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July 17, 2026

With the heat waves seeming to come one after another this summer, it was the perfect time to partner with the People's Response Network to bring a screening of Cooked: Survival By Zipcode, to Clarendon Park. Thank you to everyone who came out to spend the evening with us and learn more about staying safe during extreme heat. A special thank you to Kathy, the People's Response Network, and the Extreme Weather Coalition for making this event possible and for bringing such an important resource to our community. Conversations like these help ensure our neighbors have the tools and information they need to stay safe, not just this summer, but for years to come.

Even though the weather hasn’t been great lately - summer is officially in full swing...and you know what that means: catch us outside! (Well, at least when weather isn’t hazardous). This time of year, my office is out in the community almost every weekend, connecting with neighbors, sharing resources, and making the most of everything our ward has to offer.

This past week, we tabled at the Uptown Farmers Market, St. Mary of the Lake's Block Party, and the Southport Art Festival. Whether you stopped by to ask a question, pick up resources, or simply say hello, it was wonderful to spend the weekend with so many familiar and new faces. Thank you to everyone who stopped by one of our tables, we're looking forward to seeing you all summer long!

     

Speaking of getting out into the community, we also had the opportunity to visit Uplift Community High School’s After School Matters summer program. It was a pleasure to spend time with such an engaged group of young people, and I want to thank both After School Matters and Uplift for welcoming us. Jesse Orr, our Director of Infrastructure and Development, led a discussion about the 46th Ward's community participatory budgeting process, showing students how they can have a real voice in shaping neighborhood improvements. Their ideas, questions, and enthusiasm are a great reminder that civic engagement has no age limit.

Our Community Budget idea submission period is open through July 31, and I encourage every neighbor to submit an idea. Whether it's safer streets, better sidewalks, more public spaces, or another neighborhood improvement, we want to hear from you. Scan the QR code below or complete the form here to help us build a community budget that reflects the priorities of the 46th Ward.

We also had the opportunity to join neighbors at the Buena Circle and Challenger Park Advisory Council (PAC) Meeting at the Gill Park. These meetings are always a great opportunity to hear directly from neighbors, share updates from our office, and have honest conversations about what's happening in the community. Thank you to the Buena Circle and Challenger PAC for bringing everyone together and creating space for collaboration. We truly appreciate everyone who took the time to attend, ask thoughtful questions, and stay engaged.

I hope you'll join us to honor the life and legacy of Lois Juanita Ellington with a special street naming ceremony on Saturday, July 25, at 11:00 a.m. at 4500 N. Broadway. Lois was more than a neighbor, she was a tireless community advocate whose kindness, compassion, and willingness to help others left a lasting mark on Uptown. She was known for opening her heart and her home to anyone in need, and her legacy of service continues to inspire so many. This honorary street naming is a beautiful way to celebrate a life dedicated to uplifting others. I hope you'll join us as we celebrate Lois, her family, and the incredible impact she made on our community.

Back to School Bash: The Final Countdown!

We are officially just TWO WEEKS away from the biggest event of the year, and it's all hands on deck!

On Saturday, August 1, from 12:00 – 4:00 PM at Clarendon Park, we expect to welcome more than 2,000 neighbors for an afternoon packed with 20+ community resources and interactive activations, face painting, bounce houses, free food, live music and dance performances, raffles, giveaways, health and wellness resources, and of course - free backpacks and school supplies. We can't wait to celebrate another incredible Back to School Bash with our community!

As we enter the final stretch, we still need your help! We're actively seeking gift cards, raffle prizes, backpacks, school supplies, and monetary sponsorships to help us make this year's Bash our biggest and most impactful yet. No contribution is too small, and every donation goes directly toward helping local students and families start the school year off strong. Our office is accepting new school supplies and backpacks now through July 31 during regular business hours.

There's still time to get involved! If you're interested in hosting a resource table or activation, becoming a sponsor, volunteering, or donating, we'd love to partner with you.

Interested in sponsoring, tabling, or hosting an activation? Fill out our Form of Interest.

Want to purchase supplies directly? Shop our Amazon Wishlist.

Interested in volunteering? Sign up here.

Every donation, every volunteer, and every partnership helps make this event possible. Thank you to everyone who has already stepped up to support this year's Bash. We truly couldn't do it without you, and we can't wait to celebrate with you on August 1st! Let's make our 3rd Annual Back to School Bash the biggest one yet!

Yours in Service,
Alderwoman Angela Clay

Schedule of Events:

12pm: Check-in at Brennemann Elementary School begins at 4251 N Clarendon to see their garden spaces and then begin your self-guided tour through the residential gardens.
12pm - 3pm: The gardens are open from 12pm - 3pm. Use your map and wander from garden to garden.

2pm - 5pm: Wrap up the afternoon at Haymarket House with a signature summer cocktail, wine, and refreshments. Then browse our Silent Auction featuring unforgettable experiences and beautifully curated gift baskets.

Event Information:

• The event will be held rain or shine.

• There are several free spaces at the Uptown Library (929 W Buena) and paid parking is available at the school lot on the corner of Clarendon and Junior Terrace.

• Tickets may be purchased the day of the event at Brennemann School subject to capacity for $50.

• Dogs are not allowed in the gardens.

Stay Cool During This Week's Heat

With dangerously high temperatures continuing this week, we encourage all neighbors to take precautions and check in on family, friends, and neighbors who may be more vulnerable to the heat. Be sure to stay hydrated, limit time outdoors during peak afternoon hours, and never leave children or pets in parked vehicles.

If you missed our Heat Safety Update earlier this week, we encourage you to take a few minutes to review it. It includes important information on cooling centers, public cooling locations, heat safety tips, available resources, and ways to stay cool throughout the heat wave.

Read our Heat Safety Update here:

Stay safe, stay cool, and don't hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know needs assistance accessing heat relief resources.

Street Sweeping Reminders

E-Scooters and E-Bikes Reminders

Please click here for updated guidance and rules from the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) on Scooter and E-Bike rides.

Click here to submit a scooter removal request and here for Divvy bike removal. Vendors have two hours to remedy any parking complaints.To report dangerous or illegal activity on green Lime scooters (riding on the sidewalk, two people sharing one scooter, etc), call 1-888-546-3345.

We appreciate your assistance in helping keep our neighborhood safe and clean.

46th Ward Upcoming Events

Housing & Community Services

The 46th Ward is getting new neighbors! 4713 N. Clark - also known as "The Anderson" is opening up to its first tenants right now! The building has 36 units total, 6 of which fall under the Chicago Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO), which requires the developers to keep 20% of units at affordable rental rates.

ARO units require an application for occupancy. Applications opened on May 1st, and are still open through this link.

Zoning Change Request - 1429 W. Irving Park

A potential buyer of 1429 W. Irving Park is seeking a zoning change from B3-2 to B2-3 in order to construct a five-story mixed use building on the site of an existing parking lot. The proposed building would include 36 residential units, 4,400 square feet of ground floor retail space, and 25 parking spaces.

The proposed building would mostly consist of family-sized units: 8 three-bedroom units, 20 two-bedroom units, 4 one-bedroom units, and 4 studio apartments. Seven of the 36 residential units (i.e., 20%) would be designated as affordable units via the Affordable Requirements Ordinance.  Fourteen of the 25 parking spaces would be interior garage spaces; the other 11 would be exterior spaces.  All parking would be accessible via the alley and the proposal includes the elimination of an existing curb cut on Irving Park Road.

The 46th Ward Office is coordinating a presentation from the developers that will take place at the next quarterly meeting of the Southport Neighbors Association (SNA) at 7PM on Monday, July 27 at Guthries Tavern (1300 W Addison).  Residents will be able to provide feedback in-person at the meeting and/or over a survey that will be released after the in-person meeting and held open for at least two weeks (Monday, July 27 through Monday, August 10).

You can see the street-facing elevation of the building below, and check out all the project details on the ward website here.

2026 Adopt-a-Landmark Funding

Chicago’s Department of Planning & Development (DPD) recently announced its 2026 Adopt-a-Landmark funding round that will provide grants up to $250,000 for the restoration and repair of designated City landmarks. A social media graphic is attached for your potential use with your constituents.

Residential Resurfacing coming to a street near you!

Good news, neighbors!  Get ready to say goodbye to more potholes as the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) begins resurfacing residential streets in the 46th Ward next week. CDOT is resurfacing the following residential streets this paving season!

• Leland between Clark and Dover - Milled, Paving Scheduled for July 30

• Buena between Clarendon and Marine Drive - Milled, Paving Scheduled for July 30

• Hutchinson between Hazel and Marine Drive -  Milled, Paving Scheduled for July 31

• Sunnyside between the CTA Station and Broadway -  Milled, Paving Scheduled for July 31

• Clarendon between Wilson and Lawrence - Asphalt removal scheduled for next week

• Lakeside between Marine and Clarendon - Asphalt removal scheduled for next week

  
  

We know that having several simultaneous resurfacing projects in the neighborhood is disruptive and creates parking challenges. Our office will actively follow up with to ensure the work happens as quickly as possible; we also know that signs were seemingly put up too early and have communicated neighbors' frustration to CDOT.

We are also following up with CDOT to ensure that Pine Grove between Grace and Irving Park is resurfaced this year as well.

Overnight parking on all streets listed above will continue to be available but parking will be restricted during work hours - make sure to pay attention to any orange signs put up on these streets to avoid getting ticketed or towed!

Alley Reconstruction - Malden / Magnolia / Leland / Lawrence!

Malden / Magnolia neighbors, good news!  Your alley reconstruction project is moving ahead of schedule!

Several weeks ago, CDOT (Chicago Department of Transportation) crews began the long-awaited project to rebuild the alley bound by Malden, Magnolia, Leland, and Lawrence.

Over the course of construction, crews will remove the current asphalt surface and replace it with more durable concrete, replace existing catch basins and drainage structures as needed, and replace utility structures as needed to ensure proper drainage and sloping. If there are no delays, CDOT estimates that the work should be complete by the week of August 10 at the latest.  Work is currently progressing faster than expected!

This week, contractors completed foundation work and framing. If the weather cooperates, crews will pour concrete early next week, and the alley will be nearly complete by July 24.  Crews will then likely complete all garage and parking pad aprons the following week (by July 31) after the concrete cures.

During construction, the alleys will be inaccessible for neighbors, and barricades will block all entrances. This means there are impacts to trash pickup and parking.

Trash Pickup:

Trash pickup will take place from the street, in front of residences, rather than off the alley.  At this point, all trash cans and dumpsters should have been relocated to the street. If your dumpster has not been moved yet, please reach out to our office ASAP and we will coordinate dumpster relocation with the contractors.

We know that trash collection on the street is inconvenient and takes away much-needed street parking, but unfortunately it is the only option.

Parking:

Neighbors will be unable to access garages and rear parking spaces during construction, and will need to find alternative off-street parking or rely on street parking.  We know that the loss of alley access is extremely disruptive; however, this alley reconstruction is a once-in-a-lifetime project and this alley will not host similar work again for many decades.

Say Goodbye to Potholes on Sheridan!

In May, Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) contractors began resurfacing Sheridan Road between Montrose and Foster to fix the wear and tear on the street. The resurfacing project includes pedestrian safety improvements, including curb extensions and paint-and-post bump-outs opposite of “T” intersections for traffic safety.

Work is now almost complete!  Crews paved the northern and southern sections of the corridor last week, and the middle section is scheduled for paving today (Friday, July 17). Crews have also begun the final striping and, pending favorable weather, plan to complete striping the entire corridor next week.  Once the final striping is laid down, crews will install the final signage and complete any remaining punch-list work.

Resurfacing Construction Reminders

• During construction, signs will often be posted to limit parking during workdays to enable construction access. Please move your vehicle to avoid tickets.

• Parking will generally remain available overnight and on weekends. Be sure to check signage.

  
  

If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to the 46th Ward office at 773-878-4646 or via email at [email protected].

If you want to learn more about the project, check out the presentation from our online briefing on our website!

4600 - 4800 N. Racine - Water Main Update!

In May, the Department of Water Management (DWM) began work on a project to replace the water main on Racine between Wilson and Broadway. This project entails replacing the existing - more than 120 year-old! - water main and replacing of all existing lead service lines along this stretch of Racine.

As of today (Friday, July 17), crews have installed the new water main and finished all necessary sewer repairs. Over the past week, contractors replaced all of the existing lead service lines on the 4600 N Block of Racine. Next week, crews plan to replace all lead service lines on the 4700 N Block of Racine.

Once all lead service lines are replaced, crews will begin replacing the non-lead service lines between the water main and individual B-boxes. Service line replacements will entail brief individual water shutoffs as homes are transferred from one service line to another, and crews will alert neighbors about any upcoming shutoffs in advance of any work being done.

During this phase of work, parking restrictions will be limited to the locations where crews need to station equipment and access service lines.

As always, neighbors can expect to park along Racine through the weekend.  No work or parking restrictions are anticipated next week.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns!

New Streetlights Coming to Sheridan Road (Montrose to Buena)

Neighbors, you may have noticed even more orange no-parking signs on Sheridan between Buena and Montrose!

These restrictions are in place to enable CDOT (Chicago Department of Transportation) contractors to install new and more reliable street lights on this stretch of Sheridan. Given the limited extent of the segment under construction, the supervising engineers anticipate the project should be completed before Labor Day, as long as the weather cooperates.

Crews will install new streetlights with "piggy-back" lights (which provide better sidewalk illumination) over the next several weeks. Once the new streetlights are installed, electrified, and functioning, crews will remove the old ones. Afterward, they will complete concrete and asphalt restoration as necessary.

We understand that streetwork across the ward can cause parking challenges, and we are doing our best to keep all projects on track and on time. If you have any questions or concerns about this work, please reach out to our office!  

See the images below to find your beat and see meeting dates and locations.

Search by address here.

See our local 19th District’s website here. Email [email protected] or our office with any questions.

Citywide Events & Resources

Business Resources

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) ensures a fair and vibrant marketplace for businesses, workers and consumers in the City of Chicago. BACP licenses businesses and public vehicles, regulates business activity, protects consumers from fraud, enforces Chicago’s labor laws, partners with business service organizations and provides education and resources for businesses.

BACP is here to support your business today:

• Business Education Webinars: Chicago.gov/BACPWebinars

• Entrepreneur Certificate: Chicago.gov/BACPCertificate

• Neighborhood Business Developments Centers: Chicago.gov/NBDC

• Small Business Center: Chicago.gov/SmallBusiness

  
  

FREE BUSINESS EDUCATION WEBINARS

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) offers free business education webinars every Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning. Topics include business licensing, operations, financial resources, marketing, and more. Programs are free, hosted online and open to the public and taught by industry professionals, not-for-profit agencies, and government agencies.

Upcoming Business Education Webinar Schedule

July 22 - Network to Net Worth: Strategic Relationship Building for Entrepreneurs

July 24 - The Right Space. The Right Terms. A Practical Legal Perspective on Commercial Leasing

The Cook County Small Business Source helps entrepreneurs in Cook County navigate the challenges of business growth by connecting them to the right experts, resources and funding opportunities. If you're looking for guidance, sign up for free at cookcountysmallbiz.org and get connected to an expert for one-on-one business advising, events, and more.

ChiBizHub, powered by Allies for Community Business (A4CB) helps Chicago entrepreneurs grow and succeed. Their mission is to provide small businesses with FREE business assistance. ChiBizHub connects a large network of nonprofit service providers offering a wide variety of business-building services for small businesses. We match these organizations to early, emerging, and established small businesses throughout the region who visit the site looking for help.

Workforce Development

Visit the American Job Center at Truman College, located at 1145 W. Wilson - Room 1917, to access employment resources, information about job training, and more.  The center has knowledgeable staff that provides career assistance and job skills training for youth (ages 18+) and adults. All services are FREE..

Please call (773) 831-5221 in advance to get information about hours, orientation, and workshop details.

Utility Resources

Senior Resources

Veteran Resources

Cook County Resources

The big screen in your backyard, Movies in the Parks returns this summer, bringing Hollywood movies and local films to local parks for the twenty-sixth season. Join us in the parks for classics from the Golden Age of Hollywood, retro childhood favorites, and the best family-friendly box office hits. Movies in the Parks is part of Night Out in the Parks, which features cultural & arts events in parks throughout the city each year.

Click to download the full Movies in the Parks schedule (PDF/Excel), or add events to your calendar from our Google Calendar.

Help support Movies in the Parks! Keep this FREE program going strong by making a donation today.

Chicago Public Library