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One Chicago Square
Construction Underway

Dear Neighbor,

I am pleased to inform you that construction on the future One Chicago Square project, located at 1 W. Chicago, is now underway. Crews are beginning to prepare the site for construction of a mixed-use residential sproject. Construction is expected to take up to 42 months to complete the 55- and 88-story towers and will be built in three phases.

My staff and I met with Power Construction, who is the General Contractor for the project. I have been provided a direct line of communication to Power, therefore, ANY community concerns should be made known to the 2nd Ward Office so that they may be resolved quickly. Power Construction and its subcontractors are required to abide by the construction noise ordinance, which allows construction noise only during permitted hours (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM). Please note that crews may begin staging work before 8:00 AM and staging work may include some low volume activity.

Over the last week, rodent abatement crews have been on site, aggressively baiting the site for rodents in and around the existing structures on the Dearborn side of the block. The structures are expected to be demolished within the next two weeks. Abatement will remain a priority item as the project moves forward over the next three and a half years.

The Chicago Fire Department will be using the three abandoned buildings for training exercises scheduled to begin this week, before the structures are demolished next week.

Engineers are underpinning the foundation at Bella Luna and Brite Cleaners, which will remain open during construction. This is a necessary step to ensure that the building is undamaged and secured ahead of the foundation excavation phase of the project.

Crews are installing construction fencing on-site and establishing a protected sidewalk around the site. Around the exterior perimeter of the site, parking restrictions will be in effect on Chicago, Superior, State, and Dearborn along the curb only. Dearborn will experience loss of one traffic lane, beginning in early 2020 to accommodate on-site truck and equipment staging.

During this time, street lights will be moved onto temporary poles, which will be maintained by City Lights. Any outages along the site, please report to my office or to 3-1-1.

The first phase that may cause minor disruptions or inconveniences will involve excavation for the site foundation. Power informed my staff and I that they expect to be excavating and pouring approximately 500 yards of material per day — approximately twelve trucks worth of material — for approximately six weeks. Power Construction will monitor construction site vibration around the community as well.

Power Construction and all subcontractors working on the project were notified that they must have flaggers and street sweepers on-site to ensure that the neighborhood is kept as clean as possible during the duration of the project.

To minimize traffic disruptions during the excavation phase of the project, trucks will stage four blocks away in a permitted area, and will only be allowed to travel to the construction site after they receive radio confirmation to proceed. Once on scene, trucks will enter the site perimeter. No trucks will be allowed to idle or stage on the immediate blocks touching the site.

Finally, the site will have comprehensive video and human security to ensure that the construction site is safe. Power has assured my office that they will maintain the barricades and fencing and address any graffiti as quickly as possible.

Your patience over the duration of the project is greatly appreciated. Any questions, comments, or concerns with this project should be directed to the 2nd Ward Service Office by email (Ward02@cityofchicago.org), or call (312) 643-2299.

To learn more about the project, visit the One Chicago Square website.
Sincerely,

Alderman Brian Hopkins
2nd Ward

2nd Ward Service Office
1400 N. Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL  60622
(312) 643-2299]

Pappas: 57,000 Property Owners Are Running Out of Time to Pay Nearly $190 Million in Delinquent Cook County Taxes to Avoid Sale

Delinquent Cook County property taxes totaling $189.6 million on 56,976 properties is scheduled to be auctioned at the Annual Tax Sale that begins May 3, 2019, Treasurer Maria Pappas said today. Lists of all the properties, by municipality and Chicago ward, are published on cookcountytreasurer.com.

“I am asking religious leaders, community groups and elected officials to use these lists to see if they know any of these homeowners with delinquent taxes and alert them about the Tax Sale,” Pappas said. “With their help, we will get many homes off the Tax Sale list.”

Among the properties with delinquent taxes:
•  Nearly 21,000 owners may be unaware of the Tax Sale because the U.S. Postal Service has returned their bills and subsequent notices
•  About 22,000 owe $1,000 or less
•  Over 2,000 homes are probably owned by senior citizens
•  As many as 900 seniors would see their homes removed from the Tax Sale if they applied for property tax exemptions they received last year

Homeowners can avoid the Tax Sale by paying all delinquent taxes and interest before the Sale begins. To see if your taxes are delinquent—and to make a payment—visit: cookcountytreasurer.com and select “Avoid the Tax Sale.” You can search by address or by Property Index Number (PIN). The May 3 Tax Sale is for homes, businesses and land with unpaid bills for Tax Year 2017 (originally due in 2018).

Source: Walter Burnette, Jr. 27th Ward Newsletter 3/18/19

On Wednesday, March 13, our 18th District CPD invited the community to a “Community Conversation” giving residents an opportunity to participate in the creation of the 18th District’s Community Policing Strategic Plan.

Members of the RNRA Public Safety Committee attended along with many other community members throughout the 18th District. Everyone in the 18th District was invited to attend the meeting.

The meeting was held at Park Community Church at 1001 N. Crosby.  Led by Commander Dan O’Shea and Sergeant Chris Schenk the environment was one of community and collaboration with encouragement to freely share thoughts and ideas.

Attendees were seated in round table groups.  Officers of the 18th District participated at each table.  A thoughtful sequence of questions helped guide participants through discussions to identify key issues and provide suggestions for possible CPD and community action.  This was the start of the 2019 Community Policing Strategic Plan.  Groups rotated between tables three times to have an opportunity to interact with different officers.  At the end, each table summarized their key points.

Results of the meeting will be summarized and the follow-up meeting will be held on April 3, 2019, and all are invited.   Join CPD in making a difference.  The community’s input and ideas are needed!  For a copy of the flyer, CLICK HERE.

To print, click HERE

Sgt. Chris Schenk (018), Tony Falada (RNRA), Frank Gross (Chicago Police Memorial Foundation),  Captain Melvin Roman (018), Karl Costello (RNRA)

On February 27 the River North Residents Association’s Public Safety Committee presented a gift of $1,000 to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation in support of the Get Behind the Vest program to honor the esteemed legacy of 18th District CPD Commander Paul Bauer and to show ongoing appreciation of the Chicago police officers who protect and serve the citizens of Chicago every day.

Established in1997, the River North Residents Association (RNRA) is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the quality of life in River North. Representing thousands of residents, the RNRA collaborates with CPD, city officials, local businesses, homeowners’ associations, rental complexes and other stakeholders on a range of programs in six key areas:  public safety, responsible development, infrastructure and amenities, open green space, commerce and hospitality, and community events.

Most people don’t realize that a vest isn’t bulletproof forever.  It wears out.  It breaks down.  It needs to be replaced every 5 years.  And just one bullet permanently damages a vest, making it unusable.  Chicago police officers are responsible for replacing their own vests. At $500 or more per vest, in addition to other equipment and uniform expenses, the costs can quickly add up. The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation  established the Get Behind the Vest program to ensure that every officer protecting the community is protected.   Every donation helps this effort.

“We are privileged to work closely with the officers of the 18th District CPD and are grateful for their ongoing support and protection,”  says Karl Costello, Chair of the RNRA Public Safety Committee.  “These men and women put their life on the line every day for us and we felt this program was a meaningful way to show our support.”

Members of the RNRA Public Safety Committee, Court Advocates and attendees of 2/27/19 RNRA Public Safety Committee Meeting

We’d like to thank SpeedPro Imaging – Chicago Loop for generously donating the large printed check!

The Friends of the Parks 30th Annual Chicagoland Earth Day Parks and Preserves Clean-Up will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Join the River North Residents Association and Friends of the Parks in celebration of Earth Day by volunteering to help make A. Montgomery Ward Park cleaner, safer and more beautiful.  It’s a great way to meet your neighbors and make a difference in our community.

If you – or your friends and family members – are interested in volunteering, please register by April 12th so that we can plan for a sufficient amount of supplies.

For 30 years, Friends of the Parks has been mobilizing community members to participate in Earth Day volunteerism. People from neighborhoods throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs volunteer at their local parks and forest preserves to practice stewardship and celebrate community. This year’s event is conducted in partnership with the Chicago Park District, the Forest Preserves of Cook County and many community groups across Chicagoland.

A host of other activities are planned during EARTH WEEK which will kick off on Monday April 22! For more information click here to visit the Friends of the Parks online.

To print, CLICK HERE.

The Office of the City Clerk recently launched a pilot program that allows qualifying Veteran’s with an Illinois Driver’s License or State ID with a Veteran’s designation issued on or before December 31, 2018 to be eligible to receive one No Fee City Sticker for a passenger, large passenger or motorbike for FREE.

Qualifying Veterans will be able to take advantage of the program at one of the three Office of the City Clerk locations when their sticker is due up for renewal. The vehicle must be registered to the Veteran.

For Veterans who already receive a No Fee Veterans sticker, there will be no changes and they will continue as to qualify as before based on their license plates.

Click here for more information.