July 25, 2025

Alderman Reilly Reports

NASCAR Chicago Update & Community Survey

NASCAR recently announced in a statement that it will not return to Chicago in 2026. The race still has the opportunity to return in 2027, and those negotiations will be ongoing over the next year. NASCAR has reaffirmed their commitment to Chicago and will continue to host community engagement events throughout the city.

While the race does bring significant economic impact to the central business district, Alderman Reilly understands constituent concerns associated with the race, including noise, setup and teardown of the track, street closures, and difficulties surrounding the July 4 weekend date. Alderman Reilly would love to hear your feedback on this year’s race and NASCAR’s future in Chicago. Please click here to take our community survey on NASCAR. Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for developments in the City’s negotiations about a future NASCAR street race.

Lollapalooza Returns to Grant Park Next Week

Lollapalooza begins Thursday, July 31 and will run until Sunday, August 3. Grant Park is now closed and will remain so until Saturday, August 9. During closure of the park, a temporary dog park will be set up to the southeast of Grant Skate Park. Pickleball courts will be closed from 11pm on Sunday, July 27 through Tuesday, August 5 at 6am. Shows will be active from 11am-10pm daily, and the venues will close shortly after 10pm each night. The following street closures will be in place:

Balbo St, from Michigan to Columbus: July 28 – August 4
Balbo St, from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive: July 16 – August 10
Jackson Dr, from Michigan to Columbus: July 28 – August 4
Jackson Dr, from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive: July 22 – August 9
Columbus Dr, from Monroe to Roosevelt: July 28 – August 4
Columbus Dr (northbound, two center lanes), from 13th Street to Roosevelt: July 28 – August 4
Congress Plaza Dr, from Michigan to Columbus: July 28 – August 4
Monroe St, from Michigan to Lake Shore Drive: July 30 – August 4

Many sidewalks will also be closed to accommodate festival activity in the area. Any closed sidewalks will reopen to the public by Sunday, August 10. A complete list of all street and sidewalk closures can be found here.

To report a concern during the event, please text the Neighborhood Answering Service at 312-500-2646. Please note this service will only be active during the festival dates. Click here to review Lollapalooza safety and support information. See below for a map of access points, stages, and vendors on festival grounds.

Alderman Reilly Participates in Alders vs. CPD Charity Softball Game

Last Sunday, Alderman Reilly participated in a charity softball game between Chicago’s Aldermen and the Chicago Police Department. The game raised money for the CPD Knights Charity, which benefits inner city youth programs, including baseball clinics, back-to-school events, wellness appointments, and haircuts.

Alderman Reilly was happy to work as a team with his colleagues to support these causes. Although the Alders were defeated by the CPD Knights, Alderman Reilly was honored to take part in this first-of-its-kind event between City Council and CPD in Chicago. See below for photos from the game!

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.

Pin & Link Project:

Randolph, Columbus, & Stetson

CDOT crews began to perform steel work and bridge expansion joint rehab along Randolph Street, Columbus Drive, and Stetson Avenue on Wednesday, July 9. Please see details below:

General Construction Schedule:

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

07/28 - 08/01 and 08/04 - 08/08:

Columbus Drive (Wacker Dr to Randolph St):
Work along the west side of Columbus
Intermediate Level (07/28 – 08/12)
Lower Level (07/28 – 08/12)
Access Impacts:
West curb lane closure and parking restrictions
Driveway access to be maintained and/or coordinated
Pedestrian detours around the sidewalk work areas
Temporary closure of down ramp from Intermediate Columbus to Lower Columbus
Detour route in place utilizing South Water Street ramp.
Randolph Street (Columbus Dr to Field Blvd):
Setup traffic barrels and fencing along the westbound curb lanes of Randolph
Upper Level (07/29)
Intermediate Level (07/29)
Work along the north side of Randolph
Intermediate Level (Starting 07/30)
Access Impacts:
North curb lane closure and parking restrictions
Driveway access to be maintained and/or coordinated
Pedestrian detours around the sidewalk work areas
Randolph Street (Stetson Ave to Field Blvd):
Setup traffic barrels and fencing along the eastbound curb lanes of Randolph
Upper Level (08/05)
Intermediate Level (08/05)
Work along the south side of Randolph
Intermediate Level (Starting 08/06)
Access Impacts:
South curb lane closure and parking restrictions
Driveway access to be maintained and/or coordinated
Pedestrian detours around the sidewalk work areas.

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.

Work is anticipated to begin in median and center lanes of Columbus Ave. from Wacker Dr. to Randolph St. starting the week of 08/11 - 08/15. More details to be provided in future weekly updates.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Filming:

535 N Michigan

On Friday, July 25th, a television show will be filming scenes at 535 N Michigan Ave. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations on 7/25 from 10am-6pm:

Both Sides of Grand Ave from Lower Michigan Ave to Saint Clair
East Side of Lower Michigan Ave from Grand Ave to Ohio St

If you have any questions, concerns or special needs, please contact Patrick Muldoon at 872-272-6636 or Kurt Close at 847-868-0424.

600 N LaSalle

On Friday, August 1, a commercial will be filming scenes at 600 N LaSalle St. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations on 8/1 from 12am-8pm:

North Side of Ohio St from Wells to LaSalle
Both Sides of Franklin St from Ohio to Ontario

If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Nye at 312-343-1874.

Street Closure & Crane Lift:

On Sunday, August 10, Trident Crane Service will be completing a crane lift at 758 N Larrabee St. Northbound traffic will be closed from 9am-4pm. Vehicles will be rerouted on Superior St to northbound Kingsbury St. "No Parking" signs will be posted on the east and west curb lanes, and all cars must be moved before 9am. Pedestrian access on the west side of Larrabee St will be restricted for the safety of all.

830 N Michigan Façade Work

Contractors will soon be completing work on the façade at 830 N Michigan Ave. During work, a temporary sidewalk closure will be in place from approximately August 1 - October 31. During construction, the façade will be fully enclosed with a temporary wall. During the work, a portion of the sidewalk in front of 830 N Michigan will remain open to pedestrians.

Lighting Improvement Work on Ohio Street

Work will soon begin on Ohio St as a part of the Chicago Residential Lighting Improvement program. Work is expected to begin August 8 on Ohio St from 417 W Ohio to the corner of Ohio and Kingsbury St. Contractors will install foundations, bore underground conduits, and install new residential lighting poles. The installation work will take approximately 6-9 weeks. CDOT will also perform restoration on the sidewalks altered by the construction. The sidewalk restoration is estimated to take 2-3 weeks.

During construction, temporary "No Parking" signs will be periodically installed as required. Overnight and weekend parking will remain open during the work. The existing lights will remain working until the new lighting system is fully functional. Please notify 311 if an existing light is not functioning at night.

Halsted Street & Chicago Avenue Bridge Project

CDOT recently released an update for the upcoming project on Halsted St and the Chicago Ave river bridge. During construction, Halsted St from Ancona St to Chicago Ave will be closed. The Chicago Ave bridge will be replaced, and contractors will install a new riverwalk connection, protected bike lanes, CTA bus lanes, street lighting, and new traffic signals.

Starting August 4, Chicago Ave traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction from Peoria St to Kingsbury St, and Halsted St will be closed in both directions. Work will begin at 7am and conclude at 3:30pm on weekdays, with the possibility for work on Saturdays during the same hours.

The proposed traffic configuration will remain in place until October 2025. Click here for a map of the proposed project area. The following detours will be implemented: northbound detour via Grand Ave, Orleans St, and Division St to continue on Halsted St. Southbound detour via Division St, LaSalle Dr, and Grand Ave to continue on Halsted St.

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 October 31, 2025.

Ohio Street I-90/94 Feeder Ramp Resurfacing

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) continues to perform work on the outbound lanes of the Ohio Street feeder ramp. Only two lanes will be closed at a time. IDOT is not required to adhere to the construction scheduled outlined by the Chicago municipal code. The project is estimated to be in progress until late 2025.

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 thereof 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.

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 at 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.