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Upcoming
SLN Events
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Photo Contest
Thur. & Sat.,
Aug. 27 & 29
South Loop &
Printers Row
Farmers Market
SLN Clean-Up Brigade
Sun., Sept. 6
Yard Sale
Sat., Sept. 12
Public Meeting
on Planning & Development
Wed., Sept 16
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This newsletter
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was produced by SLN Board Send news or notes to
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Photo Contest: "These Extraordinary Times"
Date: August 27 & 29
Location: South Loop Farmer's Market & Printer's Row Farmer's Market
Submissions due: TODAY (for digital submissions)
This year's photo contest theme is "These Extraordinary Times." All photo entries must be of the South Loop from the last three years. New this year, you can submit your entries either digitally and we can print and frame for you or you can submit printed in your own frame.
All self framed entries are due by Wednesday, August 26. If submitting digitally, photos are due by Friday, August 21. An extra fee will apply to all digitally submitted photos, which will include the 8 x 10 printing and framing of your photo. All photos will be displayed at the South Loop Farmer's Market and the Printer's Row Farmer's Market.
Entry Fee: (per photo submission)
$15 Nonmembers
$8 Members
$10 framing and printing cost (if submitting digitally)
Prizes:
1st Place: $100
2nd Place: $75
SLN Clean-Up Brigade
Date: Sunday, Sept 6
Time: 1 pm
Location: Meet at North-West corner of State St. and Roosevelt
In August, the SLN kicked off a pilot program, bringing volunteers together, practicing proper social distancing, to clean up parks and other areas within the South Loop. (See bottom of newsletter for photos from first event). This will be the second event of this pilot program and will center on Roosevelt Rd., from State St. to Michigan Ave. This area maybe expanded dependent upon number of volunteers that sign-up. Gloves & bags are supplied. Garbage picker/grabber is up to individuals to bring if needed. Limited supply of masks and water will also be supplied. To register, please email SLN Clean-Up Brigade
Yard Sale
Date: Sept. 12
Time: 9:00 am
Dearborn Park
9th & Plymouth
Members: Free
Non-members: $5
Buy, sell, or browse. To reserve your spot, email:
Public Meeting on Planning & Development
Date: Sept. 16
Time: 7 pm
Location: Zoom
The annual roundup of South Loop development, presented by Dennis McClendon, our Vice-President for Planning and Development. This is usually one of SLN's most attended meetings as residents learn about current and planned developments for our neighborhood. A Zoom invite will be sent out as we get closer to the date.
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1000 M
One thing seems to be leading to another again at 1000M, the 74-story residential skyscraper coming to Chicago's South Loop. Work on the Helmut Jahn-designed condominium tower was stopped in early June. It appears work in now underway once again.
Click here for more information.
In Brief
Another cannabis dispensary is under consideration at 1300 S Wabash. Neighbors have received notices about meetings regarding the Special Use Permit that is required.
Class L tax incentives for 2300 S Indiana have been passed by City Council. For a number of years, the owner has anticipated turning the landmark 1919 Motor Row building, designed by famous industrial architect Albert Kahn, into a hotel serving adjacent McCormick Place.
A demolition permit has been issued for the five-story building at 1608 S Wabash. Until recently a seven-unit residential building, the site had until recently been listed for sale on Loopnet. No information is yet known about the owner or plans for the site.
A new comprehensive plan for Chicago was announced by city officials on Aug. 20, but little information is available yet. The Dept. of Planning and Development says they will start this fall "by asking Chicagoans to help frame" what specific topics the plan should address. The plan is certain to focus on guiding development interest into South and West Side neighborhoods, and may give little attention to downtown neighborhoods like ours that have seen robust development in recent decades.
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Chicago Museums Open Now or Opening Soon
Chicago has a great array of world class museums, many of them now either open or preparing to open. The museums that are open or preparing to open are doing so responsibly with proper social distancing, limiting capacities and enhanced cleanings. For information on a specific museum, click here!
Printer's Row Art Fest
After careful consideration and concerns over the current pandemic, it has been decided to postpone the Printer's Row Art Fest until August 2021.
Restore Illinois - Phase 4
At the time of publication of this digital newsletter, the entire State of Illinois is at Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan.
CPS Playgrounds Remain Closed
As Chicago cautiously begins to reopen parts of our city, all CPS playgrounds will remain closed in alignment with Park District guidance.
Parking Enforcement Started August 1
Starting on August 1, 2020, the City began enforcement related to City stickers and residential parking permits.
Mercy Hospital Closing Between February And May Of 2021
Mercy Hospital will close no sooner than Feb. 1, 2021 and no later than May 31, 2021. The hospital is planning to transition for the closure by relocating services to other South Side hospitals. Click here for more information.
Class L Tax Incentive for Motor Row Hotel Passes City Council
Alderman Dowell shepherded the passage of a Class L tax incentive for the property located at 2300 S. Indiana Ave. in the 3rd Ward. The tax incentive will allow for the long-vacant building to be rehabilitated into a 200-key hotel with first floor retail.
The Class L property tax classification encourages the preservation and rehabilitation of certain historically and architecturally significant buildings, or buildings in historic districts, which will enhance the general character of real estate in the city and contribute to the economic well-being of the city.
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Nobody knows what will happen with COVID-19 between now and Nov. 3. The best way to ensure you can vote safely is to vote by mail.
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Applications for mail-in ballots are available now.
If you live in Chicago, you can apply here.
Ballots will be mailed starting Sept. 24 and must be postmarked by Election Day.
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| Voting by mail is safe and secure. Read the BGA analysis here. |
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The South Loop is a vibrant neighborhood and as it continues to grow, it becomes increasingly more important for residents to support local small businesses. The benefits of shopping local are documented through a number of studies.
South Loop Neighbors especially urges residents to shop at local businesses that have partnered with the South Loop Neighbors as Community Builders. Community Builders are businesses that are members of the SLN and who recognize that a partnerships between SLN and local businesses creates an optimal environment for our neighborhood to maintain and increase the vibrancy of the South Loop! Please visit our website to learn more about our Community Builders.
New Openings: - StreetWise (2009 S. State)
Permanently Closed:
Opening Soon:
- Overflow Coffee (1449 S. Michigan) tentative opening 11/12/2020
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Community Builder Spotlight
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Epic Burgers
Epic Burger opened in the South Loop in 2008 and today has eight locations. Six of which serve downtown Chicago neighborhoods and two which serve Skokie and Evanston. Epic Burger's big idea is to offer more people an opportunity to eat non-processed, all-natural food at a reasonable price. At the same time, we would like to stimulate thought around how food is raised, grown, transported, processed and packaged. We chose the most iconic of American meals - hamburgers, chicken wings and French fries. Preparing these items without drugs, artificial colors and flavors, nitrates, phosphates, preservatives and numerous other additives found in our everyday foods, we can make it taste truly delicious. This is why Epic Burger is "A More Mindful Burger". For more information, please go to Epic Burger
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Other Neighborhood Events
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CAPS Meetings
The Police Department will be holding all Beat meetings via Zoom through the end of the year.
MEEETING SCHEDULE:
Sector 10: 9/2/2020 @ 3 pm Sector 20: 9/9/2020 @ 3 pm Sector 30: 9/15/2020 @ 3 pm
Printer Row Park Advisory Council
The Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners voted to begin the process to rename Park #543 to Printers Row Park. This initiates the 45 day notice period. The process is in Phase I. The 45 day notice allows the community to comment and at the conclusion of the 45 days, the board will put the issue on their next board meeting agenda (hopefully October 14th, 2020). The PAC would appreciate residents to register their support for the proposed name change by going to https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/park-namings where residents can leave comments of support.
The PAC thanks you for supporting the park and look forward to Printers Row Park becoming official!
Grant Park Advisory Council
Meetings in 2020 will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, except December, at 6:30pm at the Maggie Daley Field House. For now, meetings will be held virtually via Zoom.The next meeting is scheduled for September 16 at 6:00 PM. Register in advance for this meeting by Clicking here After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Additionally, the GPAC has a Committee on Art, Monuments and Markers. The Committee conducts reviews on existing and proposed exhibits for Grant Park in order to provide a well reasoned advisory recommendations to the Park District. The Committee had initiated a review on the Columbus Statue, prior to its removal. As the removal has been identified as temporary in nature, the Committee continued the review process. The next step of this process is public comments. A virtual meeting will be held on September 8 at 6 PM. Further information will be posted and can be obtained at GPAC Facebook Page
Millennium Park Great Lawn
The Great Lawn reopened with social distancing circles painted on the grass that will help groups stay 6 feet apart from one another while still being able to enjoy the sights. The downtown park is currently accessible from an entrance at Michigan Avenue and Madison Street, and guests are asked to exit Millennium Park at Michigan Avenue and Washington Street, with daily hours running from 8am to 9pm. There's a maximum capacity for the park, which means that the entrance will close temporarily once the park it's full and presumably admit more people as visitors exit.
Cancellations:
Cancellations due to the COVID-19 crisis:
- Lollapalooza
- Taste of Chicago
- Air and Water Show
All large, permitted outdoor events through Labor Day (Sept. 7) have been cancelled.
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Thank You To All Who Attended!
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Grills Night Out in Dearborn Park on August 8
South Loop Neighbors Clean-Up Brigade on August 16
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