September 09, 2022

Alderman Reilly Reports

Neighborhood Notice:

Mexican Independence Day Celebrations

Please be informed that this weekend, there may be a large number of cars in caravans related to the celebration of Mexican Independence Day. As residents may know, in past years, the caravan has traveled downtown causing traffic congestion and noise disturbances.

Earlier this week, Alderman Reilly sent a letter to Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent David Brown to request CPD’s plan to prevent illegal activity associated with Mexican Independence Day celebrations. Please click here to review the letter.

CPD informed our office they are prepared to divert traffic to minimize the negative impact on businesses and residents and may enact rolling street closures to divert the caravan into alternate routes. Additional police resources have been assigned to the Downtown neighborhoods to help minimize the impact of celebrations associated with Mexican Independence Day.

Alderman Reilly encourages residents to allow for extra travel time when traveling in the area.

Alderman Reilly to Host Electronic

Recycling Event

Alderman Reilly is hosting an Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, September 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event will be held at 201 North Upper Harbor Drive.

Newtech E-Scrap accepts most items. They do not accept projection TVs and there is a $20 charge for CRT Monitors and old tube TVs.

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 Electronics Recycling Event!

Gold Coast Development Update

On June 17th, Alderman Reilly announced new development proposals in the Gold Coast. Two of those projects will be reviewed by the Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) and the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) in the coming weeks.

On Thursday, September 15, 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 1043 North Rush Street.

The applicant proposes the demolition of 1043 North Rush Street and the construction of a 2-story structure with 21,370 square feet of commercial retail and restaurant retail space. The site is currently occupied by Carmine's; upon expiration of their current lease, Carmine's plans to relocate to the second floor of the new building which will also include a private outdoor terrace overlooking the Rush Street corridor.

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 September 15th.

The site is currently zoned DX-7. This proposal does not require City Council approval, the Developer must obtain Lakefront Protection Application approval from the CPC to ensure that the building does not impede access to the Chicago Lakefront or inflict harm on the natural lakefront environment.

On Friday, September 16, at 9:00am, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will host a virtual meeting to review an application for a variation for the property located at 1045 North Rush Street.

The variation is requested to reduce the rear setback on floors containing dwelling units from the required 30' to 4.07' for a proposed seven-story, mixed use building. The new 7-story building will be built within the existing DX-7 zoning, top off at 80' in height and contain retail, a two-story restaurant with one residential unit on the top floor.

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 September 16th. This proposal does not require City Council approval, following ZBA’s review of this item, construction of the building will also require LPO approval by the CPC at a future public hearing.

Thank you for a Successful Blood Drive

Alderman Reilly would like to thank everyone who attended the Blood Drive he organized on Saturday, September 3.

Volunteers donated 16 pints of blood to Versiti Blood Center of Illinois. Because one pint of blood can be used to save up to three lives, the donations collected last Saturday can positively impact the health of 48 people!

Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for details regarding future Blood Drives and other community events.

Michigan Avenue Resurfacing Project

On Monday, September 12, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be resurfacing North Michigan Avenue, from East Oak Street to East Ohio Street. CDOT will be 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.

River West SBIF Rollout and Webinar in September 2022

In September, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and SomerCor will roll out the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) grant program for applications in the River West TIF District.

Applications open: 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 1

Applications close: 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30

The SBIF program uses revenue from TIF districts to help owners of commercial and industrial properties to repair or remodel their facilities for their own business or on behalf of tenants. Tenant businesses are also eligible to apply on their own. Please note that residential projects are not eligible for the SBIF program.

Program participants can receive grants for 30-90% of project costs, with a maximum grant of $150,000 for commercial properties, and $250,000 for industrial properties. The grants are administered by SomerCor on the City’s behalf and do not have to be repaid.

DPD and SomerCor will host an informational webinar to review program requirements and the application process at 1 PM on Wednesday, September 7th. Click here to register. For additional information (including eligibility requirements), visit www.chicago.gov/sbif.

Message from the River North Residents Association

Dear RNRA Members and Friends,

For 25 years, River North Residents Association has worked to protect and enhance the quality of life in the neighborhood we call home.

We fight alongside Ward and CPD leaders to confront nuisance bars and reduce serious crime.
We’re a forceful voice for positive local development, infrastructure improvements and green space.
We create life-changing opportunities for disadvantaged Chicagoans.
We build community through public events, from Movies in the Park to the Taste of River North.

Understandably, many of our roughly 23,000 members probably haven't given much thought to how this organization operates or is funded, simply assuming that it will always be there as a proactive voice for them and their neighbors.

But the truth is: we can’t go on without you.

At this critical moment, it’s necessary to explain the facts more clearly, so that our members and partners understand what is at stake. RNRA is a non-profit, resident advocacy organization that has just one paid staff member and receives no funding from any government agency or political group. All resources support our mission.

The pandemic and its economic consequences limited our ability to hold the large public events that have generated most of our operating revenue, which has severely depleted our reserves. We have reached an inflection point in the life of River North Residents Association. An infusion of capital in the amount of $100,000 is urgently needed to sustain operations until we can resume our normal funding model in 2023. To this end, we are making an urgent appeal to everyone who relies on the existence of a strong, responsible, and influential neighborhood organization in River North, to step up and support RNRA with a financial contribution. We have never asked for this before, and hope never to do so again, but at this moment in time, there is no alternative.

For 25 years, RNRA has been there for you and for River North. If you value this kind of principled and effective neighborhood advocacy in your community, please click the green button below, or visit our GoFundMe page and make your contribution before September 30, 2022. Donations in any amount are welcome and deeply appreciated.

Please click here to access our FAQ page if you have additional questions.

Thank you.

Your neighbors on the RNRA Board

Click here to Support River North Residents Association

Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge Repair Project

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) began repairs to the Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge over the Chicago River .

This project consists of the following:

Concrete repairs on the Grand Avenue Viaduct
Steel repairs to the Bridge
Concrete repairs on the Bridge
Replacement of the steel grid decking of the Bridge

The project will occur in two phases. During phase 1, eastbound vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge over the Chicago River will be prohibited. Phase 1 will be completed mid-November (weather dependent) - Phase 2 will begin immediately after.

Throughout the duration of Phase 1, eastbound traffic on Grand Avenue will be detoured northbound on Halsted, to eastbound on Chicago, to southbound on Kingsbury, and back to eastbound on Grand Avenue. Please click here to view a map of the detour route for Phase 1.

The entire project is expected to be finished mid-March 2023 (weather dependent). Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for updates regarding Phase 2 of the Grand Avenue Bascule Bridge Repair Project.

The Family Institute at Northwestern University

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)
Beat 1824 Meeting scheduled on Thursday, September 22nd at 6 PM
Beat 1831 Meeting scheduled on Tuesday, September 27th at 5 PM
Beat 1832 Meeting scheduled on Tuesday, September 27th at 6 PM
Beat 1833 Meeting scheduled on Thursday, September 29th at 5 PM
Beat 1834 Meeting scheduled on Thursday, September 29th at 6 PM
1st District: (312-745-4381 / CAPS001District@chicagopolice.org)
Beat 121 Meeting scheduled on Wednesday, September 14th at 3 PM
Beat 123 Meeting scheduled on Wednesday, September 14th at 6 PM
12th District: (312-746-8306 / CAPS012District@chicagopolice.org)
There are no CAPS meetings scheduled for the remainder of the month.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Electric Conduit Installation

On Monday, September 12 to Tuesday, September 12, Comcast will be installing an electric conduit at 10 S. State Street.

AT&T Conduit Installation

On Wednesday, September 14 to Friday, September 23, AT&T will be installing conduit on East Van Buren, from Michigan Avenue to a point 287' west there of.

At least one lane of westbound traffic will be open at all times.

Lumen

On Thursday, September 15, Lumen will begin 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.

Crain Lift: 350 N LaSalle Street

Stevenson Crane was hired to lift cell equipment onto the roof of 350 N LaSalle Street on Saturday, September 17 (8am-4pm). The crane will be removed each day.

During the lift, the following will be closed:

Sidewalk on the south side of Kinzie, from LaSalle to a point 150' west thereof
Curb lane on the south side of Kinzie, form LaSalle to a point 150' west thereof
Two traffic lanes on Kinzie, from LaSalle to a point 150' west there of
Bike lane on the south side of Kinzie, from LaSalle to a point 150' west thereof

One lane of traffic will be open at all times. There will be flaggers at LaSalle/Kinzie and on Kinzie west of the lift to assist with two-way traffic and bikers.

CDOT Resurfacing: LaSalle Street

The Chicago Department of Transportation began resurfacing North LaSalle Street, between West Wacker Drive and West Lake Street. The project is expected to be complete at the beginning of October.

Crane Lift: 214 W Erie

On Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11, from 7am to 5pm, there will be a crane lift at 214 West Erie Street. During the lift, West Erie Street, from North Wells Street to North Franklin Street will be closed to vehicular traffic.

Randolph Street Viaduct Repair

CDOT restarted viaduct repairs on Randolph, between Columbus and Field on Monday. 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).

Crane Lift: 320 E Superior

Northwestern University will be conducting crane lifts at 320 E Superior from Monday, August 22 to Tuesday, September 27

During the crane lifts, vehicular traffic on Superior, from Fairbanks to 340 East Superior will be prohibited. Additionally, the sidewalk on the north side of Superior, from Fairbanks to 340 East Superior will be close

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

ABC 7

From Tuesday, September 13 to Thursday, September 15, ABC 7 will be filming at 5 W Lake Street. During the filming, parking will be prohibited at the following location:

North side of Lake, from State to Dearborn

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Vinh Lu at 630-890-1029.

Bowie

Bowie will be using a drone to film at 319 N Clark Street on Monday, September 12, from 5:30-10:00am. During the filming, parking will be prohibited on the east side of Clark Street, from 317-323 N Clark Street.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Matthew Bowie at 847-707-4083.

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 will begin in November, and work hours will 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 Demolition

On Monday, May 9, McHugh Construction began demolition of Cassidy Tire located at 344/350 N. Canal Street. McHugh's contractor (Atlas) will demo the building from the back (south side) to the front (north side). The demolition is expected to last 2 months.

Immediately after the demolition is completed, construction of the 33-story mixed-use building will begin. During demolition and 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

At the end of May 2022, Peoples Gas began installing a 900' gas main on the south side of Bellevue Place, from Inner Lake Shore Drive to Rush Street.

The main will be installed in sections of 150'. Once the gas main is installed, service lines will be connected from the new main to each building on the north side of the street.

This will require trenching from the south to north side of the street. All work is expected to be completed in mid-September (weather dependent). Curb-to-curb restoration will occur in October.

Millennium Park Music Festivals

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced the return of the following free summer music festivals in Millennium Park:

Chicago Jazz Festival (citywide and in Millennium Park including Jay Pritzker Pavilion): Thursday – Sunday, September 1–4
Chicago House Music Festival and Conference (Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park): Friday, September 16
World Music Festival Chicago (citywide): Friday, September 30 – Sunday, October 2

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 August 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 broken 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

In September 2021, GNP Realty Partners began 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 July 2022.

Overnight Closure: Lake Shore Drive Bridge

CDOT has identified Lake Shore Drive Bridge adjustments that need to be made. This project will occur during the overnight hours to accommodate weekly boat runs during the day. This work will occur on Mondays and Thursdays beginning June 9. The project is expected to be completed in early August.

Upper Lake Shore Drive will be closed from Illinois Street to Monroe Street and Lower Lake Shore Drive will be closed from Grand Ave. to Lower Wacker Drive.

Detour Route:

Southbound traffic will be directed off onto westbound Grand Ave., to southbound Columbus Ave., to eastbound Monroe St. and back to LSD. Northbound traffic will be directed off at westbound Monroe St., to northbound Columbus Ave., to eastbound Illinois St. and back to LSD.

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.