March 21, 2025

Alderman Reilly Reports

Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle

The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle race weekend will take place on Friday, March 21 - Sunday, March 23. The following events are scheduled for race weekend:

Friday, March 21 - Saturday, March 22: Packet Pick-Up
Saturday, March 22: The Mile
Sunday, March 23: 8K Run and 2-Mile Walk

The course map is below. You can click here to view street closures associated with the Shamrock Shuffle.

For additional information, please visit Bank of America’s website.

Smart Streets Pilot Update

As previously reported in Reilly Reports, Alderman Reilly’s Smart Street Pilot program took effect in late 2024. The pilot program allows the City to ticket registered vehicle owners by mail for various infractions, including parking in bike lanes, bus-only lanes, crosswalks, and bus stops.

The City of Chicago has issued the following since the beginning of the pilot program:

11,723 warnings for bike lane and bus lane infractions
441 citations for vehicles parked in bike lanes
1,179 citations for vehicles parked in bus lanes

The CTA recently announced it will add automated enforcement cameras to six buses, and these cameras should be installed and operational this summer.

During the next phase of the pilot, the City will begin to issue automated citations for pay-to-park violations. The Chicago Department of Transportation and Department of Finance have not provided a start date for metered parking enforcement.

Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for future updates regarding the Smart Streets Pilot program.

Streeterville Organization of Active Residents Town Hall

On Wednesday, March 26, at 6pm, the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents will host a town hall meeting with Alderman Reilly and Alderman Hopkins. 18th District Commander Mike Barz will be at the meeting to address public safety related concerns.

In-person registration is closed due to capacity restrictions. However, you can sign-up to participate via Zoom. You can register by visiting SOAR’s website.

2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race Community Engagement Meeting

NASCAR will be hosting a community engagement meeting on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. to share information about the 2025 Chicago Street Race Weekend.

Representatives from NASCAR, the City of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, and others will be present and respond to questions from the community.

Please click here to register for the meeting.

Free Tax Preparation

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) is excited to announce the return of the Tax Prep program, offering free income tax preparation and assistance for households earning up to $67,000 or individuals earning up to $35,000 annually. Services will be available at various Chicago and suburban locations from January 25 to April 15, 2025. No appointment is needed - but it is recommended that neighbors arrive early, as sites close when they reach capacity.

For further information on accessing the free tax assistance program:

Call the City’s 211 helpline
Visit the City’s tax assistance website
Contact (312) 588-6900 for inquiries
Visit the IRS website and search for “free tax help” or call (800) 829-1040

Register for the 18th District

Senior Citizen Law Enforcement Academy

The 18th District is accepting applications for the Senior Citizen Law Enforcement Academy, starting March 5, 2025. If you are interested in applying, please call 708-865-7341 (Sheriff's Office), or contact the CAPS office at 312-742-5778, and ask for Officer Nomellini.

CAPS Meetings

18th District: (312-742-5778 / CAPS018District@chicagopolice.org)

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

1st District: (312-745-4381 / CAPS001District@chicagopolice.org)

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

Center for Life and Learning at Fourth Presbyterian Church

The Center for Life and Learning program for adults 60 and over, located in the Gratz Center of Fourth Presbyterian Church (126 E Chestnut), is hosting a “Purposeful Retirement” workshop series geared for anyone interested in planning for life after their current career. All residents are invited to enroll in this opportunity to build the kind of life they want to enjoy in their next stage of life, including identifying how they might want to become more involved in and give back to their community.

For more details, please click here.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Filming:

111 E Wacker Dr

Filming for Chicago PD will be in your area in the coming weeks at 111 E Wacker Dr. Attached for your reference, please find the notification leaflet that the production will be distributing to the affected area.

On Saturday, March 29th, Universal Television will be filming exterior scenes at 111 E Wacker Dr. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations:

Friday, March 28^th at 8PM through Saturday, March 29^th at 6PM:
Both Sides of Upper Stetson Ave frrom Wacker Dr to Lake St
Both Sides of Upper East South Water St from Stetson Ave to Columbus Dr
South Side of Upper Wacker Dr from Michigan Ave to Stetson

If you have any questions, concerns or special needs, PLEASE CONTACT: Jim Turner, 312.420.6413, or Phil Merker, 478.227.2727.

Helicopter Lift: 100 East Bellevue Place

On Saturday, March 22nd there will be a helicopter lift at 100 E Bellevue Pl between 8 am-12pm. During the lift, the following will be closed to vehicular traffic:

Bellevue Pl from Lake Shore drive to alley east of Rush Street
Inner Lake Shore Drive between Cedar Street and Oak Street
Alley between Bellevue Pl and Cedar Street

Casino Caisson Pours: March 18 - May 18

Total duration of caissons and piles is approximately 8 weeks (approximately mid-May)
Start date of caissons: Permits are expected to be issued by March 14
Casino and Hotel caissons – A total of 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 can't stop until it is finished.

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 there of 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.

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:

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

Casino Demolition Update

The demolition team will begin site concrete crushing operations over the next eight weeks. The operation with run from 8 AM until 5 PM. The crusher will be placed in between the Ontario feeder ramp and the southern edge of the current building.