July 18, 2025

Alderman Reilly Reports

This Week in City Council

Snap Curfew Ordinance

This week, the Mayor officially presented his veto, which required 34 votes by City Council to override. Unfortunately, Alderman Reilly was joined by only 27 of his colleagues to overturn the veto, and efforts to enact the snap curfew ordinance were unsuccessful. The legislation would have given the CPD Superintendent the power to declare a curfew when the public safety is threatened.

The Mayor called this tool “unnecessary” and “counterproductive.” Alderman Reilly, and over half of the Alderman in City Council, felt this tool would allow police to peacefully disperse young groups before violence occurs. Alderman Reilly saw this as a productive step in the right direction that was illogically stopped by Mayor Johnson.

Fiscal Debt Responsibility Ordinance

Alderman Reilly co-sponsored legislation (O2025-0015727) that would require bonds issued by the city to be approved by a two-thirds majority of City Council, in line with the State of Illinois and other major cities. The simple measure would tighten the requirements to strap Chicago’s residents with new debt. This ordinance was voted down and did not pass out of the Committee on Finance by a vote of 16-17. Alderman Reilly, in his comments at the Finance Committee on Monday, criticized the vote outcome as a go-ahead to the Mayor to bankrupt the city.

Inspector General Independence Ordinance

Alderman Reilly and City Council voted to pass an ordinance (SO2025-0015583) that modifies the rules around the Chicago Inspector General (OIG) to allow the IG to conduct investigations of City of Chicago agencies and personnel without the oversight of the city’s lawyers. The current practice slows down investigations and causes potential witnesses to stay quiet out of fear of losing their job. This measure gives the IG, which needs independence to be fully effective, access to all evidence and relevant material without going through the Law Department.

Taste of River North This Weekend

Taste of River North is returning to Wells St on July 18 from 5-10pm and July 19 from 11:00am - 10:00pm. During the festival, residents can expect the following street closures:

North Wells Street, from Chicago Avenue to Ontario Street
West Erie Street, from Franklin Street to Clark Street
West Huron Street, from Franklin Street to Clark Street
West Superior Street, from Franklin Street to Clark Street

Taste of River North includes food from local vendors, live music, and many games and activities for Chicagoans of all ages. Representatives from our office will be stationed at the event from 11:00am - 5:30pm on Saturday, July 19.

Art-is (311 West Chicago) Update

Please see the following statement from Alderman Reilly with an update on Art-is Restaurant at 311 West Chicago Avenue:

“Following the mass shooting outside 311 West Chicago Avenue on July 2nd, which left 18 people shot and four dead, Art-is has permanently closed.

As I said in my initial statement, this tragic and preventable act of violence raised immediate and serious public safety concerns. The Chicago Police Department swiftly enacted a Summary Closure order to keep the business closed while the incident was under investigation. Based on the circumstances surrounding the event, I immediately called for the business license to be revoked and for the City to pursue permanent closure.

Just weeks after opening, the operators handed the venue over for a private rap album release party reportedly tied to individuals with known gang affiliations. Evidence also suggests that alcohol was served or sold at the event, despite the business not having a liquor license. This level of negligence directly contributed to one of the most violent incidents we’ve seen in the 42nd Ward in recent memory.

I’ve since been informed that the operators voluntarily withdrew their pending liquor license application and made the independent decision to permanently cease operations at this location. I’m relieved by this outcome.

To be clear, my concerns with this business have nothing to do with race or the type of music promoted. I was genuinely excited about the potential for a new, inclusive venue that would showcase local artists and create a welcoming community space. Unfortunately, the operators failed to uphold those commitments, and the consequences were both immediate and tragic.”

Lollapalooza Returns to Grant Park July 31

Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park on Thursday, July 31. Grant Park will remain closed from Wednesday, July 16 through Saturday, August 9.

During closure, 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. Please see the letter below from the Lollapalooza Team to the community in anticipation of the festival.

CAPS Meetings

18th District: (312-742-5778 / CAPS.018District@chicagopolice.org)

Beat 1831 CAPS meeting will be held on July 22nd at 5pm at 510 N LaSalle Dr
Beat 1832 CAPS meeting will be held on July 22nd at 6pm at 510 N LaSalle Dr
Beat 1833 CAPS meeting will be held on July 24th at 5pm at 303 E Superior St
Beat 1834 CAPS meeting will be held on July 24th at 6pm at 303 E Superior St

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.

7/14 - 7/18 and 7/21 - 7/25:

Columbus Drive (Wacker Dr. to Randolph St.):
Traffic barrels and fencing along the west side of Columbus
Intermediate Level (7/14 - 7/25)
Upper Level (7/15 - 7/18)
Access Impacts:
West curb lane closure and parking restrictions
Driveway access to be maintained
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 along westbound Randolph St from Columbus Dr to Field Blvd the week of 7/28 - 8/1.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Filming:

74 E Hubbard

On Tuesday, July 22nd, a commercial will be filming scenes at 74 E Hubbard. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following location on 7/22 from 4am - 9pm on 7/23:

Both sides of Rush St from Kinzie to Illinois
Both sides of Hubbard St from Wabash to Lower Michigan

If you have any questions, concerns, or special needs, please contact John Wolfe at 773-960-9653.

228 W Illinois

On Wednesday, July 23rd, a commercial will be filming scenes at 228 W Illinois. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following location on 7/23 from 10am - 5pm:

Full closure 7/23 from 10am-5pm
Both sides of Illinois from Franklin to Wells
North side of Illinois from Wells east to alley
Both sides of Franklin from Grant to Hubbard
East side of Wells from Illinois to 439 N Wells
Intermittent traffic control 7/23 from 10am-3pm
Illinois from Orleans to Wells
Franklin from Grand to Hubbard
Wells from Grand to Hubbard

If you have questions, concerns, or special needs, please contact John Wolfe at 773-960-9653.

111 S Wacker

On Wednesday 7/23, a commercial produced by Carleen Martin, LLC will be filming interior scenes at 111 S Wacker Dr. During filming, prep and wrap, parking will be prohibited at the following location on 7/23 from 6am - 8pm:

East side of S Wacker Dr from Adams to Monroe

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Location Manager Lydia Tanev at 206-300-2233.

450 E Benton Pl

On Thursday, July 24th, a commercial will be filming scenes at 450 E Benton Pl. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations on 7/24 from 10am - 8pm:

Both Sides of Benton Pl from Field Blvd to Westshore Dr
Both Sides of Westshore Dr from Benton Pl to 150ft North
East Side of Harbor Dr from Waterside DR to 192 N Harbor Dr

If you have questions or concerns, please contact John Wolfe at 773-960-9653.

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.

Lighting Improvement Work on Ohio Street

Work will continue on Ohio St as a part of the Chicago Residential Lighting Improvement program. Work is expected to begin July 28 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 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.

ComEd East Water St Utility Work

ComEd began work on the north side of East Water Street on Monday, July 14. Sidewalk access will continue to be diverted from Ogden Slip, and signage is installed at the corner of Water St and McClurg Ct to inform pedestrians of sidewalk closures. At least one driveway to every residential building affected by construction will remain open at all times. Access to the Riverview Condos on the south side of E Water St will not be impacted by ComEd's work.

Street Resurfacing - Wabash Ave from Wacker Dr to Balbo Dr

Street resurfacing work began July 7 on Wabash Avenue from Wacker Drive to East Balbo Drive. The work is a part of the Chicago Department of Transportation'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) will be performing resurfacing work on the outbound lanes of the Ohio Street feeder ramp. Only two lanes will be closed at a time. 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.

Bally's Casino Caisson Pours Nearing Completion

Caisson pours are nearing completion and will be followed by foundation and utility work. 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 cannot stop until it is finished.