March 25, 2022
Alderman Reilly Reports
Casino Update
The City has received five casino development proposals following its Request for Proposal (“RFP”) process, issued in the Spring of 2021. An Evaluation Report was published earlier this week, providing a detailed overview of the five submissions received, and narrowing it down to three. The remaining three proposals, listed below, will be considered by a Special Committee of City Council Members (including Alderman Reilly) before one is introduced for full City Council approval. 

  • Hardrock (HR) Chicago, LLC: ONE Central project site; between the McCormick Place Convention Center and the Museum Campus (4th Ward)
  • Bally’s Corporation: Chicago Tribune Publishing Center; at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street (27th Ward)
  • Rivers 78 Gaming, LLC: Northern end of the mixed-use 78 neighborhood; between Roosevelt Road, Clark Street, Chinatown’s Ping Tom Park and the Chicago River (25th Ward)

Next, the City is hosting three community meetings for residents to discuss each of the proposals, on April 5-7. All events will be live-streamed at: chicago.gov/live. Registrations to attend in-person are below:  

Hard Rock Chicago:
Bally's Tribune:
Rivers 78:  
 
Alderman Reilly has heard from many constituents regarding the proposed Tribune Publishing location, as it is very close to the 42nd Ward boundary and would directly impact many residents. Alderman Reilly takes constituent input very seriously and knows neighborhood residents are clearly opposed to the Tribune proposal. The Alderman has already communicated his serious concerns about the Tribune proposal to members of the Lightfoot Administration and will reiterate those concerns when the Special City Council Casino Committee is convened next month.
Cannabis Update & Streeterville Community Meeting Recap
Earlier this week, Green & Bransford, LLC hosted a community meeting to discuss their proposed Adult Use Cannabis Dispensary at 212 East Ontario Street. This meeting was held as a requirement of their Special Use application, recently filed with the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). 

A member of Alderman Reilly’s staff was present via Zoom and closely monitoring the questions and comments written into the virtual chat. We recognize and were disappointed that many questions were not addressed during the meeting. The chat transcript has been shared with the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents (SOAR). 

The State of Illinois controls the licensure process for cannabis businesses. Local Aldermen do not have the authority to approve or deny a dispensary license or a Special Use permit. 

The ZBA will consider this Special Use application at an upcoming public hearing. The ZBA is a quasi-judicial body made up of Mayoral appointees. They are solely responsible for approval or denial of Special Use licenses and are not obligated to give special consideration to comments from Aldermen or Police Commanders. However, the hearing will allow time for public comment. 
 
Information on how to access the Live Stream and how to submit public comments can be reviewed on ZBA’s website here. Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for updates on when the public hearing will be scheduled. 
Eurostar Hotel, 660 North State Street
As you know, the City of Chicago Law Department filed a second public nuisance disciplinary case against Eurostar Magnificent Mile Hotel, located at 660 North State Street, the details of which were reported in Reilly Reports on December 17, 2021. Please click here to review the list of charges. 
 
The next status meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at 9:30 AM.
 
The Rules and other information about the MLDC hearings being conducted on the Cisco Webex platform are available on BACP’s website. If you wish to stay up to date on the matter, please use the information below to virtually access the meeting:
 
Meeting Number: 2499 377 5035
Password: 1234
Join by Phone: (312) 535-8110
Access Code: 2499 377 5035
 
Please continue to report any issues requiring immediate Police attention in real-time by calling 9-1-1.
New and Improved 42nd Ward Virtual Office
At the beginning of the year, our office launched a new and improved “virtual office”. Check out our new website at www.ward42chicago.com for answers to your questions, the latest news in the ward, and important information about your neighborhood!
Free At-Home Rapid COVID Tests
Testing is an important tool to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Biden Administration has purchased one billion at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests to give to Americans for free. 

The program will allow four free tests to be requested per residential address, and tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering.

Click here to place your order for free at-home COVID-19 tests.
Free Tax Prep Help
The City of Chicago offers free, confidential tax help at locations across Chicago from late January - mid-April in partnership with the Center for Economic Progress and Ladder Up. Please see the flyer below for more information.
42nd Ward Street Closures and Construction Notices
Filming.

Chicago Fire

On Monday, March 28, from 3am-8pm, Chicago Fire will be filming at Navy Pier and on the Chicago Riverwalk. During the filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations:

  • South Side Of Illinois From Lake Shore Dr To Streeter Dr
  • East Side Of Columbus From Jackson To Balbo
  • Both Sides of Clark St from Wacker Dr to Lake St
  • North Side of Lake St from Clark to Wells
  • West Side of LaSalle from Haddock Place to Lake St
  • East Side Of Park Dr From Illinois To 455 N Park Dr

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Luis Perez (Location Manager) at 773-525-2326.

Levinson Locations

ETC Creative will be filming near 321 N Clark Street on Friday, April 1 from 5am to pm. During the filming, parking will be prohibited on both sides of Clark Street, from Kinzie to James C Tyree Way.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Clare Bisignano (Location Manager) at (781) 424-1728.

CBS Broadcasting Inc

On Saturday, March 26, from 10am-3pm, CBS Broadcasting will filing scenes for Carpool Karaoke on Columbus, from Ida B. Wells to Jackson. Intermittent street closure anticipated between 2:00pm-3:00pm for roughly 30 minutes.

Parking will be prohibited on the east side of Columbus, from Ida B. Wells to Jackson during the filming.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Georgia Reid (Location Manager) at 425-442-4727 or Kasim Hussain (On-site Coordinator) at 732-618-5029.

Helicopter Lift: 1 East Wacker Drive

Midwest Helicopter was hired to lift HVAC units onto the roof at 1 E Wacker on Saturday, April 2 from 9am to 11am. During the lift, vehicular and pedestrian access will be prohibited at the following locations:

  • State, from Lake to just north of the Chicago River
  • Wacker, from Wabash to Dearborn

They will have detour signs and CPD in-place throughout the lift

Gas Main Replacement - Michigan, Chestnut to Cedar

Peoples Gas continues it's gas main replacement on the west side of Michigan Avenue, from Chestnut to Cedar. Work hours may vary throughout the project, but are currently anticipated to be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

All openings will be covered and secured during non-work hours. This portion of the gas main replacement is expected to last 3-6 weeks.

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 July 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
 
Starting in mid-September, GNP Realty Partners will be 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 March 2022. 

South Water Street Viaduct Replacement

In March 2021, the Chicago Department of Transportation began demolition of the South Water Street Viaduct, between Lower Beaubien Court and Stetson Street. Work hours are 8am-8pm, daily. 

As of May 10, vehicular and pedestrian access will be prohibited on the Upper and Lower levels of South Water Street, between Lower Beaubien Court and North Stetson Street. There will be barricades and detour signs in-place throughout the duration of the project. 

This project is expected to be completed in July 2022 (weather dependent). 

Overnight Parking Ban Downtown

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

  • Both sides of Oak, between Michigan and Clark 
  • South side of Oak, between LaSalle and Wells 
  • Both sides of Chicago, between Michigan and Wells 
  • Both sides of Ohio, between Michigan and Wells 
  • Both sides of Hubbard, between Michigan and Wells 
  • North side of Illinois, between Dearborn and Clark 
  • Both sides of Illinois, between Wabash and Dearborn 
  • Both sides of Rush, between Grand and Ohio 
  • Both sides of Rush, between Erie and Oak 
  • Both sides of Wabash, between the Chicago River and Grand 
  • Both sides of State, between Kinzie and Oak 
  • Both sides of Erie, from Rush to Wells 
  • Both sides of Huron from Rush to Dearborn
  • Both sides of New Street, from Illinois to North Water
  • Both sides of Columbus Drive, from Monroe to Balbo 
  • North side of Wacker Drive, from Wabash to Michigan
  • North side of Wacker Drive, from Franklin to Columbus 
  • Both sides of Wacker Drive, from State to Wabash 
  • Both sides of Stetson, from Randolph to Wacker 
  • Both sides of Columbus Drive, from Randolph to Wacker 
  • Both sides of Beaubien Court, from Randolph to Lake 
  • Both sides of Randolph, from Harbor to Michigan 
  • Both sides of Ohio, from Michigan to Fairbanks
  • West side of Larrabee, from Erie to Huron


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