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

I hope you have a fun and safe 4th of July!

Please remember, fireworks are illegal and dangerous. To report illegal firework usage, please call 9-1-1.

My office will be closed on Friday, July 4th, and we will not have a table at the Mary Bartelme Park Farmers Market this week. The 34th Ward office will reopen on Monday, July 7th.

NASCAR Chicago Street Race

July 5-6, 2025

The 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race is this weekend, July 5-6. Traffic impacts are underway, and for a full list of sidewalk and street closures, please click here. 

The best source of information about NASCAR's impact on our community is their Local Impact site, which includes detour information, park impacts, and more to help you navigate the area during the event. 

Grant Bark Park will be closed this weekend, and a temporary dog park will be open at the Grant Skate Park.

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.

Ultraviolet Filming Impacts

Thanks to impacted neighbors for their collaboration and understanding during recent overnight street closures to allow for filming in our neighborhood. These impacts continue this upcoming week, with the following overnight closure planned:

• Monday, July 7th, 8pm - Tuesday, July 8th, 5am
  • Federal Street from Jackson to Van Buren

Intermittent traffic control and no parking impacts will be in place nearby during filming. Please see the above film notice for additional information about filming in the Loop, and contact the 34th Ward office at 312-744-6820 with any questions or concerns.

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

Local West Loop historian Connie Fairbanks is looking to connect with buildings on the National Register of Historic Places/Illinois Landmarksto install identifying plaques. 

To see the landmarked buildings, please visit her website. If you a connection at these locations, please contact Connie. 

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. A sidewalk canopy will be installed on June 23rd. All dates are weather permitting. 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. With any questions for the construction team, please email Alex Najem.

Jackson St. Bridge Closure

• From July 10th at 10pm through July 11th at 5am, Jackson St. Bridge will be closed for testing.

Speed Camera Installations

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

• on Racine, between Harrison and Lexington
• on Desplaines, between Jackson and Monroe
  • Installed - warning tickets will be issued until July 14th.
• on Jefferson, between Jackson and Monroe
• on Michigan, between Monroe and Van Buren

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 currently working on Stage 2. Once stage 2 is completed (anticipated at the end of July, weather permitting), CDOT crews will start stage 3 with an estimated duration of 4 weeks to complete. 

34th Ward Infrastructure Updates

• Residential Lighting Improvements
  
  • Tentative start date: July 7th (pending clearance from utilities)
    • Carpenter from Arthington to Taylor
    • Arthington from Aberdeen to Carpenter
    • Cabrini from Aberdeen to Carpenter
• Street Resurfacing
  • Completed: S. Sangamon from Monroe to Adams
  • Completed: Flournoy from Loomis to Laflin
  • TBA (pending utility work): S. Carpenter from Arthington to Taylor
  • Scheduled to begin July 7th (weather permitting): Wabash from Monroe to Balbo and from Wacker to Randolph

• Detached Bump-Outs

  • Completed: Flournoy and Laflin ahead of street resurfacing 

  • Completed: Laflin and Monroe

• Alley Improvements (start dates weather permitting)

  • Alley bounded by Adams, Jackson, Wabash to State, tentative start date TBA in August

  • Completed: Alley bounded by Van Buren, Jackson, Sangamon to Peoria

• Alley Apron Replacement
  • Completed: 1100 block of W. Vernon Park

2025 Sidewalk Improvement Repair Projects

• Completed: ADA tripping hazard at 1 S. Clinton
• Completed: Tripping hazards at 1000 W. Adams
• Completed: ADA tripping hazard at 900 W. Adams
• Completed: Tripping hazards at 1069-73 W. Vernon Park
• Completed: Tripping hazards at 108-46 S. Peoria (Mary Bartelme Park)
• Completed: Tripping hazards at 940 W. Madison
• Completed (punch list items to follow): Tripping hazards at 200-298 S. Sangamon
• Completed: Tripping hazards at 1011-1121 W. Vernon Park
• Completed: Tripping hazards at 1131-41 W. Vernon Park
• Starting soon: Tripping hazards at 837 S. Carpenter
• Starting soon: Tripping hazards at 802 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 since stage 1 was implemented, the contractor removed part of the existing deck within stage 1 limits. Next week the existing beams located within stage 1 limits will be removed at nighttime.

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.

Peoples Gas Main Replacement - Wabash from Monroe to Balbo

Peoples Gas (PGL) is continuing a major infrastructure upgrade project along Wabash from Monroe to Balbo as well as on Harrison from Michigan to Wabash.  This gas main replacement project is part of PGL’s ongoing efforts to modernize its system in order to ensure continued safe and reliable service to the City of Chicago.

The work hours may vary throughout the project, but we currently anticipate working from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. During construction hours you will be able to expect traffic in each direction maintained through our work zones. This gas main installation will at times impact access to garages and/or loading docks so they ask that any deliveries or driveway access needed during work hours be communicated to on-site personnel with advance notice to the extent possible to allow access to be accommodated with minimal delay.

• Week of 6/30
  
  • Continue Restoration

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 demolition. 

Update: June 20, 2025
  
Reconstruction of the Canal Street Viaduct between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard continues. Due to weather impacts, the east sidewalk on Canal between Jackson and Adams will remain closed until July 7th.

The contractor will be installing the structural steel for the viaduct above Union Station, and there will be 3 weekend closures needed to complete the installation. During weekend closures, Canal between Jackson and Van Buren will be closed. Each closure will begin at 9:00PM on Friday, and end at 5:00AM Monday:

• 06/20/2025-06/23/2025
• 06/27/2025-06/30/2025
• 07/11/2025-07/13/2025

The project is anticipated to be complete in fall of 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.