October 14, 2022

Alderman Reilly Reports

Gubernatorial General Election on

November 8, 2022

The Gubernatorial General Election on November 8 is quickly approaching. Voting precinct boundaries were redrawn due to the new ward boundaries. Visit the Board of Elections website to find your new precinct and polling place. Please click here to learn which offices are on the ballot.

Alderman Reilly encourages voters to cast their ballot early or Vote by Mail to avoid long lines and wait times on Election Day. Early voting began last week at the Loop Supersite located at 191 North Clark Street and the Board of Elections at 69 West Washington Street, 6th Floor. Hours of operation for both sites are as follows:

October 7 - October 30: Monday-Friday from 9am to 6pm, Saturdays from 9am-5pm, and Sundays from 10am-4pm.
October 31 - November 7: Monday-Friday from 9am to 7pm, Saturdays from 9am to 5pm, and Sundays from 10am to 4pm

Starting on Monday, October 24, voters will be able to cast their ballots at any of the 50 ward early voting sites. These sites will be open weekdays from 9:00am to 6:00pm; Saturdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm; Sundays from 10:00am to 4:00pm; and on Election Day (Nov. 8) from 6:00am to 7:00pm.

The 42nd Ward early voting polling place will be at Maggie Daley Park located at 337 East Randolph Street. Click here to view a list of all 50 ward early voting sites.

Voters can apply to vote-by-mail for the November 8, 2022 General Election by visiting the Board of Elections’ website. All Vote By Mail ballots come with postage-paid Ballot Return Envelopes.

All early voting sites will have secure drop boxes for voters to return their vote-by-mail ballot. Any vote-by-mail ballot Return Envelope that is mailed, postmarked or certified on or before Election Day may be counted if it arrives within 14 days of Election Day.

Additionally, the Board of Elections is looking for qualified applicants to serve as Election Judges for the General Election on November 8. Election Judges are responsible for ensuring polling places open and close on time, and that voting operations run smoothly.

Election judges who complete the online training and successfully service on Election Day will earn $230. Returning Judges who complete the online training will earn $255. Each Judge who serves successfully on Election Day without completing the online training will receive $170.

To apply online to become an Election Judge with the Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners, visit www.chipollworker.com. A paper main-in application is also available for download here.

Upcoming Chicago Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals Meetings

On Thursday, October 20th, at 10:00am, the Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) will host a virtual meeting to review a proposed Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance (LPO) application for the property located at 1045 North Rush Street.

The site is currently zoned DX-7 and is within the Private Use Zone of the Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection District. The applicant proposes to construct a 7- story structure with retail, restaurant space, one dwelling unit with rooftop amenity space, two vehicular parking spaces, and 1 loading berth. Details of the proposal can be found here.

Rules for public participation in virtual CPC meetings are now available. A link to live stream the meeting will be added to CPC’s website on October 20th.

On Friday, October 21st, at 9:00am, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will host a virtual meeting to review three proposals within the 42nd Ward:

629 West Lake Street

Application by Rogers Park Holdings, LLC for a variation to reduce the rear setback on floors containing dwelling units from the required 30' to 0.12' for a proposed eight-story, forty-nine dwelling unit building with ground floor retail use. Click here to learn more.

605 North Clark Street

Application by PTS Corp for special use to establish an adult-use cannabis dispensary location at the former Rain Forest Cafe. Click here to learn more.

750 North Franklin Street, 2nd Floor

Application by Estilo Microblading Salon for a special use to establish a body art service (aka microblading as a semi-permanent form of cosmetic tattooing).

Rules for public participation in virtual ZBA meetings are now available. A link to live stream the meeting will be added to ZBA’s website on October 21st. These proposals do not require approval from the City Council.

Alderman Reilly Hosts Community Shred Day

for 42nd Ward Residents

Alderman Reilly is hosting a Community Shred Day on Saturday, October 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Ohio Place Dog Park located at 360 West Ohio Street. Households are limited to two boxes and shredding materials will be accepted until the shred truck is full. Please remember to remove all paper clips, staples, and other bindings.

A representative from Alderman Reilly’s Office will be present to address concerns or questions regarding city-related matters.

We look forward to seeing you at the Community Shred Day!

Arts in the Dark Parade

On Saturday, October 29, from 6pm-8pm, the Arts in the Dark Parade will return to State Street, between Lake Street and Van Buren Street. Now in its 8th year, Arts in the Dark is an evening parade celebrating Halloween as the “artist’s holiday” and drawing together world-renowned institutions, celebrated Chicago cultural organizations, important youth programs, and aspiring artists in every field.

This is a free event and open to anyone who would like to attend. Please click here to learn more about the parade.

For a complete list of street closures, please click here.

Public Safety Survey

Crime and public safety are front of mind for all Chicagoans. The River North Residents Association (RNRA) is conducting an online Public Safety Survey.

Aldermen do not have the authority to direct Chicago Police Department (CPD) resources or dispatch police. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPD Superintendent David Brown are solely responsible for CPD personnel strategies, policies, and deployment.

Since crime and public safety are citywide issues, the survey is not River North specific. Alderman Reilly encourages all 42nd Ward residents to take the survey. Please click here to be directed to the survey.

Survey results will be sent to Mayor Lightfoot, Superintendent Brown, and their partners with the Cook County Criminal Justice System.

St. Clair Water Main Installation Project

The Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) began installation of 1,408 feet of new 8-inch water main on North St Clair Street, between East Superior Street to East Illinois Street. The current water main dates back to 1886 and needs to be replaced to create a more reliable and efficient system.

DWM will be closing individual blocks of North St. Clair Street. Work will start at North St. Clair Street and East Superior Street. Work hours will be Monday-Friday from 8am-8pm. There will be some non-invasive work that occurs during the overnight hours.

This project is expected to be finished at the beginning of November (weather dependent). Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for future updates regarding this project.

Chicago Police Citizens Academy

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is looking for residents to join the Citizens Academy. This is a 10-week immersive program that gives residents a snapshot of what CPD recruits learn at the Police Academy.

For more information, please contact your local police district. Click here for the Citizens Academy application.

Michigan Avenue Resurfacing Project

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is resurfacing North Michigan Avenue, from East Oak Street to East Ohio Street. CDOT is working 6 days a week (mostly 8am-5pm), with limited overnight work.

The project includes the installation of concrete bus pads and ADA ramp replacements.

All work is expected to be finished at the beginning of November.

Randolph Street Viaduct Overnight Pour

As part of ongoing CDOT repairs at Randolph Street Viaduct (East bound lanes only) between North Columbus Drive and Field Boulevard, an overnight concrete pour is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18 at 7pm to Wednesday, October 19 at 7am.

Residents should expect to hear moderate construction noise during the overnight pour.

CDOT needs to schedule one additional overnight pour for this project.

Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge Repair Project

The Grand Avenue Bridge Project is behind schedule due to material procurement and design constraints.

In order to complete the project on time, the Chicago Department of Transportation will prohibit vehicular traffic in both directions on the Grand Avenue Bridge starting Saturday, October 10. The sidewalk on the northside of the bridge will remain open to pedestrian traffic.

The full closure is expected to last two months.

1st District Community Conversation

18th District Community Conversation

Proposed Metra Van Buren Renovation

Daley Plaza Farmers Market

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.

CAPS Meetings

18th District: (312-742-5778 / CAPS018District@chicagopolice.org)
There are no remaining CAPS meetings scheduled for the month of October.
1st District: (312-745-4381 / CAPS001District@chicagopolice.org)
There are no remaining CAPS meetings scheduled for the month of October.
12th District: (312-746-8306 / CAPS012District@chicagopolice.org)
Beat 1224 Meeting scheduled on October 26th at 6 PM

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

PGL Restoration: Oak, from Michigan to Rush

PGL will begin street restoration on Oak, from Michigan to Rush the week of October 17. Although there might be traffic delays, Oak Street will remain open to vehicular traffic throughout the restoration project.

Restoration is expected to be finished by November 1.

Peoples Gas: LaSalle Street Project

On Monday, October 17, PGL will begin repairing the gas on LaSalle Street, between Ontario and Hubbard. Work hours will be 6pm-6am, daily.

This is emergency work need to repair a leaky main. This project is expected to be completed by November 18.

AT&T Fiber Installation

On Tuesday, October 18, AT&T will begin installation of fiber in the intersection of Wells and Randolph. The Randolph Street Bike Lane will remain open at all times.

The project is expected to be completed by the beginning of November.

Crane Lift: 435 W Erie

On Friday, October 14 to Sunday, October 16 there will be a crane lift at 435 W Erie Street. During the lift, there will be a full closure of Erie, from Sedgwick to Hudson.

Crane Lift: 651 W Washington

Wayman Street

On Monday, October 17, from 9am-5pm, there will be a crane lift at 651 W Washington. During the Lift, the following will be closed:

Sidewalk on the north side of Wayman, from DesPlaines to the interstate
Curb lane on the north side of Wayman, from DesPlaines to the interstate
One traffic lane on the north side of Wayman, from DesPlaines to the interstate

Washington Street

On Tuesday, October 18, from 9am-1pm, there will be a crane lift at 651 W Washington. During the lift, the following will be closed:

Alley north of 651 W Washington, from Washington Street to a point 30' south thereof

Crane Lift 311 W Huron

On Monday, October 17 to Wednesday, October 19, from 9am-5pm, there will be a crane lift at 311 W Huron Street. During the lift, vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be prohibited on Huron, from Franklin to Orleans.

Helicopter Lift: 680 N LSD

Midwest Helicopter was hired to lift HVAC and ductwork onto the roof of 680 N LSD. The lift will occur on Saturday, October 22, from 9am-11am.

During the lift, the following will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic:

Huron, from Fairbanks to Lake Shore Drive
McClurg, from Huron to Erie

There will be barricades, police officers, and detour signs in-place throughout the lift.

Conduit/Street Light Pole Installation

Sunseys began installation on new conduit and street light pole in the sidewalk at 543-600 N Michigan Avenue. All work is expected to be completed by October 11, 2022.

Lumen

On Thursday, September 15, Lumen will began installing communication equipment on the south side of Kinzie, from Kingsbury to a pint 100' east there of.

This project is expected to be completed by November.

Randolph Street Viaduct Repair

CDOT restarted viaduct repairs on Randolph, between Columbus and Field. Work hours are Monday-Friday, from 8am-8pm.

Throughout the project, at least one lane of eastbound traffic will be open. Westbound lanes will not be disrupted.

The project is expedited to be completed mid-November (weather dependent).

State & Lake Utility Relocations

Utilities companies began relocating utilities in advance of the State and Lake CTA project. Train services will not be disrupted during utility relocations.

At least 1 lane of traffic will remain open (1 lane each direction on State St) at all times, but other driving and parking lanes may be closed.

Construction equipment and materials will be stored on the street, including during time periods between active work. Work will primarily occur 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM weekdays and 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturdays, but there will be limited work during nights. Utility companies are aware of and required to abide by the Chicago noise ordinance, which limits noisy work in overnight hours.

150 E Ontario Construction

W.E. O'Neil began construction of a 23-story building at 150 East Ontario Street. Work hours will be Monday-Friday, from 9am-5pm (8pm during caisson pours). Some weekend work will occur.

Throughout the project, the following will be closed:

150' of sidewalk in front of 150 East Ontario
150' of curb lane in front of 150 East Ontario

Pedestrians will be directed to the sidewalk on the south side of the street at Ontario/Michigan and Ontario/St. Clair.

The entire project is expected to take 23 months to complete.

Filmings

Chase Tower Clark Street Tunnel Project

In mid-July, Berglund Construction began 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. Work 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 is underway, and work hours are 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 Construction

Construction of the 33-story mixed-use building is underway. 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 to numerous public benefits. Click here for a list of public benefits, and stay tuned to Reilly Reports for future updates on this project and the 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).

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

Sidewalk restoration on both sides of Bellevue, from Lake Shore Drive to Rush will begin the week of October 17.

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 continues work on 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.

Dearborn Street Bridge Project

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 gratings
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.