Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe today so you don't miss the next edition.

Chicago's Pension Liability

Last Friday, the Governor signed a bill that increases pension payments to police and firefighters -- adding a multi-billion-dollar unfunded liability to the City of Chicago. Changes like this demand communication, and it's irresponsible of Mayor Johnson to not engage with Springfield on this issue. 

I’m a former prosecutor and military officer. I deeply respect our police & firefighters (and many are family). I also teach finance at DePaul and was previously an investment banker at J.P. Morgan where I worked on hundreds of debt transactions, and it’s difficult to see how this won’t crowd out future spending on roads, schools, the CTA, even public safety and increase our borrowing costs.

Roosevelt Road Safety Update

The Cook County Sheriff's Office is on the ground at Roosevelt and State, working on logistics and technology improvements to get their satellite station open in the coming days.

This area has struggled with public safety challenges for decades and has long needed additional law enforcement presence. My office has been working closely with the Sheriff's Office and the Chicago Police Department’s 1st District to strengthen their response in the area. 

Thank you to the neighbors who have continued working with my office and 1st District Police to increase public safety. Please continue to call 9-1-1 to report illegal activity, and join my team at the next CAPS meeting for Beat 131, taking place virtually at 3:00pm on September 17th. Email the 1st District CAPS office for the meeting link.

Barrel & Ash Community Meeting

Feedback due August 11th!

Thank you to the neighbors who have shared feedback about a request for a new business, Barrel & Ash, to sell alcoholic packaged goods and allow consumption on premises at 232 S. Halsted. The proposed business will be an upscale bottle shop offering small bites.

If you were unable to attend, you can view a recording of the community meeting below. Please email any questions or feedback to bill@ward34.org by August 11th.

Green City Market

900 W. Monroe

Saturdays 8am-1pm, starting May 3

This year, the market has moved to the 900 block of W. Monroe, between Peoria and Sangamon. 

My team looks forward to meeting with neighbors from 9am-11am!

Daley Plaza Farmers Market

• 50 W. Washington
• Thursdays, May 22 - October 23 (No market June 19)
• 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

South Loop Farmers Market

• Night Market: 150 W. Roosevelt
  • Thursdays, June 12 - September 25
  • 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
• Printers Row: 632 S. Dearborn
  • Saturdays, May 24 - November 1, (No Market Sept. 6)
  • 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

2025 Street Sweeping Schedule

Street sweeping started April 1st, and the schedule is live! Find a map and scheduled dates here. Be sure to move your vehicle on your posted street sweeping dates to avoid getting ticketed or towed. 

West Loop Historic Plaques Project

The West Loop is steeped in history. In fact, we have 19 historical designations, but only two plaques: Old St. Pat’s- National Register of Historic Places plaque and The Jackson Boulevard Historic District- Chicago Landmark plaque. To see the rest of the designations, please visit Connie Fairbanks' website.

She is also working on historical plaques for non-landmarked buildings. The 850 West Adams Board already installed a plaque on their building that was built by Alfred S. Alschuler in 1910. Only a Condo Board approval and payment is needed for these types of plaques.

If you live in a historic building in The West Loop and have historical information about your building you would like to share, please reach out to Connie to learn the process of installing your very own historic plaque! 

2025 Beat Meeting Schedules

Please join my team at upcoming CAPS meetings with the 1st and 12th Police Districts. CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy) meetings are a great opportunity to meet with police, neighbors, and my team about local safety initiatives. To find your beat, click here. I hope you can join us at these meetings!

Camera Registration Program

When a crime occurs, Police Officers and Detectives canvass the area looking for evidence to determine what occurred. Video footage can greatly assist in their efforts.

If you have a private security camera that captures the public way and you are interested in assisting in an investigation in the event of a crime in your neighborhood, you can register your camera with the Chicago Police Department. 

By registering your camera, you are simply allowing the Chicago Police Department to contact you in the event of a crime in your area. CPD will not have direct access to your camera system and cannot access camera footage without your consent. This is a free and voluntary program. Learn more on the program website.

8 N. Morgan Construction Update

Prep work for the building at 8 N. Morgan began at the end of May. Pile installation is underway. Contractors have been in touch with impacted buildings for vibration monitoring.

Pile driving will take 12-15 business days, weather permitting, and is planned to occur between 8am and 5pm. Pile driving is scheduled to end on August 5th and the machines will be leaving the site by August 7th.

With any questions for the construction team, please email Alex Najem.

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. 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.

Speed Camera Installations

Automated speed cameras are planned for installation at the following locations:

• on Racine, between Harrison and Lexington
• INSTALLED - on Desplaines, between Jackson and Monroe
• on Jefferson, between Jackson and Monroe
• on Michigan, between Monroe and Van Buren
  • 30-day warning period began on 8/1, with citations starting 9/15

These locations were chosen because of their proximities to parks and schools. Installation dates will be shared as they are available.

Bridge Repairs

Please note: the Roosevelt Road Bridge project is now working on Stage 3 of the project. Both eastbound lanes and the inside westbound lane are now open, stage 3 requires westbound curb lane to be closed. Estimated duration to complete the last stage for Roosevelt Road repairs is about four weeks. 

2025 Menu Street Resurfacing Projects

The following project start dates are subject to change, pending weather and equipment considerations.

Street Resurfacing Projects

• Wabash from Lake to Van Buren
  • Please adhere to the “sidewalk closed ahead” signs and use the other crosswalks during these projects.
  • Work continues until July 31st, then will pause until August 4th.
• N. Green Street, from Madison to Washington
  • Project in progress
• N. Peoria Street, from Madison to Washington
  • Project in progress
• S. Carpenter Street, from Taylor to Arthington
  • Estimated start date on/around Friday, August 1
• W. Polk Street, from Morgan to Racine
  • Project in progress
• S. Ada Street, from Lexington to Flournoy
  • Project in progress
• N. Garland Ct., from W. Randolph to W. Washington
  • Estimated start date is Thursday, Aug. 21
• N. Holden Ct., from W. Washington to dead end
  • Estimated starting date is Thursday, Aug. 21
• CANCELLED: W. Westgate Terrace, from Flournoy to cul-de-sac

Alley Improvement Projects

• North/south alley bounded by S. Wabash, S. State, E. Jackson, E. Adams
  • Scheduled to begin on/around Thursday, August 21
• North/south alley bounded by S. Wabash, S. Michigan, E. Adams, E. Jackson
  • Scheduled to begin on/around Thursday, August 21
• East/west alley bounded by S. Racine, S. Aberdeen, W. Adams St., W. Monroe St.
  • Project in Progress
• North/south alley bounded by W. Taylor St., W. Arthington St., S. Carpenter St., S. Aberdeen St.
  • Scheduled to begin on/around Friday, August 1
• North/south alley bounded by W. Flournoy, W. Harrison, S. Racine, W. Westgate
  • In progress
• East/west alley bounded by W. Lexington St., W. Flournoy St., S. Ada St., S. Lytle St.
  • Start date TBA

Sidewalk Improvements

• Starting soon: tripping hazards at 802 and 837 S. Carpenter

If you have any questions regarding these or any other infrastructure projects here in the 34th Ward, please reach out to Dan from my office at 312-744-6820 or via email to dan@ward34.org.

Ashland/I-290 Expressway Viaduct Work

Stage 1 traffic is currently being implemented on Ashland Av from Flournoy St to Jackson St to facilitate the reconstruction of the west side of the Ashland Ave bridge. In this stage, traffic configuration will consists of two lanes southbound and one lane northbound on Ashland Ave.

A detour plan for the restricted left turn lane from Ashland Ave to Van Buren St will be implemented to send traffic to WB Jackson Blvd, SB Laflin St, then WB Van Buren St. A detour plan will also be implemented for the restricted left turn lane from Ashland Ave to Congress Parkway to send traffic to EB Harrison St, NB Wood St, then EB Congress Parkway. In addition, that the west side sidewalk of the bridge will be closed, and pedestrians will be detoured to east side sidewalk of the bridge.

Stage 1 will remain in effect until the west side of the bridge is reconstructed. Following this, Stage 2 will be implemented to reconstruct the east half of the bridge. During Stage 2, traffic configuration will also consist of two lanes southbound and one lane northbound on Ashland Ave. The project is anticipated to be complete late Spring 2026. Stage 1 traffic configuration was implemented at the end of April 2025, and is on schedule to be completed by November.

Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

For road construction updates and general travel information please visit IDOT’s Getting Around Illinois website.

Traffic Management: Tribune and U-Haul Demolition

• Monday-Friday truck traffic will be focused from 9am – 4pm to avoid the morning and afternoon commuter rush hours. Once trucks are on-site, they will be on private property and not in the public right of way.
• Weekends will be used for heavy hauling and will limit truck traffic from 8:00am – 8:00pm.

• Traffic entrance and exit as noted in the above diagram (please note, barging material as shown, is not an option at this point). If more entrances and access become available, Brandenburg will consider editing said plan.
• Brandenburg has a scale set up onsite and random trucks leaving the site will be weighed to verify optimal capacity and to adhere to city trucking load limits.
• This plan will be modified as conditions in the field dictate.

Work is underway for the Canal Street Viaduct reconstruction.

Update: July 23, 2025
  
Reconstruction of the Canal Street Viaduct between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard continues. The concrete bridge deck on Canal Street has been poured and the east sidewalk is now open.
 
The remaining work includes west sidewalk construction, drainage, traffic signals, lighting, pavement marking, street signs and Union Station restoration.   
 
The project is anticipated to be complete by the end of the year 2025. If you have any questions, please email the project email address at CDOTCanalProjects@gmail.com.

The City of Chicago and Cook County are hiring! View their respective job posting sites below:

• City of Chicago
• Cook County

Summer Movies at Mary Bartelme Park

Mark your calendars for five exciting movies brought to you by the Mary Bartelme Park Advisory Council! All movies begin at dusk. For the full 'Movies in the Parks' schedule, click here.

• June 16: Raiders of the Lost Ark
• June 23: Homeward Bound
• July 14: Mean Girls
• July 29: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
• August 19: Top Gun

Volunteer with Hope's Table!

The Hope’s Table ministry is designed to serve the needs of Chicagoans who are homeless or hungry and is sponsored by First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple.

Saturday morning services typically include serving hot meals and food to go, distributing clothing, and connecting guests with legal support through DePaul University’s Neighborhood Legal Assistance Program. Grace Episcopal Church partners in many ways, most visibly by providing space at 637 S. Dearborn. To volunteer or donate, please contact their volunteer coordinator.

Discuss how to help community cats through TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return), what to do with kittens, ongoing colony management, preventing nuisance issues and much more!

To unsubscribe from 'Conway's Corner,' please click here.