Alderman Reilly is very pleased to announce that the final recommendation for landmarking the Quincy Elevated Station at 220 S. Wells Street was recently approved at the September 7, 2017 meeting of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.

Opened for service on October 3, 1897, the Quincy Elevated Station has served generations of Chicagoans and visitors to the City, and remains the best example of an original Loop “‘L’ Station.

With the exception of a hiatus for restoration in the 1980s, the Station has been in daily service for 120 years.

The massive riveted steel elevated structure is a tangible symbol of the Industrial Revolution which involved major changes in construction and transportation. The structure also displays fine architectural detail, including Neoclassical-style pressed-metal ornamentation, and pressed metal and oak finishes in the station houses.

The Loop ‘L’ and Station was designed by engineer John Alexander Waddell, an authority on steel construction who designed bridges across the globe. The ‘L’ has become an iconic feature of the city.  Its encircling perimeter so clearly defines the central business district that it gave downtown Chicago its famous nickname, the Loop.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) requested the designation as part of its 125th anniversary of the Loop ‘L’ service in Chicago.

A renovation project for Quincy Station is also underway to make the 120-year-old station fully wheelchair accessible, while preserving its historical appearance. The $18.2 million project is the largest renovation in nearly 30 years for Quincy, which serves more than 2.2 million riders annually via the Brown, Orange, Pink and Purple lines and is a major transfer point for 10 CTA bus routes, Union Station and the LaSalle Street Metra Station.  The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The Commission on Chicago Landmark’s recommendation will be introduced to City Council in October, and be referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards.  At the Committee meeting where designation is considered, the public can make oral or written statements for the Committee’s consideration.   Upcoming Committee meeting agendas are posted on the City Clerk’s website. After Committee, the landmarking will require a full City Council vote.

For more information about Quincy Elevated Station, click here to read the Department of Planning and Development’s preliminary summary.

A floating ecology classroom, a boating raceway, and an audiovisual performance space are among the 27 visionary ideas for Chicago’s riverfront by the River Edge Ideas Lab exhibit unveiled today by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), nine participating architects and other partners and funders.

Part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the River Edge Ideas Lab features development concepts from world-class architectural firms for three iconic locations: the Civic Opera House waterfront; beneath the Congress Parkway bridge; and below the St. Charles Air Line Bridge. Each location represents a unique challenge to the Riverwalk’s potential 1.8-mile extension from the main branch to Ping Tom Park in Chinatown.

Participating River Edge Ideas Lab architects include Adjaye Associates, James Corner Field Operations, Perkins+Will, Ross Barney Architects, Sasaki, site, SOM, Studio Gang, and SWA.

Beginning Saturday, the firms’ design concepts for each location are on display at Expo 72, 72 E. Randolph St, through Jan. 8, 2018. The public is invited to provide feedback at the exhibit or at www.ChiRiverLab.com. The 27 visions will be posted on that site Saturday.

“With the success of our Riverwalk and the four new boathouses we’ve built throughout the City, we’ve begun to transform our river into the next recreational frontier, but there is more work to be done,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This bold initiative will help us imagine new possibilities to further develop our riverfront in ways that will benefit current and future generations of Chicagoans.”

DPD will incorporate public feedback from the River Edge Ideas Lab into updated River Design Guidelines in 2018. The updated guidelines will offer best practices to create a continuous pedestrian and bicycle path with accessible connections and open spaces incorporating integrated landscaping, artwork and lighting.

A traveling version of the River Edge exhibit will open Monday, Sept. 18 at the Bridgehouse Museum at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, followed by a new location every two weeks.

Special gallery talks and panel discussions involving architects and planners are also scheduled during the four-month exhibition.

Further details on these events can be found at the Ideas Lab website.

As the country recognizes National Preparedness Month in September, the City of Chicago is reminding residents to prepare for potential hazards and ensure readiness if a crisis occurs.

The Office of Emergency Management and Communication (OEMC), the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Fire Department provide tips on how to prepare for large-scale emergencies and natural disasters.

There is no known threat in Chicago, though the City recommends planning for the unexpected by making an emergency plan and building a kit of supplies, for medical, financial and pet needs. It is also important to stay informed of ways to mitigate hazards, respond to emergencies, and to be aware of current events.

Throughout the month of September, OEMC is making extra efforts to continue to provide readiness messaging throughout Chicago with outreach measures including speaking engagements, school events and social media.  Everyone is encouraged to utilize the emergency preparedness tools available at www.GearUpGetReady.org  or www.Ready.gov as well as sign-up for emergency alerts at NotifyChicago.

As part of National Preparedness Month, CDPH is launching its #PrepareChicago public education campaign, providing tips for Chicagoans to prepare for large-scale emergencies and natural disasters. #PrepareChicago educates residents on how they can prepare their families, how to work together as a community and how they can volunteer during public health emergencies.
Emergency preparedness messages will be displayed throughout Chicago via the CTA and Metra transit systems, billboards, newspaper and social media ads. This year’s campaign also includes foreign language online and print publications as well as bus shelter ads in the five most commonly spoken languages in Chicago: English, Spanish, Polish, Chinese, and Tagalog.

Residents looking for additional ways to help can volunteer their skills by signing up for the Chicago Medical Reserve Corps (CMRC). CMRC has over 400 medical and non-medical professionals who assist in public health emergencies and local disasters. Chicagoans can sign up to volunteer online or by emailing ChicagoMRC@cityofchicago.org.  For more information, visit www.CityOfChicago.org/HEALTH.
If You See Something, Say Something
OEMC encourages everyone – residents, visitors, businesses – to always be aware of surroundings and report suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1, notifying on-site security or by calling the toll free local number for Chicago and Cook County at 855-RPRT-2-S4 (1-800-777-8274).

Notify Chicago
Get Chicago emergency alerts by signing-up for OEMC’s Notify Chicago alert system.  This is a free service provided by the City of Chicago.

Alderman Reilly is happy to announce than an iconic public art piece, Ginny Sykes’ Rora mosaic, has been fully restored and was reinstalled this week at Erie Terrace located at Erie Street and the Chicago River.

The tile glass mural was commissioned in 1998, as part of the construction of Erie Terrace, through the City of Chicago’s Percent for Art Program. Rora’s consists of three mosaic segments – two horizontal elements on the upper level reflect ecological and natural elements of the Chicago River.  These flank the stairway leading to the lower level, where the circular centerpiece depicts an abstraction of industry and the City, with high-rises, bridges and other urban elements.  The design also reflects the dual nature of the site.

In collaboration with the Chicago Department of Transportation, Department of Cultural Affairs, Wolff Clements and Associates, and Chicago Public Art Group, Rora at Erie Terrace received an Honor Award from the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1999.

Shortly after the project was completed, the abutment started cracking, which created breaks in the mosaic and caused the tesserae to fall out.  Repeated repairs were made, but the cracks continued to reopen.  The mosaic was removed in 2011.

Rora has been repaired and mounted to a stable background.  The mosaic now hangs like a painting secured to a wall and will no longer suffer any damage as the infrastructure continues to settle and shift.

RNRA encourages the creation and improvement of public space by acknowledging the owners and managers of properties throughout River North for outstanding achievement in landscape beautification.

As you’re strolling our beautiful neighborhood, take a picture of space you think is worthy of recognition.  Use the link below to submit your nominations!  All nominations must be submitted by September 29.

To nominate your candidates, click here.

Earlier this week, the new Washington/Wabash CTA Station opened – the first new downtown ‘L’ station to open in 20 years!  Featuring a strikingly modern design, the new Washington/Wabash Station serves as the gateway to Chicago’s magnificent Millennium Park, and sits just steps away from historic Jeweler’s Row, the vibrant New Eastside neighborhood, and Michigan Avenue.

For more information about this unique new station, visit: transitchicago.com/washingtonwabash

The NEW My River North mobile app is FREE to RNRA members and provides convenient access to River North news, events, and resources, plus special discount offers at nearly 50 participating local businesses. The app is compatible with virtually any mobile device.

Special discounts are only available to RNRA members. If your building is not yet an RNRA member, talk to your Property Manager about joining today. If your building is already a member, your Property Manager will provide you and your neighbors with an invitation link.

Register for the app here

Donors Charles and Susan Schwartz have announced a MATCHING DONATION CHALLENGE in support of Friends of the Parks!  Through the end of August, any donation you make to Friends of the Parks will be matched by Charles and Susan Schwartz up to $10,000.  Help us meet our $10,000 goal by donating today!  You can double your impact simply by donating to Friends of the Parks today.  Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz for their generosity and support.

Congratulations to Daliah Saper!

Daliah made the cut!

Crain’s Chicago just included Daliah Saper on its list of the 60 most influential women lawyers in Chicago, highlighting her “cutting-edge internet and social media law practice.” Check out it out here, or see the full list here.

For more information on Saper Law, click here.

Convenient, easy-to-use transit app allows CTA, Metra and Pace users to pay their fares, manage their account and more

Less than two years after being launched, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace announced that the Ventra transit app has been downloaded more than 2 million times and used to purchase nearly $250 million in fares.

Providing transit riders with a convenient “one-stop shopping” experience, the Ventra app is the first transit app in the nation allowing customers to pay for rides on multiple transit systems. The free app was developed and launched by the CTA in partnership with Metra, the Chicago area’s commuter rail system, and Pace, the suburban bus system.

“The fact that the Ventra app has been downloaded more than 2 million times in less than two years demonstrates why CTA is leveraging technology to improve the transit experience for our customers,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “By making transit easier to pay for and more convenient to use, we help encourage people to take advantage of great public transit in the Chicago area.”

The Ventra app, which launched in November 2015, offers a wide range of functionality that helps users pay their fares and manage their accounts. App users are also able to load transit value/passes, buy and display mobile tickets on Metra and receive real-time account notifications when it’s time to purchase new passes or refill their accounts.

“The Ventra app has proven to be extremely popular with Metra customers in such a short time,” said Metra Executive Chairman/CEO Don Orseno. “Already, more than a third of our customers are buying tickets through the app, making it our largest sales channel in terms of ticket sales. We’re pleased to offer such a fast and convenient app for the benefit of our riders.”

The Ventra app also provides access to real-time transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace in one convenient location. Future phases will offer additional services and conveniences.

“The Ventra app has made our transit system easier and more convenient to use,” said Pace Executive Director T.J. Ross. “We’re proud to be a part of the Ventra team and extend our gratitude to everyone who worked to achieve this success.”

The free Ventra app is available for download and use on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices via www.ventrachicago.com, the App Store and Google Play.