September 23, 2022

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Alderman Reilly Reports

This Week at City Council

At this week’s City Council meeting, Alderman Reilly introduced key legislative initiatives in response to recent events. 


In response to ongoing concerns regarding drag racing and drifting, Alderman Reilly introduced legislation (O2022-2943) to create a fine structure for organizing ($1,000-$2,000), participating ($500-$1,000), and being a spectator ($100-$250) at drag racing or drifting events.  Additionally, the ordinance would prohibit drag racing and drifting on City-owned and private property, in addition to the public way, and includes recently adopted impoundment provisions.


As previously reported in Reilly Reports, Alderman Reilly was disappointed in the Mayor’s poorly executed NASCAR agreement. This week the Alderman introduced an ordinance (O2022-2938) that would require City Council approval for this type of event. The ordinance:


  • Requires City Council approval for any athletic event or special event that: 
  • Allows the closure of a state route, an arterial, more than 4 blocks of any other public way, or requires the closure of any portion of the public way for more than 24 consecutive hours; or 
  • Anticipates more than 10,000 attendees
  • If any event expects to have more than 10,000 attendees, the ordinance requires the event organizer to enter into an agreement with the City, outlining responsibilities around restoration of property, and reimbursement of City costs. The agreements would also be subject to City Council approval.

 

Additionally, Alderman Reilly introduced an order (OR2022-279) directing the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to add ShotSpotter technology to the Aldermanic Menu, which would allow aldermen to fund the installation of this important crime-fighting technology. ShotSpotter is a gunshot detection technology that uses wireless sensors to determine the location of gunfire. The Chicago Police Department uses ShotSpotter throughout the City to apprehend violent criminals. 


Finally, heading into budget season next month, fiscal responsibility is top of mind for Alderman Reilly. His new ordinance (O2022-2940), would prohibit any compensation increases for elected or appointed City officials in the 2023 fiscal year. 

 

Stay tuned to Reilly Reports for updates on these legislative initiatives.

Alderman Reilly Featured in Chicago

Sun-Times Article

In today’s issue of the Chicago Sun-Times, reporters investigate the City’s inconsistent use of the 2015 Summary Closure Ordinance. Although local Aldermen do not have the authority to revoke a business license, Alderman Reilly has used his legislative authority to establish tools for the City’s Law Department to discipline irresponsible business operators. The 2015 ordinance allows police to close businesses that pose a threat to public safety.  However, over the years some of downtown’s most problematic nightclubs have not been penalized, despite numerous requests for increased enforcement.

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!

Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail For November 8 General Election

Early voting for the Gubernatorial General Election on November 8 begins on Friday, October 7, 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



Additionally, voters can now apply to vote-by-mail for the November 8, 2022 General Election. All Vote By Mail ballots come with postage-paid Ballot Return Envelopes. Please visit the Board of Elections website for more information regarding vote-by-mail.

42nd Ward Flu & COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

On Wednesday, September 28, from 10am to 2pm, Alderman Reilly is hosting a Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Chicago Temple located at 77 West Washington Street. 

 

Updated COVID-19 booster shots will be available at the Vaccination Clinic. Visit the Chicago Department of Public Health’s website for booster eligibility requirements. 

 

Registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Please click here to pre-register.  

 

See you at the Vaccination Clinic!

St. Clair Water Main Installation Project

Earlier this week the Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) began installation of 1,408 feet of new 8-inch water main in 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.


During the first week, DWM will be drilling test hole. After the first week, DWM will be closing individual blocks of North St. Clair Street and 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

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. 

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.

DuSable Park Community Meeting October 5th

Proposed Metra Van Buren Renovation

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

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.


Crane Lift: 314 W Superior


On Saturday, September 24, from 9am to 5am, there will be a crane lift at 314 W Superior Street. During the lift, the following will be closed:


  • Sidewalk on the east side of Orleans, from Superior, to the first alley north thereof
  • Curb lane on the east side of Orleans, from Superior, to the first alley north thereof
  • Both traffic lanes on the east side of Orleans, from Superior, to the first alley north thereof


One of the southbound traffic lanes will be converted into a northbound traffic lane during the crane lift. Traffic will be maintained in both directions at all times. 


Crane Lift: 225 N Wabash


On Tuesday, September 27, from 9am to 5pm, there will be a crane lift at 225 N Wabash Avenue. During the lift, Haddock Place, from Wabash Avenue to Garland Court will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. 


Michigan Avenue Bridge Closure


On Wednesday, September 28 at 10pm to Thursday, September 29 at 5am, the Michigan Avenue Bridge will be closed for repairs. 


AT&T Conduit Installation


On Wednesday, September 14 to Saturday, September 24, 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. 


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. 


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


Photo Shoot: 111 W Kinzie


Laird & Good Company will be doing a photo shoot inside 111 W Kinzie on Wednesday, September 28. During the filming, parking at the following locations will be prohibited:


  1. South side of Kinzie, from LaSalle to Clark (4am-10pm) - no restaurants are impacted
  2. East side of Clark, from Kinzie to 342/343 N Clark (4am-10pm)
  3. North side of W Kinzie from N LaSalle to N Wells (4am-10pm)


If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Carly Katz (location manager) at (847) 651-9182.


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.