January 16th, 2026

Dear Neighbors, 

As we begin 2026, we are continuing to build on the ambitious goals set for the 43rd Ward. As highlighted in this “2025 Year in Review”, our office made meaningful progress over the past year advancing key priorities, including constituent services, local development, public safety, and more. This report also reflects my ongoing vision for the 43rd Ward, which remains a lakefront community that is not only beautiful and safe, but one that serves as an inclusive center of culture, small business, leadership, and opportunity for all of Chicago and the greater Midwest.  

To me, the greatest asset in the 43rd Ward remains the people. I am deeply grateful to my dedicated staff, community and business leaders, and law enforcement who serve us with pride. I hope you’ll take a moment to grab a coffee (or tea!) and spend some time reading our 2025 Year in Review.

Yours in service,

Alderperson Timmy Knudsen

Ald. Knudsen represents the 43rd Ward both locally and at City Hall as a member of the Chicago City Council. City Council is the City’s legislative body, where alderpeople vote on ordinances and resolutions that impact every Chicagoan.

Throughout 2025, Ald. Knudsen used this role to advocate for the priorities of 43rd Ward residents while working collaboratively with fellow alderpeople and the Mayor on citywide policy. This work ensures that neighborhood perspectives are reflected in decisions made downtown. To highlight a few pieces of key legislation aimed at solving issues both large and small, Ald. Knudsen sponsored the Dog-Friendly Establishment Ordinance, co-sponsored the Snap Curfew Compromise Ordinance, and also co-sponsored the ADU Ordinance. 

In addition to legislative sponsorship, Ald. Knudsen helped construct and pass the first-ever council-led Annual City Budget in Chicago history, a major shift in how budget priorities are shaped at City Hall. More details on this effort are available in our newsletter. Our office also partnered with the Chicago Bird Alliance, The Lincoln Park Zoo, nonprofit Wisdom GoodWorks, as well as the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation to launch a pilot in the 43rd Ward testing to see if contraception can solve our rat issues while protecting wildlife. The pilot began in August of 2025 and will last a full year. If data from this pilot yields positive results, Ald. Knudsen looks forward to introducing legislation to implement this strategy citywide. Stay updated with our newsletter for updates on the pilot. 

When Ald. Knudsen came into office, he introduced an innovative technology overhaul to the way the 43rd Ward collects and executes upon constituent services (‘piggybacking’ on the City’s 311 System which connects constituent requests with the correct City Department). The 43rd Ward receives the highest number of constituent services requests of any ward in Chicago!

• Expedited Responses to Constituents: We sped up our constituent response time to 0.6 days (from 4.2 days prior to 2023). This includes 6,950+ personal constituent responses sent (23% increase from 2023; 5% increase from 2024).
• Better Results: 81,000+ solved tickets (including 311's) (178% increase from 2023; 96% increase from 2024). This achievement is a result of a new tool that merges 311 requests into our internal system so that we have access to the request; whereas, it is typically required that ward offices manually pull requests from 311. 
• More Timely Communication: In 2025, we sent 100+ newsletter communications, which were opened 1,480,365 times (resulting in a 59.3% email “open rate”). Collectively, the 43rd Ward office sent over 2.9 million proactive communications to residents. Each newsletter we send out also has an average 3.76% “click-through rate” from the ~55,000 recipients, with over 60,000 total clicks in 2025. 

This outreach allowed us to meet more neighbors, reach every corner of the ward, and bring real, on-the-ground perspectives directly into my advocacy at City Council. 

Our "Community Outreach" events included tabling at neighborhood block parties, attending neighborhood organization board meetings and annual meetings, and engaging with local businesses at events hosted by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce. Our staff also participated in additional community meetings, school and nonprofit events, and ward-wide gatherings throughout the year.

As seen below, this was a record year for lighting projects, alley resurfacings and street resurfacings in the 43rd Ward. Below are highlights of the infrastructure investments we delivered in the 43rd Ward in 2025.

Three (3) Residential Lighting Projects 

• Lakeview Ave from Diversey Pkwy - Fullerton Pkwy
• Wrightwood Ave from Sheffield Ave - Racine Ave
• Wrightwood Ave from Clark St - Lakeview Ave (continuance from 2024) 

Thirteen (13) Alley Resurfacing Projects 

Eleven (11) Street Resurfacing Projects

Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Improvements

• Three (3) Detached Bump-outs at N Commonwealth Ave & W Belden Ave
• Two (2) Attached Curb Extensions, ADA Ramps, Pavement Marking and Signage on the South side of W Dickens Avenue at N Halsted Avenue.
• Two to One-Way Conversion of Deming Place from Clark Street - Lakeview

Trebes Park

The new and improved Trebes Park reopened this year! This project had been in the works for almost 8 years. Our office was proud to support funding of this $1.9million renovation, which addressed crucial water drainage issues, upgraded the baseball field, added a walking path, and beautified the community space. 

Drummond Green Alley

Our office was proud to partner with CDOT on the full reconstruction of the alley bounded by 623 W Drummond Place, Wrightwood Ave and Alcott Elementary School. The end product is a beautiful brick paver green alley on the Drummond side and an improved drainage system and driving surface throughout the entire stretch.

Ald. Knudsen believes that healthy development requires balance. In the 43rd Ward, that means expanding housing opportunities, through both market rate units and on-site Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO) units, and supporting commercial corridor revitalization while maintaining high standards for design excellence and historic preservation. Ald. Knudsen’s development approach is guided by a simple principle: adding housing and investment where it makes sense, while protecting the character and livability that neighbors value most. Achieving that balance requires meaningful community engagement, careful review, and detailed, project-specific negotiation. Below is a summary of what you can expect in 2026.

Renovation Projects

601 W Diversey - After years of vacancy, the Inn at Diversey building will go through a gut renovation and will be converted into 40 residential rental units with ground floor commercial space. 

616 W Arlington - Previously a hostel, this beautiful landmarked building is being protected and converted into 36 residential rental units. 

2701 N Clark - Hotel Leon will have an interior renovation as well as an addition this coming year that will add 25 new residential rental units to the ward as well as two commercial spaces on the ground floor. This project includes on-site ARO units. The exact design of the addition is still being finalized, but the existing facade will be preserved as is depicted in the rendering that was shown at the community meeting in early 2025. 

New Construction Projects

2600 N Clark - First approved in 2024, demolition and construction for the 2600 N Clark mixed-use building is anticipated to start in early 2026. This project will provide 48 residential rental units & a ground floor retail space and will provide on-site ARO units. 

2501 N Clark - This new construction was approved in late 2024 and will be a mixed-use building with 20 four-bedroom residential rental units and ground floor commercial space and will include on-site ARO units.

537 W Drummond - Approved under Ald. Michelle Smith, construction will continue on what used to be the parking lot behind the Covent Hotel. This project is anticipated to be completed in 2026 and will include 84 residential rental units.

511-519 W Fullerton - First approved under Ald. Michelle Smith, the site that was previously the Cenacle saw some revisions to their plans in 2024 and construction has been underway throughout. Construction will continue into 2026 and will result in 18 new residential units split between two buildings. 

2323-2325 N Cambridge - Under Ald. Michelle Smith, these properties were approved to be redeveloped into 16 townhouses. Construction began in 2025 and will continue into 2026. 

935 W Willow - After construction stalled out on a previous project, there have been two vacant blighted lots at 935 W Willow that we're excited to announce have been approved for construction in 2026. This project will provide two new single family homes. 

405 W Armitage - In addition, we would like to highlight 405 W Armitage, one of the many projects that completed construction in 2025. This new building is an example of the high quality design that blends with our historic community and is a personal favorite of the Alderman's. This new mixed-use building is a wonderful example of context-sensitive development that respects the beautiful historic character of our ward. 

New Businesses: Over 30 new businesses in just the Lincoln and Clark Special Service Areas. Examples include:

As 2025 comes to a close, reviewing reported data allows the ward to identify where progress has been made and where additional strategies and resources are still needed. While several crime categories have seen meaningful improvement, burglaries remain the ward’s most pressing challenge and a central focus of ongoing public safety efforts. Public safety work is ongoing, and data is a critical tool in guiding that work.

Robberies Section 

Robberies have historically been one of the most concerning public safety challenges in the 43rd Ward due to their direct impact on residents’ sense of personal safety.

A robbery is defined as the unlawful taking of property from a person or place by force or threat of force. In 2025, CPD recorded 43 robberies in the 43rd Ward, representing a four-year low and a 64.23 percent reduction since Ald. Knudsen took office in 2023.

Robberies (Reported Incidents)

• 2022: 88

• 2023: 123

• 2024: 66

• 2025: 44

Vehicular Hijackings Section

Vehicular hijackings, while relatively infrequent in the 43rd Ward, remain among the most serious and visible crimes when they occur. Vehicular hijacking involves taking a motor vehicle from a person by force or threat of force. In 2025, the ward recorded 4 vehicular hijackings, significantly reduced from the spike experienced from 2020 - 2023. 

Vehicular Hijackings (Reported Incidents)

• 2022: 19

• 2023: 12

• 2024: 3

• 2025: 4

Burglaries Section

Burglary is currently the most significant public safety challenge facing the 43rd Ward and a primary area of focus for Ald. Knudsen and the ward office.

A burglary is defined as unlawful entry into a building with intent to commit a crime and does not always involve theft or harm to an individual. In 2025, the 43rd Ward recorded 213 burglaries. This trend underscores the need for continued CPD patrol (which we advocate for daily), targeted prevention strategies, and sustained coordination with law enforcement and community partners.

Burglaries (Reported Incidents)

• 2022: 142

• 2023: 131

• 2024: 190

• 2025: 213

Ongoing Focus Section

With these crime trends in mind, the 43rd Ward Office will continue to analyze data and refine public safety strategies in coordination with city partners. Ald. Knudsen remains committed to:

• Advocating directly to CPD leadership for a heightened and visible CPD patrol presence

• Advocating for city-wide funding to CPD and violence prevention programs

• Supporting legislation that strengthens public safety and law enforcement tools, such as the Snap Curfew ordinance

• Investing in public safety infrastructure, including increased street lighting and Police Observation Devices, commonly known as POD cameras. 

• promoting CAPS and District Council meetings

• hosting public safety seminars to help residents prevent and respond to crime

Recent incidents reinforce that public safety work is never finished and requires sustained coordination, vigilance, and community partnership.

Important note

I would also like to highlight one final piece of public safety news - in 2025, there were double-digit decreases in every major category of crime and violence, compared to 2024, according to data provided by CPD:

• Overall Violent Crime: -21.3% 

• Homicides: -29.0% 

• Shootings: -34.5% 

• Multi-Victim Shootings: -35.6% 

• Robberies: -36.1% 

• Vehicular Hijackings: -50.0% 

• Human Trafficking: -31.3%

These percentages indicate a positive trajectory of public safety throughout our city that I will continue to help foster. Through community partnerships, public safety infrastructure investments, and impactful legislation, I will remain steadfast in my efforts in making not just Ward 43, but Chicago as a whole a safer place for all. 

For those interested in viewing further data published by the City of Chicago, Check out the City of Chicago’s Data Portal, the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard, and CPD’s CLEARMAP.  You can also read more about the percentage decreases mentioned above here. 

P.S. If you’re looking for a spot to watch the Bears take on the Rams this Sunday at 5:30 p.m., check out the great local bars and restaurants across the 43rd Ward. You can find nightlife and game-day spots through the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce here. 

P.P.S. In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the 43rd Ward Office will be closed on Monday, January 19th. The office will also be closed for Saturday hours on January 17th, but will return next weekend. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, January 20th. You can find ways to celebrate and honor his legacy here. 

You can sign up for a 15 minute time slot here. 

Crime, and safety remain top of mind for our community. Each week, the 18th and 19th District post Compstat numbers that reflect changes in indexes for key crimes. As a reminder, these statistics represent 100% of the 18th & 19th Police Districts; accordingly, they represent an area much larger than our ward. 

For 18th District (south of Fullerton) Week 2 Compstat.

For 19th District (north of Fullerton) Week 2 Compstat.

We work closely with the 43rd Ward’s local CAPS districts, which include the 18th (Near North) and 19th (Town Hall) Police Districts. Our office is in frequent contact with officers from both of these districts and their local CAPS officers, who host a variety of community forums and events including beat meetings, informational settings, and expert panel discussions, as well as sending out community alerts when a pattern of crime is detected.

Beat Meetings are part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy and an excellent way to hear directly from CPD about your neighborhood. Meetings are held in the evenings every two months. Click here and find out your Police District and Beat number, and click here for a larger and printable version of the graphic. 

Click here for a larger and printable version of the community safety alert. 

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Have questions about street work happening in your area? The Department of Transportation has a wonderful tool to look up street work in your area called the Chi Street Work Portal. Here you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street. The map is also interactive, allowing residents to view the real permits, view projects in other areas of the City, and see which type of work is being done on your street. 

The Department of Finance (DOF) announced that City residents now have the option of reporting the following parking enforcement violations: Bus Lane Parking, Commercial Loading Zone, Commercial Vehicle Parked on a Residential Street, Disabled Parking, Fire Hydrant Parking, Residential Parking, Rush Hour Zones, School Safety Zones, Vehicle Parked in Bike Lane, Other (Semi-trucks parked on streets, etc.) Neighbors can report parking violations by calling 311, using the CHI311 app, or through the 311 website. The request type is “Finance Parking Code Enforcement Review.”

Please click here for updated guidance and rules from CDOT on Scooter and E-Bike rides. 

I want to keep spreading the good word of how powerful a tool CHI 311 is to address non-emergency services in our Ward. Via the CHI 311 website and mobile app, you can:

• Create new service requests and check the status of existing requests (such as on timing and completion).
• Snap a photo of an issue to submit it with a request to improve location accuracy.
• Get local and relevant information/tips regarding the 43rd Ward including visibility into what other requests are being made in your neighborhood. The free CHI 311 mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and may be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

43rd Ward Office Hours: M-Fri 9am-5pm & Sat 10am-12pm

 773-348-9500 | yourvoice@ward43.org | 2523 N. Halsted St.

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