3659 S. Halsted | Chicago, IL 60609 | 773.254.6677

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February 15th, 2026

Dear Neighbors, 

We celebrated Lincoln’s Birthday on Thursday, a special holiday for Illinois. This holiday is a special celebration of our state’s history as the Land of Lincoln, which stands for an inclusive state, not only in terms of our diversity but our history, from being the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment, to being the last stop of the Illinois Central Railroad, a place for Black freedom on the route of the Great Migration (fun fact, I worked for the IC in the late ‘90s). 

We opened a new chapter in Chicago Transportation Authority history with the inclusion of Chinese language signage at the Chinatown-Red Line CTA station on Thursday. This marks a new chapter because this is the first language inclusive offering in our public transportation. We will be including more language-inclusive signage throughout the city as a public offering to the diversity of the city. 

I was thrilled to join Ald. Julia Ramirez of the 12th Ward to help cut the ribbon on the new Five Below Store on Ashland in the old Party City space. While the store itself is in the 12th Ward, it definitely serves the 11th too! The store itself looks way bigger than the old one due to its open concept store design which is the first Five Below with this layout in the Chicago area. It was great to see so many neighbors waiting in line for the store to officially open. 

It looks like we’re having our false Spring. I’m not complaining, it was 50 degrees today! 

White Sox Spring Training has begun! I think the lineup looks good. 

Have you been watching the Olympics? My favorites are the individual skating events, but I think bobsledding would be fun to try! 

It was my son Anton’s birthday this past week. My baby boy is now 17 and this coming week, my oldest, Kanoa, will be 19. I admit that, this week especially, I wished for time to slow down a bit. Happily, we are all together this weekend to celebrate both birthdays and the Lunar New Year.  

This week in City Council 

On Friday afternoon, the mayor vetoed the hemp ban that the City Council passed. The sponsor of the bill, Ald. Marty Quinn, has said he will not be pursuing a veto override. I voted for the compromise ordinance that was passed after carve outs were made for hemp infused beverages, topicals and dog food. The compromise also would have immediately made it illegal to sell any hemp infused products to be sold to anyone under the age of 21. The City will now be awaiting future guidance from the federal government for a similar ban that will go into effect in November. 

This week, I joined the aldermanic coalition behind the alternative budget to form 11 working groups to ensure the reforms enacted in the alternative budget were actually put into place. I will be leading two of the working groups, one on the Ground Transportation Tax/Congestion Fee and the Liquor Tax, and will be working on the EY Efficiencies, Video Gaming Terminals, Personal Property Lease Tax, Environmental Ordinance and Augmented Reality working groups. It is important that the administration fully implement the budget that was passed and our working groups will work to ensure that happens.

The Committee on Finance met on Monday for a subject matter hearing on the costs and benefits of storing our City’s money with various banking entities and financial institutions. We also found out that the City’s delay in making a full advance payment to the pension was due to the County’s delay in property tax disbursement. At the Committee on Finance meeting held on Wednesday, we heard recommendations from the Department of Law on lawsuit settlements. All but one item was approved. I was one of 18 committee members who voted no on a recommended settlement for a case that involved a fatality involving a vehicle chase. The case involved a police chase that turned into a death. No police officers were hurt during the vehicular pursuit, but an innocent bystander lost their life. The congruence between the officer following on the chase and the tragic fatality was not something I could see the city and the police department being held liable for. 

We had a moment of silence to remember Dr. Mamadou Diakhate, who served as a dedicated public servant in the Department of Chicago Animal Control and Care. He was a true public servant, and I send my condolences to his family. May he rest in peace. 

Upcoming in City Council 

The next full City Council meeting will be February 18 at 10AM. 

Even though we do not yet have a chair of Zoning, the committee will be meeting on 2/17. 

The Committee on Finance will meet on February 27 at 10AM. 

Around the Ward 

The Zoning Meeting for 3237 S. Parnell is this Tuesday. 

Upcoming Zoning Meetings:

•  2905 S. Lowe on Tuesday, March 3 at 5:30PM.
• 437-439 W. 28th Pl. and 436-438 W. 29th St. on March 3 at 6:30PM. 

On February 28, the Moving Archer Forward Open House and Resource Fair will be at McKinley Park Fieldhouse from 1-3PM. 

On February 26, I will join the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community at the Pui Tak center for a Town Hall on the budget. 

The Beat 914 meeting is at the Chinatown Library on February 25 at 6:30PM. 

The Canaryville Improvement Association meeting is this Wednesday, at 6PM. 

The Board of Elections is recruiting election judges to serve in the March 17 primary election. You can fill out a form here.  

The Department of Housing is launching a pilot program for Green Homes Chicago (GHC) which will offer free home energy upgrades and energy efficiency retrofits for a pool of eligible homeowners who meet certain income requirements. Register on the website www.chicago.gov/greenhomes. 

The office will be closed this coming Monday for President’s Day. 

Chicago Fire Stadium - UPDATE

I received notification from Related Midwest that they have received approval from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to begin environmental remediation work at The 78, with Phase 1 expected to commence next week and continue for approximately four to six weeks near the northeast corner of the Chicago Fire stadium footprint. Remediation materials and impacted soil (TPH – Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons) will be transported via tarped trucks exiting the site southbound on Wells Street/Wentworth Avenue to 18th Street, west on 18th Street to Canalport Avenue, southwest on Canalport Avenue, then entering eastbound I-90/I-94 and continuing to southbound I-55 for disposal at a licensed landfill in Joliet, Illinois. Truck traffic will average approximately 30 trucks per day between 8:00am to 4:00pm. All trucking operations will follow CDOT guidelines, and street sweeping will be conducted as needed to minimize impacts to surrounding streets and residents. This work will not impact any programming at Ping Tom Memorial Park.

Happy President’s Day,

Ald. Lee

Vote By Mail!

You may now apply online to Vote By Mail for the March 17, 2026 Primary Election– click here to get started!

To apply online, please enter your first and last name (no middle name), address (Street Direction and Street Name) and five number zip code to proceed. Please do not leave any spaces after the numerical value in the online form.

You will be asked to choose one Political Party ballot type for the upcoming election: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Non-Partisan (referenda only). Per Illinois Election Code, voters may only choose one ballot and cannot vote multiple Party ballots.

Prefer to always vote from the comfort of your own home? You may also apply online to join the Vote By Mail Permanent Roster ahead of the next election –click here to join the Permanent Roster!

You may request to have your Vote By Mail ballot sent out of city or state, but not out of the country. Choose your best option for delivery in Step 3 of the Online Application. You may choose to receive your Vote By Mail ballot in Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, or Tagalog in Step 4.

You may also choose to join the Accessible Vote By Mail Program in Step 3. This program allows voters with disabilities to access and mark their ballots through an online system and then print out their ballots and mail in those ballots. Please note: You will not receive a ballot in the mail. Voters with disabilities will access and mark their ballot electronically – this is not online voting.

When you apply online to Vote By Mail, the Board will send you emails:

• When your ballot is mailed to you,
• When the Board receives your Ballot Return Envelope, and
• When your ballot has been processed and counted.

The Board will tentatively start mailing ballots by Feb 5, 2026. All Vote By Mail ballots come with postage-paid Ballot Return Envelopes.

When you receive your Vote By Mail ballot, you may return it through standard US mail and must postmark it before or on Election Day, March 17, 2026. You may also submit the Ballot Return Envelope in a secured drop box at any Chicago Early Voting site before and on Election Day.



Questions? Learn more here or call 312-269-7967 or email [email protected]

Sign Up to Be an Election Judge!

• You must be a US citizen and a registered voter in Cook County - and you can earn up to $230 for your service. Being bilingual is especially helpful.
• High School Juniors and Seniors can also apply. Do you know a student with a GPA above 3.0 and an interest in government? Let them know they can serve as an election judge and see how democracy works from behind the polling place curtain.
• You can go to pollworker.chicagoelections.gov or call 312-269-7984 to learn more and apply.

Wentworth AR Construction Project:

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

• Street resurfacing operations will commence once ambient temperatures reach 45 degrees, and it's weather permitting.

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

Schedule: 2/9/2026 - 2/13/2026 (Weather Permitting)

The work efforts are concentrated in Pershing between Wallace and Parnell where pipe installation is ongoing.

One lane open in each direction (east and west) during construction hours from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Northernmost westbound lane between Lowe and Wallace is permanently closed due to pipe and hydrant installation. Impact on traffic is low from 7am to 9am but we will keep monitoring.



• North side of Pershing from Lowe to Canal - pipe installation completed between Lowe & Wallace. Pipe installation is ongoing between Wallace & Parnell. Pipe installation on Parnell & Normal, conflict with the water main alignment while removing large abandoned gas main.

• North side of Pershing from Stewart to Wentworth - Conflict with ComEd resolved by changing WM alignment. Expected to start late February 2026.

• South side of Pershing from Emerald to Union - Fully completed.

• South side of Pershing from Union to Lowe - WM installation complete. Testing and disinfection completed. Final connection delayed due to utility conflict. Concrete road base partially complete. Expected to be completed by 2/20/25 (due to utility conflict).

• West side of Lowe from Pershing South - WM installation and testing and disinfection completed. Awaiting water service transfer to large food depot. Scheduling ongoing. Expected late February 2026.

• North side of Pershing (Halsted to Emerald) - Abandonment at Emerald completed. Abandonment at Halsted completed. Abandonment at NEX of Union expected to be completed by February 20th 2026. Concrete road base partially complete.

• Water Shutdowns - No shutdowns expected

• Pipe Installation - ongoing between Lowe and Canal (North side of Pershing)

• Final Connections and Concrete Cap - Completed on the south side of Pershing between Halsted and Lowe.

Ongoing Project - Lead Services Line Replacement (LSLR):

• 3000 - 3100 S Union Ave.
• Restoration will start upon all the LSLR projects completion.

Sewer Project

A Sewer Project is estimated to begin in September 2025 between 3500-3900 S Parnell, with work expected to take approximately one year to complete.

• Jan 20 to end of April – Water service replacements along Parnell Ave.
• Feb to June: Replace sewer main along Parnell Ave.
• October to December: Construction @ 35^th intersection.
• Spring 2027: Street restoration/landscaping.

Access for residents will be maintained throughout the project. Parking may be restricted during the daytime between 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM.



• 35th St & Parnell - a full closure of the intersection and detour of eastbound and westbound 35th St. traffic.
• Once the work at 35^th and Parnell is completed, the contractor will mobilize to 39^th and Parnell and begin installing sewer south to north until they connect to this structure they're installing at 35^th Street.

Sewer Main & Lead Service Line Replacement

 Schedule: 2/9/26 – 2/13/26

• Due to an emergency sewer repair, DWM will be temporarily demobilizing from the project site to address a collapsed sewer at a different location. DWM will be remobilizing back to 33^rd and Union once the emergency repair has been completed (Updates to come soon).
• Meade to be working in the intersection of 33^rd and Union to raise existing Com-Ed package in the intersection.

Road Closures / Traffic Control:

• The intersection of S Union Ave and W 33^rd St will be closed until further notice to allow Meade to safely work in the intersection to raise Com-Ed’s duct.

• During working hours, no residential parking will be allowed on W 33^rd St between S Emerald and S Lowe Ave (No Parking Signs have been posted).

Schedule: 10/1/2025 - 3/30/2026

Full Closure of 33rd Street at Emerald Ave. for sewer repair.

No parking or traveling during working hours (7 am - 4 pm). Upon completion of the sewer main installation, LSLR replacement will follow.

Most Recent Updates - 2/6/2026



• Peoples Gas’s contractors are continuing activities for the environmental cleanup project at 2730 S. Eleanor Street.

• The batch plant mixing silos were installed at the site last week, and will remain in place until late 2026.

• We continue to haul soil offsite from the western portion of the site in trucks. This activity is ongoing, and may include noise from trucks, excavators and concrete removal.

• 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.



• We will post a red flag on the fence at the site entrance in the unlikely event that all remediation work on the site is stopped due to on-site, real-time air monitoring readings that remain elevated following implementation of mitigation measures (in accordance with our EPA-approved Air Monitoring and Fugitive Emissions Management Plan). Note that our plan is already designed to prevent air-quality-based health risks to site workers or the public, and the red flag would be posted for visual communication to the community.

Photo of the Week

Welcome to McKinley Park, Five Below!

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