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Dear Neighbors,
I hope all who celebrate had a happy and meaningful beginning to Passover, and we wish you a continued joyful holiday. From community seders and services at the Chabad of East Lakeview to gatherings with family and friends, this is a special time for many in our neighborhood. For those celebrating Easter, there are many opportunities to come together, including family-friendly events like the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce's Easter celebration and egg hunt here. You can see the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce's list here of egg hunts, brunches, and other festive activities happening throughout the community.
As street sweeping continues across the ward, we want to remind residents to please move their cars from 9:00am-2:00pm on your designated sweeping day, as indicated by both temporary orange signs and permanent street signage. This allows me and my staff to fully clear leaves and debris, especially under and around parked cars, and helps keep drains clear to prevent water buildup throughout the season. You can view the full schedule, interactive map, and sign up for alerts on our Street Sweeping page here.
We’d like to welcome Jujin Broadway Breakfast & Coffee to the neighborhood, a new café now open at 2845 N Broadway! This cozy, women-owned spot offers a thoughtful mix of coffeehouse favorites like lattes and house-baked pastries alongside fresh Mediterranean dishes such as shakshuka and dolma, with plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Stop by to support a great new local business and enjoy a warm, inviting addition to our community.
  
In public safety news, the Chicago Police Department, alongside philanthropic partners, has released a new Workforce Allocation Study. This is an important step toward examining how CPD uses its staff and resources, and ensuring they are deployed in an effective, data-driven way. The study analyzes current staffing and organizational structure to improve response times, operational efficiency, and overall public safety outcomes, while aligning with a broader Community Policing Assessment informed by input from more than 1,100 residents. We will continue monitoring how these recommendations are implemented as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen both safety and trust across our neighborhoods. Read both full documents here.
As Earth Day approaches, there are many opportunities to get involved right here in our neighborhood and across the city. On Saturday, April 18th, you can participate in the Lakeview Earth Day Celebration at Blaine Elementary, featuring electronics recycling and a houseware donation drive in partnership with the Chicago Furniture Bank, or join neighbors for a Weisman Park Cleanup from 9:00am-12:00pm. That same day, the Chicago Park District will host cleanups at more than 140 parks citywide. See here for signup details. Additionally, on Wednesday, April 15th at 6:00pm, you can tune into a virtual “Law at the Library” event hosted by the Chicago Bar Association to learn more about environmental issues and how to engage in your community.
 
Mark your calendars for the return of Taste of Northalsted on Saturday, April 25th from 1:00-5:00pm. This popular food and drink sampling crawl features more than 20 stops across the neighborhood, offering bites from local restaurants alongside beer, cocktail, and spirit tastings. This event has sold out in the past, so be sure to plan ahead and enjoy a great afternoon exploring our diverse local food scene. See here for details.
In legislative news, my ordinance legalizing Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs) across Chicago officially went into effect on April 1st—and we promise, this was no April Fool’s Day prank! We’ve already seen 88 new applications submitted in just the first two days citywide, an encouraging early sign that residents are ready to take advantage of this long-awaited change. This policy is one of many ways we can begin to make a meaningful dent in Chicago’s housing shortage and help lower the cost of living across our neighborhoods.
If you’ve ever considered adding an ADU, whether to generate additional income or keep family members close by, now is the time to explore your options. At Chicago.gov/ADU, you only need to enter basic information about your property to instantly see how many units you’re eligible for and how to get started. The site also includes an interactive map that allows you to enter an address and view eligibility details for a specific property. We encourage you to spread the word, learn more about the program, and check out recent WBBM coverage of the launch here to hear how this effort is expanding housing opportunities across the city.
The Chicago Financial Future Task Force—established by executive order—is currently working to develop a long-term financial plan to put the City on more stable footing in the years ahead. As part of that effort, they are hosting a series of community engagement opportunities, including a town hall near our ward at Truman College on Tuesday, April 7th from 6:00-8:00pm. Residents are also encouraged to share their input by completing a short survey here or signing up to participate in a focus group here, as the Task Force looks to gather perspectives from across Chicago.
As we head into the Final Four this weekend, we'd like to remind you about the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce's helpful guide highlighting local March Madness watch parties, deals, and specials across the neighborhood. Whether you’re following a bracket or just looking for a lively place to catch the games, it’s a great resource to plan your weekend and support our local bars and restaurants. Check out the full guide here.
With the Cubs season underway, we want to remind residents to follow all Wrigley Field parking restrictions—especially as our first night game approaches on April 20th. Residential Permit Parking (Zone 383) will be strictly enforced, with a tow zone in effect from 5:00-10:00pm on night games, and streets including Addison, Clark, and others subject to additional “No Parking” restrictions before and after games. Please be sure to display guest passes by 5:00pm where applicable and avoid parking in restricted areas, as violations may result in ticketing and towing. You can review full details and maps on our website here. Seasonal parking restrictions have also begun on Clark (Newport to Addison) and Halsted (Belmont to Addison), prohibiting weekend late-night parking from 11:30pm-4:00am. See a flyer here for details.
As we close out this week, we wish a meaningful and reflective Good Friday to all who observe.
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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44th WARD INSTRUMENTS DRIVE - EXTENDED THRU APR 17th
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LAKEVIEW DOG PARK - DONATION PAGE
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ST ANDREW'S FISH FRY - TODAY
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LAKEVIEW ROSCOE VILLAGE EASTER CELEBRATION - TOMORROW
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SNAP & MEDICAID UPDATES WEBINAR - APR 6th
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INTERNSHIPS SEMINAR FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES - APR 7th
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D'AGOSTINO'S NETTELHORST FUNDRAISER - APR 9th
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KINDNESS RALLY OUTSIDE MERLO LIBRARY - APR 12th
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ST ANDREW'S SCHOOL FUNDRAISER - APR 17th
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CENTRAL LAKEVIEW NEIGHBORS WINE TASTING - APR 19th
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FRIENDS OF TUBMAN ELEMENTARY BINGO SOCIAL - APR 23rd
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OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL OPEN HOUSE - APR 24th
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MERLO LIBRARY - APRIL PROGRAMS
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- Tactile Art Night - 4/6, 4:00-6:00pm (13-19 years)
- Tummy Time - 4/7, 10:30-11:00am (0-5 months)
- Preschool Story Time - 4/7, 11:30am-12:00pm (2-5 years)
- LEGO Club - 4/7, 3:30pm-4:30pm (4-13 years)
- Click for all program details
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FREE VIRTUAL LEGAL SEMINARS (NEXT ON APR 15th)
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OLMCA PLAYGROUP - NOW THRU APR 24th
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ST ANDREW'S SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION
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To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
Build a Brand That Stands Out - April 10th, 9:30am-11:00am
Banking Services Available for Small Businesses - April 15th, 3:00pm-4:30pm
The Blueprint for a Winning Pitch - April 22nd, 3:00pm-4:30pm
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PUBLIC SAFETY & 19th DISTRICT WEEKLY REPORT:
March 23rd - March 29th
Local Public Safety Statistics:
My office is in regular contact with the 19th Police District about crimes that have occurred recently in our area and that are reflected in the statistics below. The majority of 19th District crimes have occurred outside of our ward. The 19th District also includes the surrounding neighborhoods of Uptown, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, Bricktown, Ravenswood, and Lincoln Square.
Please view our website's public safety page here for both proactive measures to stay safe before crimes occur, and also how to respond in the event of a crime.
In order to stay safe, please find the most relevant key safety tips below, and the full list of CPD's safety tips here:
-General
-Personal
-Robbery-specific
-Vehicle-specific
Below you'll find Week 13's CompStat breakdown of crime in the 19th District.
Please note, these statistics are a reflection of the entire 19th District. The boundaries are from Lawrence Ave to Fullerton Ave, from the Chicago River to the Lake.
Here are the key points:
- Year to Date, Robberies are down 32%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 55%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 12%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is up 11%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 40%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 6%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 5%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 22%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 25%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 79%
For a list of crime definitions, please see CPD's website here.
See full report below:
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MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE RESOURCES
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SCOOTER REPORTING
Please click here to submit a scooter removal request and here for Divvy bike removal. We appreciate your assistance in helping keep our neighborhood clean. By contract, shared bike and scooter companies must remove their property within two hours of a 311 removal request.
Please contact our office directly if you see illegal/dangerous activities on green Lime scooters (riding on the sidewalk, two people sharing one scooter, etc). We are able to work with Lime to potentially administer fines, suspensions, or bans if you can include a photo/video of the behavior, and a time and location.
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See below for ongoing construction and infrastructure projects in our neighborhood and on our website here!
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DEPT OF WATER MANAGEMENT WORK
The Department of Water Management (DWM) is conducting work on pipes and drains that will take place in the street/public way. There will be up to 4 crews working simultaneously throughout Greenview, Lakewood, and Southport. Crews have been instructed to limit construction during home games in Southport. This work should take approximately 5-6 weeks to complete in total. See maps of the work areas here and here, and a full range of affected addresses here.
Friday, April 3rd Update: Work began Thursday, April 2nd on sewers along Lakewood, from Belmont to School. This street will be closed from 7:00am-3:30pm while work occurs. We will provide updates as this moves forward.
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UPCOMING ALLEY RESURFACINGS
NS alley between Janssen, Addison, Southport, Cornelia: Grind date (4/13)
NS alley between Lakewood, Henderson, Racine, School: Grind date (4/13)
NS alley between Lakewood, Melrose, Racine, School: Grind date (4/14)
EW alley between Clark Buckingham, Halsted, Aldine: Grind date (4/14)
EW alley between Commonwealth, Oakdale, Sheridan, Surf: Grind date (4/14)
All start dates are tentative and subject to change due to weather and crew availability.
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REPORTING POTHOLES
Please report any potholes you see by entering in all requests through the 311.Chicago.Gov website for those in the street or alley. If possible, be sure to upload images as well so crews are able to identify the exact location.
For more severe potholes that may need immediate attention, please reach out to my ward office either by email ([email protected]) and include the location and images of the pothole or by calling the office at (773-525-6034).
If your vehicle was damaged due to a pothole, you may be entitled to a financial claim here.
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WHAT DO YOU KNOW, JOE? - APRIL
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GARBAGE & RECYCLING
Recycling pick-ups for the 44th Ward are occurring the week of April 13th. You can find your full garbage and recycling pickup schedule here.
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See below for a list of job fairs, networking events, and more!
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THE CITY IS HIRING
Looking for a job? Try working for the City! Click here to see the full list of job openings currently seeking applicants.
Local government employment opportunities:
- City
- City of Chicago
- Chicago Public Schools
- Chicago Transit Authority
- Park District
- County
- All - Cook County
- Cook County State's Attorney
- Cook County Sheriff's Office
- State/Other
- State of Illinois
- Secretary of State of Illinois
- PACE bus system
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44th WARD 2026 COMMUNITY MEETINGS
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