4pm. Traffic will be maintained in both directions during the closure, but traffic will be reduced to one lane on the south side of the bridge. The traffic lanes and sidewalk on the north side of the bridge will be closed during repairs.

Bank of America Chicago Marathon and

Abbott 5K Race This Weekend

The 47th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be held on Sunday, October 12. Street and sidewalk closure will be in place. For a full list of closures, please click here. A list of closures in Grant Park can be found by clicking here. Please click here for more information on the CTA bus and train reroutes that will be in effect for the race.

See below for this year’s course map.

The Abbott Chicago 5K race will also be taking place this weekend on Saturday, October 11. More than 10,000 runners will be running in Grant Park and the Loop. Most streets will be closed for traffic from 6:30-9:30am, but Wacker Dr between Adams and Van Buren will be closed from 5-11am. Parking will be prohibited on the streets listed here starting at 1am on Saturday morning.

Chicago Avenue Bridge Construction:

Traffic Pattern Update

As reported in previous Reilly Reports, in response to residents’ concerns about increased traffic in River North, Alderman Reilly has coordinated with CDOT to implement several traffic calming measures. CDOT will install “Local Traffic Only” signs around the area bounded by Chicago Ave, Orleans St, Grand Ave, and the north branch of the Chicago River. Southbound traffic will be rerouted to LaSalle St, and northbound traffic will be rerouted to Orleans St to avoid traffic congestion near the Chicago Ave & Halsted St intersection.

To assist drivers, traffic control aides have been placed at several intersections on Kingsbury St from 3-7pm on weekdays. This assistance will be in place until Friday, October 17, but Alderman Reilly has requested an extension of this assistance due to the number of construction projects in the area. The Chicago Avenue Bridge will remain closed until the end of the year 2026. Click here for more information and see below for the current detour map.

42nd Ward Development Proposals at Next Week's Chicago Plan Commission Meeting

On Thursday, October 16, at 10:00am, the Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) will host a public meeting to review proposed applications and/or zoning amendments, including two in the 42nd Ward, detailed below:

67 East Oak:

The applicant proposes to demolish the existing five-story vacant commercial building and construct a new two-story retail building containing approximately 5,960 square feet and standing 34.5 feet in height. The new structure will include a grand open staircase, an electric machine-room-less (MRL) elevator, and a rear egress stair. No basement is proposed.

DuSable Park:

The Chicago Park District has submitted a Lakefront Protection Ordinance application for the long-anticipated DuSable Park. Alderman Reilly successfully secured $10 million from Related Midwest, the developer of the adjacent 400 North Lake Shore Drive project, along with $5 million in Open Space Impact Fee funds to support the park’s design and construction. The 4.5-acre site will include pathways, open space, native landscaping, wetlands, and a mural walk honoring Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable. To review design details and learn more, visit the Chicago Park District’s website here.

Because these projects are both located in the Private Lakefront Protection District, the proposals are subject to a hearing before the CPC to ensure they do not impede access to the Chicago Lakefront or inflict harm on the natural lakefront environment, however, they do not require approval from the City Council.

The October 16, 2025, Chicago Plan Commission meeting will be held in Room 1103 on the 11th floor of City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., and will start at 10:00 a.m. Attend in person to provide public comment at the beginning of the hearing. A link to live stream the meeting will be added to CPC’s website on October 16.

Arts in the Dark Parade Next Weekend

Next weekend on Saturday, October 18, Arts in the Dark will return to State Street for its 11th annual parade. The event is free for all. The parade will take place on State St between Randolph St and Van Buren St from 6-8pm. Staging will take place on State St from the Chicago River to Randolph St just north of the parade route. Closures will be in place at all the side streets of the staging area and parade route. For a complete list of street closures, click here. For more information, please click here.

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.

To find your appropriate beat to attend your CAPS meeting, please click here.

Cook County Homeowner Property Tax Relief

The Cook County Board of Commissioners recently launched a program to assist homeowners who have experienced a substantial increase in property taxes in recent years. The relief fund's eligibility has broadened from a 50% increase to a 30% increase in property taxes, and that change is reflected below. The program will begin providing immediate assistance to homeowners that meet the following eligibility requirements:

You experienced a property tax increase of at least 30% in the 2021, 2022, or 2023 tax years
You have a household income at or below Cook County's median income (~$120,000 for a family of four, $96,000 for a family of two)
You occupy the property as your primary residence

Accepted applicants will receive $1,000 in one-time assistance. The application has been extended through October 31 at 11:59pm. Please click here to apply.

Renaissance Court October Calendar

Renaissance Court has released their October calendar for events, workshops, activities, and lessons for those who are age 55 and older. The public center is open on weekdays from 8:30am - 4:30pm. All events are free to attend. Please click here to view this month's calendar.

Pin & Link Project:

Randolph, Columbus, & Stetson

CDOT's joint rehab work is ongoing along Randolph Street, Columbus Drive, and Stetson Avenue. Please see details below for the ongoing construction and closures.

General Construction Schedule:

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

10/13 - 10/17 & 10/20 - 10/24:

Columbus Drive (Wacker Dr to Randolph St):
Work along center lanes of Columbus on upper, intermediate, and lower levels
Access Impacts:
Center lane and median closures (driveway access to be maintained)
Pedestrian detours around sidewalk work areas
Temporary closure of northbound lane on Lower Columbus from Randolph St to Lake St
Detour route will be in place directing all vehicles up the ramp to intermediate Columbus
Closure in place until 10/20
Randolph Street (Stetson Ave to Field Blvd):
Work along north side of Randolph on upper, intermediate, and lower levels
Access Impacts:
North curb lane closure and parking restrictions (driveway access to be maintained)
Pedestrian detours around the sidewalk work areas
Randolph Street (Stetson Ave to Field Blvd):
Work along the south side of Randolph on intermediate level
Access impacts
South curb lane closure and parking restrictions (driveway access to be maintained)
Pedestrian detours around the sidewalk work areas

Additional details about the ongoing Pin & Link project will be provided in future weekly updates.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Filming:

199 W Hubbard

On Tuesday, October 14, a commercial will be filming scenes for Navistar near 199 W Hubbard. During filming, parking will be prohibited on 10/14 from 7am to 6pm at the following locations:

South Side of Hubbard from Wells to Franklin
North Side of Illinois from LaSalle west to the alley

If you have any questions, concerns or special needs, please contact Larry Versola at 312-925-5638.

Crane Lifts:

165 N Canal

On Monday, October 20, Bay Crane will be lifting HVAC units to the roof at 165 N Canal St. Cranes will begin lifting on the south end of Canal St, allowing residents to exit the garage with the assistance of traffic control aides. The crane will make its way to the north end, and residents will be able to enter the garage from Randolph St. CTA bus operations will not be affected. During the lift on 10/20, "No Parking" signs will be posted on Canal St between Randolph and Lake St between 9am - 4pm. Pedestrian access on the east side of N Canal St will be restricted for the safety of all.

205 W Superior

On Friday, October 17, a partial road closure will be in effect for a crane lift at 205 W Superior. Parking on the north side of Superior St will be prohibited, and traffic will be redirected.

Lake Street Bascule Bridge Closed October 6

Full street and sidewalk closures on the bridge went into effect October 6. Overnight work is scheduled to occur on October 11, 12, 22, 25, and 26. During all work, access to nearby buildings and residences will be maintained for both pedestrians and vehicles.

Detours will be in place for traffic in both directions. Click here for the full detour map. During this work CTA Green and Pink lines will operate normally, except for two 12-day planned closures in Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. The work on the Lake Street Bascule Bridge is expected to be completed in January 2028.

Ohio Place Dog Park Closed for Re-Seeding

The Ohio Place Dog Park remains closed for a re-seeding project. Alderman Reilly authorized a portion of his Aldermanic Menu Funding to install this new fertilizer. The park will remain closed until the end of October. The gates have been locked, and closure signs have been placed at both entrances. Please keep your dogs off the grass to allow it to grow during this closure. We encourage residents to use the Larrabee Street Dog Park.

State / Lake CTA Station Upgrade

CDOT and CTA continue work to transform the 108-year-old CTA train station at State & Lake. The work will affect the CTA bus routes listed here. Starting the evening of Monday, October 13, Lake St will be reduced to one lane at the site, and State St will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Wacker Dr and Randolph St. The new station is expected to be finished in 2029.

830 N Michigan Façade Work

Contractors are completing work on the façade at 830 N Michigan Ave. During work, a temporary sidewalk closure will be in place until approximately October 31. The façade will be fully enclosed with a temporary wall, allowing a portion of the sidewalk in front of 830 N Michigan to remain open to pedestrians.

Street Resurfacing - Wabash Ave from Wacker Dr to Balbo Dr

CDOT continues work on Wabash Avenue from Wacker Drive to East Balbo Drive. The work is a part of the CDOT's Arterial Street Resurfacing Project.

The work will include ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement, milling and paving the existing asphalt, and striping improvements. During construction, temporary "No Parking" signs will be periodically installed. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions on construction closures.

Work is estimated to be completed by the end of October 2025.

State Street Bridge Project

CDOT continues structural repair work on the State Street Bridge. Throughout the project, the bridge will remain 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 by the beginning of December 2025.

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 continues to restore infrastructure trenching.