June 23, 2023

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Alderman Reilly Reports

Statement from Alderman Reilly on

June 18th Shooting on West Erie Street

"The shooting incident that occurred at Erie and Orleans on Saturday evening placed potentially dozens of lives at risk. I live just a few blocks away and know this happened at a time of day when many residents are out on the neighborhood streets. It is a miracle more people weren’t injured or killed.


My office continues to target problem liquor establishments where gun incidents and violence occur. I have asked the local police commander and liquor commissioner to investigate the nightclub Blum and, if witness reports are substantiated, initiate the license revocation process to shut them down. 


This isn’t the first time we have seen violence erupt on the doorstep of this establishment. River North residents should not be forced to endure the deleterious impact that these problem liquor establishments are having on our community. Enough is enough. 


In the meantime, my office has requested an increased police presence on these blocks of Erie Street during the evening hours, to help deter criminal activity.” 


Click here to review a letter from Alderman Reilly as well as copies of his requests to City Departments.

Bally's Casino Update

Last week, Bally’s received Preliminary Suitability approval from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB). This allows Bally’s to continue construction and hiring, however, actual operation of temporary and permanent casino facilities will require additional review and license issuance by IGB.  Click here to view a recording of the IGB meeting, held on June 15th (skip to 1:51:10).


As previously reported in Reilly Reports, Alderman Reilly has a number of outstanding concerns relating to the temporary casino operation at Medinah Temple, namely traffic management and security. He recently discussed these concerns with Tara Molina (CBS2) in an interview here. Additionally, he sent a formal request to the Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Chicago Police Department (CPD) for copies of these plans, as they continue to be reviewed. Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for future updates.

Sheriff Office Roll Call

After identifying a decrease in the number of police officers patrolling the Downtown neighborhoods, Alderman Reilly asked Sheriff Tom Dart to open Command Posts in River North at 500 North Clark Street and One Chicago Square at 14 West Superior Street, just steps away from the Chicago / State Red Line Stop. 

 

On Wednesday, June 14 at 5:00pm, Sheriff Dart held his first public roll call at Chicago Avenue and State Street - two community safety teams, a bike patrol unit, and the River North K-9 Unit were present. 


The K-9 in the picture below is “Bolt,” a two year-old German Shepherd trained to detect narcotics and weapons. Bolt works on Michigan Avenue and is kid friendly and a great ambassador for the Mag Mile. 


Alderman Reilly would like to thank Sheriff Dart and his Deputies for all the great work they are doing in the Downtown neighborhoods.

Pride in the Park

Pride in the Park returns to Grant Park on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24. Music will end by 10pm and be followed by a brief 2 minute fireworks display. Please click here for more information about the event.

Extended Outdoor Dining on Clark Street

Likely next week, Clark Street, between Grand Avenue and Kinzie Street will be closed to vehicular traffic to allow expanded outdoor dining for over a dozen neighborhood restaurants. 


As previously reported in Reilly Reports, the ordinance to create a long-term EOD program received approval from the City Council in May 2023. Due to the overwhelming positive feedback from our survey, the permit has been approved. All east / west streets will have no obstructions and will be completely open to vehicular traffic. Intersections will remain open to vehicular traffic, and a 12’ pathway will be clear of obstructions for pedestrians and bicyclists to enjoy the al fresco area. This is not permanent. Once issued, the permit will expire on October 31, 2023, and not be automatically renewed next year.


Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for the specific start date and future updates regarding outdoor dining in the 42nd Ward as they become available.

NASCAR Chicago Street Race Information

The NASCAR Street Race is scheduled for Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2. Visit NASCAR’s website to learn about race weekend activities. 


Signage for parking restrictions along the race route has already been posted. Street closures will begin on Saturday, June 10 and last until Saturday, July 15. Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive closures won’t occur until Thursday, June 29 and will fully reopen by Wednesday, July 5. 


Please click here for a complete list of street closures.


18th District Police Council Meeting

Join the 18th District Police Council Members for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 27 from 6:00 pm at Lake Shore Park located at 808 N Lake Shore Drive. Click here to register

Illinois State Police Recruitement

The Illinois State Police Merit Board is processing applications for a Traditional Cadet Class, and a Fast Track Class. Both classes are tentatively scheduled to begin in April 2024. Visit illinoistrooper.com to apply.

Share your vision for a more equitable downtown Chicago - take the Central Area Plan survey today at Chicago.gov/CAP2024. Provide input on housing, transportation, economic development, public safety, community engagement and more to help shape the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development’s Central Area Plan Update.

CAPS Meetings

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

  • There are no CAPS meetings for the remainder of this month.

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

  • There are no CAPS meetings for the remainder of this month.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Crane Lift: 35 E Ontario Street


On Friday, June 23, there will be a crane lift at 35 E Ontario Street. During the lift, the following will be closed:


  • Sidewalk on the south side of Ontario, from Wabash to a point 100' west thereof
  • Crublane on the south side of Ontario, from Wabash to a point 100' west thereof
  • Traffic lane on the south side of Ontario, from Wabash to a point 100' west thereof


At least on lane of westbound traffic will be maintained at all times.


120 E Oak Street Facade Project


Summit Design + Build will begin a facade project at 120 E Oak Street on Tuesday, May 30. Works hours will be Monday thru Saturday, from 8am-5pm.  


Throughout the project, the sidewalk adjacent to the building will be closed. It will be covered by construction fencing. Pedestrians will be pushed to a protected pedestrian path in the curb lane.


Deliveries will occur between before 9am and debris will be removed between 8am-9am. There will be a gate at the east end of the fencing for deliveries and debris removal.


The project will be completed in early November.



340 W Superior Roof Project


Clark Roofing will begin a project at 340 West Superior Street on Wednesday, June 14. During the project, Clark Roofing will be using the east end of the alley bounded by Orleans, Chicago, Superior, and Sedgwick to load debris for removal and unload materials.


The project is expected to take 2 months to complete (weather dependent).


Helicopter Lift: Wolf Point


Midwest Helicopter was hired to lift construction materials onto the roof of Wolf Point. They will conduct the lift on Saturday, June 24, from 9am to 10am. 


During the lift, Wacker, from Orleans to Lake will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian access.


Peoples Gas Project: Clark and Adams


PGL began work on Clark (Monroe to Jackson) and Adams (LaSalle to Clark) earlier this month. There will be temporary lane closures on Clark and Adams during permit hours but traffic will be maintained at all times


Work days/hours are Monday-Saturday, from 8am-5pm. This project is expected to be completed in October 2023.


Murphy Auditorium Renovation


Driehaus Museum purchased the Murphy Auditorium at 50 E Erie and plans to begin renovations in June. Work hours are Monday-Friday, from 8-4pm. They plan to complete the following interior alterations:


  • Offices are going to be renovated
  • Stage has sunken – leveled out; fix accessibility issue
  • New elevator to go all the way to the top floor


Throughout the project, the following will be in-place:


  • Pedestrian canopy over the sidewalk in front of 50 E Erie
  • 100' of curb lane will be closed in front of 50 E Erie for material deliveries and small crane


They will need to use a small crane periodically throughout the project to lift materials onto the roof that can't fit through the doorway. Driehaus will notify us in advance of installation of a small crane. 


Dearborn Street Bridge:


Due to equipment and material procurement problems, the Dearborn Street Bridge project will be completed in September 2023 (weather dependent). One lane of traffic will remain open at all times.


431 N Dearborn Façade Project


Crane construction began a façade project at 431 N Dearborn this week. Throughout the project, the sidewalks adjacent to the building on Dearborn and Hubbard will be closed. Pedestrians are directed to walk in projected pedestrian walkways in the curb lanes.


The project is expected to be completed in October 2023 (weather dependent).


225 W Randolph Renovation:


The Onni Group began renovating 225 W Randolph. Throughout the project, there will be pedestrian canopies at the following locations:


  • South side of Randolph, from Franklin to the first alley east thereof
  • East side of Franklin, from Randolph to the first alley south thereof


This project is expected to be completed July 2024.



151 N Michigan:


Power Construction installed a tower crane on Beaubien Court for the project at 151 N Michigan Avenue. While the crane is in place, Beaubien Court, from a point 23' north of Randolph Street, to a point 100' north thereof will be closed to vehicular traffic. The crane will be in-place for 8-10 weeks.


The following will be closed throughout the duration of the project:


  • Sidewalk on the north side of Randolph, from Beaubien Court to Michigan Avenue
  • Sidewalk on the east side of Michigan, from Randolph, to a point 100' north thereof
  • Beaubien Court, from Randolph to a point 100' north thereof


Pedestrians will be directed to use projected walkways that are placed in the curb lanes on Randolph and Michigan. The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2023.


Temporary Bus Stop Elimination


Until March 2024, the westbound bus stop at Grand and St. Clair will be temporarily removed.


  • Stop ID Number: 761
  • Route Stopping: #29 – State, #65 – Grand, #120 – Ogilvie/Streeterville Express, #121 – Union/Streeterville Express


Randolph Street Viaduct Repair


CDOT will be performing repairs at Randolph Street Viaduct (East bound lanes only) between Columbus Dr. and Field Blvd.

 

Scope of Work:

The project consists of performing the following repairs: Concrete deck repairs, street paving.


Construction Schedule:

7:00 am - 6:00pm Monday to Saturday, April 10th  - September 30th 2023.

No demolition or other excessive noise creating activity will begin until after 8:00am.

 

Traffic Impact during Construction:

 

  • The Randolph Street Viaduct east bound lanes will have one lane open to traffic at all times and one lane closed for construction at both the upper and intermediate levels between Columbus Dr. and Field Blvd. At least one sidewalk will remain open to pedestrian traffic.
  • All parking on east bound Randolph St. will be removed between Columbus Dr. and Field Blvd.
  • West bound lanes will be open at all times during construction with the exception of single night closures (Dates are TBD and updates will be provided).
  • Access to Millenium Parking Garage and Maggie Daley Park will be limited to entrances at the Columbus Dr./Randolph St. Intersection and Field Blvd./Randolph St. Intersection. Elevator/ADA access to the garage will be maintained.


State & Lake Utility Relocations


Utility 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 on 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 during 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. 

 

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.


535 N. St. Clair Street Project


Demolition of 535 N St. Clair is completed. LendLease has mobilized for construction and they have began pouring caissons. Throughout the project, there will be a protected pedestrian canopy on the north side of Grand, from St. Clair to a point 100' east thereof. The entire project is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2024.


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). 


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 in early 2023 (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. 


Street Sweeping


During street sweeping season (April 1 to mid-November) the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation uses mechanical street sweepers to remove debris and litter from streets, weather permitting. Throughout the season, DSS deploys mechanical street sweepers at regularly scheduled times to clear debris from Chicago streets. Starting this week, dozens of street sweepers have begun clearing the debris and leaves that have accumulated during winter months on both residential and arterial streets. 


On weekdays, from 9am to 2pm, this Sweeper Tracker map will show real-time locations of city street sweepers. For more information, please review the 42nd Ward Map and street sweeping schedule. Residents can also call 311 to find the dates and locations of street sweeping in their area.


Please check for the bright orange signs announcing temporary parking restrictions. These signs are posted two days prior to scheduled street sweeping events. Some streets also have permanently posted signs that specify a once-per-week period when parking is prohibited for street sweeping.


Kennedy Expressway Bridge Rehabilitation


The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) began rehabilitation of the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94), from the Edens Expressway (Interstate 94) junction to West Ohio Street


The project consists of rehabilitating 36 bridge structures and the Reversible Lane Access Control (REVLAC) system, replacing overhead sign-structures, installing new signage and modernized LED lights, pavement patching and structural painting. Additionally, Hubbard’s Cave, from Grand Avenue to Wayman Street, will be painted and new LED lighting installed.


This project will take place over three consecutive construction seasons and consist of three stages. The following will occur during stage one:


Stage I - Inbound Kennedy


To help minimize the impact to traffic the reversible express lanes will remain open in the inbound direction, while two mainline inbound lanes will be closed at a time. Motorists should expect lane shifts and overnight lane closures and various ramp closures. Later this summer, painting and installation of new LED lighting will begin on inbound Hubbard's Cave, between Ohio and Lake streets. Construction is anticipated to be completed later this fall, with all lanes and ramps reopening and the express lanes resuming normal operations.


Please click here to learn more about the Kennedy Expressway Bridge Rehabilitation, and stay tuned to Reilly Reports for future updates.