3659 S. Halsted | Chicago, IL 60609 | 773.254.6677

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May 31, 2026

Dear neighbors,

I can’t believe it’s already the bittersweet season of all our students graduating across the ward! Congratulations to all our 8th graders and seniors who have walked across the stage already. I’m excited that four of our elementary schools will have their graduation ceremonies at the Ramova Theatre this coming week. It's great to have a venue that can accommodate our schools right here in the ward. 

Speaking of graduations, I was honored to deliver the keynote address at the graduation of the first class of seniors at Horizon Science Academy to graduate from their new home in Bridgeport. We’re thrilled to have HSA in the ward and wish the class of 2026 all the best on the next stage of their journeys!

Our 11th Ward Town Hall is this Wednesday, from 6-8PM at the Ramova Theater. I’ll be there to discuss public safety, all the infrastructure projects going on in the ward, including a discussion about additional dwelling units (ADUs), and how we will create a community-driven process for approving these in residential blocks in the ward and much more. Please join us. 

I was excited to join Commissioner John P. Daley at the Asian American Pacific Islander Flag Raising at Daley Plaza, which I neglected to mention last week. It was a lovely celebration. As we close out Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I am reminded that the story of Asian Americans is fundamentally an American story. From building railroads and starting small businesses to advancing medicine, technology, education, public service, and the arts, Asian Americans have helped shape our nation's growth and prosperity. Their journey echoes those of so many other communities that have made Chicago and America what they are today—Irish immigrants who helped build our cities and institutions, Italian Americans who strengthened neighborhoods and entrepreneurship, Hispanic and Latino families whose labor, culture, and leadership continue to transform our communities, and countless others who arrived seeking opportunity and a better future.  

I also missed the anniversary of the Union Stockyards Fire (May 19, 1934) the second most destructive fire in Chicago history. Let’s pause to remember and honor the brave firefighters who put out that fire–and all the others.

On Saturday, Chinatown said goodbye to Mr. Pui Yip Chiu, founder of Chiu Quon Bakery. If you've ever enjoyed a BBQ pork bun in Chinatown, chances are it came from Chiu Quon, a beloved neighborhood institution for more than 30 years. Like so many immigrants, Mr. Chiu came to the United States alone in search of opportunity while supporting family back in China. Through hard work and determination, he built a successful business, sponsored relatives to join him here, and helped generations of family members get their start before pursuing their own careers and businesses. Beyond the bakery, he invested in other local ventures and helped strengthen the community's economic foundation. Mr. Chiu's legacy extends far beyond business. He taught his children the importance of family, hard work, and giving back to the community. For me, Chiu Quon has always been more than a bakery. Growing up, it was a regular stop after Sunday mass at St. Therese Church. When I went away to camp, my parents sent me with a box of BBQ pork buns to share with my dormmates—a tradition I still carry on today. Chiu Quon buns remain a favorite at City Hall and City Council meetings, and the bakery's staff have watched my children grow up.

We are fortunate in the 11th Ward to have family-owned businesses like Chiu Quon, George's, Connie's, Ricobene's, Kathy De's, and Impallaria Bakery that have served our neighborhoods for decades. They are more than businesses—they are part of the fabric of our community. Mr. Chiu's life reminds us of the lasting impact that one person's hard work, generosity, and commitment can have on generations of families and neighbors.

As we welcome in the summer – please note that the 11th Ward Office is now on Summer Hours until Labor Day which means that we’ll be closed at 3pm on Fridays.  All other hours will be the same.  

Monday: 10:00AM to 7:00PM

Tuesday - Thursday: 8:30AM - 5:00PM

Friday: 8:30AM - 3:00PM

First Saturday of every month open 9:00AM - 12:00PM

Happy start to summer, 

Alderman Nicole Lee

This week in the Committee on Education and Child Development, I attended a subject matter hearing for Chicago Public Schools. CPS is required to provide a quarterly update to the committee and we were briefed on their proposed budget. This was a thorough presentation which you can watch here. We had a group of cafeteria workers join us in the audience for the meeting, who are actively negotiating for a higher hourly wage. I support them in that fight. They are currently making $16.45 an hour, which is certainly not enough to survive. 

There was also a joint subject matter hearing of the Ethics and Government Oversight and the Police and Fire Committees regarding the Chicago Police Department Workforce Allocation Study at the same time as the Education Committee (I am a member of all three committees). In this hearing, representatives from CPD and Matrix Consulting Group went over the report, which you can watch here.

On June 3rd there are two scheduled meetings:

• 10:00 AM - Committee on Public Safety will meet to continue a discussion about gun detection technology and what the City is (or rather is not) doing to replace ShotSpotter, which Mayor Johnson decommissioned two years ago.

• 1:00 PM - Committee on Finance will hold a subject matter hearing on the proposed transfer of the City’s parking meter deal to another company. You may have read in the news that the City Council will have to approve the sale. I wasn’t yet in office for the original deal, and I know that we all would love to have a time machine to have never signed the deal. I’m not sure at this point, what, if any, opportunity there is to effect changes to the agreement with this sale. As I understand it, our job as a Council is to either approve or disapprove of the sale. I’ll share more about this after the hearing. 

June 11th - Committee on Economic, Capital, and Technology Development

June 15th - Committee on Finance 

The next full meeting of the City Council is June 17.

This week at the Beat 914 (Bridgeport/Chinatown) CAPS meeting, we heard about thefts of airbags targeted for Honda vehicles and package thefts. Police advise owners of Honda vehicles to consider purchasing a steering wheel lock like “the club” to deter thefts of airbags. To avoid package theft from your front door, consider having packages delivered to your workplace, use lockers for Amazon packages, or a trusted friend or relative who can receive your package. If you become a victim of this crime, please be sure to file a report. CPD uses data reported on crimes to allocate resources.

Wentworth AR Construction Project:

A Street Resurfacing & ADA-compliant corners project between Cermak and 24th Pl on Wentworth will be completed in the spring.

• Final Phase of Street resurfacing operations will take place from Monday, May 25^th 2026 to Monday, June 8^th 2026, weather permitting.
• Wentworth Ave. will remain open, but there will be rolling closures and flaggers during construction.
• Please be aware of all the posted signs.

Ongoing Project - Water Main, Sewer Main & Lead Service Line Replacement Project - Pershing Road:

Schedule: 5/25/2026 - 5/29/2026 (Weather Permitting)

Complete testing and disinfection between Stewart and Wentworth. Complete final connection at Normal – Week ending 5/29.

One lane open in each direction (east and west) during construction hours from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Northernmost westbound lane between Parnell and Canal is permanently closed due to temporary hydrant.



• North side of Pershing from Lowe to Canal - WM installation completed LSLR completed from Lowe to Parnell; LSLR from Parnell to Canal – completed. Final connection remains at Normal (expected late next week)

• North side of Pershing from Stewart to Wentworth - Pipe installation completed. Testing and disinfection expected next week



• Water Service Transfers / LSLR - Parnell to Canal completed. Wentworth to Stewart not started

• Water Shutdowns - 3908 S Princeton notified about shutdown on Tuesday 5/25/26

• Pipe Installation - Stewart to Wentworth is completed

• Final Connections and Concrete Cap - Ongoing between Lowe and Canal (90% complete)

• No Parking Signs (Lowe Ave, South of Pershing) - “No Parking” signs have been posted as the contractor staged materials and equipment on the west side of the street south of Lowe.

Most Recent Updates - 5/21/2026

• Peoples Gas contractors continue environmental cleanup activities at 2730 S. Eleanor Street.
• The primary activity at the site for the remainder of May will be backfilling excavations with clean stone. Trucks will continue to visit the site throughout the day to deliver stone, which will then be placed in excavations by excavators. 
• Cleanup activity will not take place at the site on Memorial Day, May 25^th.
• 24-hour air monitoring is taking place and will continue during all intrusive activity.
• As a reminder, if you have questions about this project, please contact the Peoples Gas project number at 877-380-0522.

2026 Horizon Science Academy McKinley Park High School Graduation Ceremony

11th Ward

School and Parish Information

The 11th Ward office is happy to announce has a free ‘Constituent Education Resource Card’ available to residents wishing to visit select museums and zoos in the Chicagoland area. Constituents can reserve our Constituent Education Resource Card on a first come first serve basis (more instructions below), to visit any of the following museums in 2026:

• Adler Planetarium
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Brookfield Zoo
• Chicago Botanic Garden
• Chicago Children’s Museum
• Chicago History Museum
• Dusable Museum of African American History
• The Field Museum
• Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
• Lincoln Park Zoo
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Museum of Science and Industry
• National Museum of Mexican Art
• National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
• John G. Shedd Aquarium

Only one group of up to four (4) can reserve the pass at a time. The pass must be picked up and brought back to the 11th Ward Office. Constituents need to call for an appointment to come to the office to pick up the pass before visiting the museums. We recommend calling two business days before your scheduled visit.

It is strongly recommended that families utilizing the card contact the museum they plan to visit to learn if pre-registration is required to visit. 

9th District Police District Council & Beat Meeting Schedules

The office has extended hours on Monday nights until 7:00 p.m., is open on the first Saturday of each month from 9:00am - 12:00 pm, if it's a holiday weekend, the office will

be open the following Saturday and/or Monday.

Alderwoman Lee will be happy to see residents on Monday nights from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. If you'd like to make an appointment, please call the ward office at 773.254.6677.

11th Ward Office| 3659 South Halsted Chicago, IL 60609 | 773-254-6677