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11th Ward Newsletter - September 27, 2026

Nicole Lee Ward 11 📞 773-254-6677 ✉️ [email protected]
Relevance: 6/10
zoning_or_development_meeting_or_approval city_budget tax_policy

Summary

Alderman Nicole T. Lee (11th Ward) highlighted City Council and committee action related to parking and development/study processes tied to the Amtrak Maintenance Facility/White Sox project, including a resolution calling for a subject-matter hearing, third-party environmental review, and more community transparency; she also noted a Finance Committee-advanced ordinance to transfer the remaining Chicago Parking Meter lease to Stonepeak Partners, LLC (including a $75 million one-time fee and related contract terms). She further provided notice of a proposed zoning change community meeting for 350 W. 30th St and reported ongoing street and bridge work, including bridge motor work on the Halsted St. and 22nd St. bridge and planned future CDOT timing updates. Other items included reminders about upcoming community safety conversations and the 911 system rollout, plus ward events and programs such as the Stamp-EAT event and Made in Bridgeport Fest.

Email from Alderman Nicole T. Lee

3659 S. Halsted | Chicago, IL 60609 | 773.254.6677


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September 27, 2026




Dear neighbors, 




With so much going on regarding the Amtrak Maintenance Facility and its connection to the White Sox, I have to take a moment to step back and acknowledge that we are living the dream—I can’t believe the White Sox have clinched a spot in the postseason playoff berth as of last week! How can anyone really be surprised when the Pope is a White Sox fan, though? What a turnaround from the last few years of losing! What a great team we’ve seen come together this year. 


How is this Fall weather treating you? We have another beautiful autumn ahead of us in the ward. We have Mid-Autumn Festival events going on in Chinatown. I hope you get a chance to celebrate. 


On Thursday I joined the fabulous Stamp-EAT event put on by the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council at Morgan Arts Complex, saluting our historic SSA #13 Stockyards Industrial Park District. This annual event is a great way to highlight all of the industrial businesses that make our world go round and keep our community moving!


We had an awesome Sunday at Made in Bridgeport Fest for those who came out to the occasion! Thank you to the Greater Bridgeport & South Loop Chamber of Commerce for putting on such a thoughtful showcase of neighborhood pride. We had root beer floats from Filbert’s, and saw live music from local favorites the Munizzi Brothers. It was a classic Bridgeport fun! Thank you to all for coming out, and special thanks to the Greater Bridgeport and South Loop Chamber of Commerce for putting the event on. I hope this continues for many years to come. 


Speaking of Ricobene’s, this month, they are celebrating a huge milestone of 80 years in the ward. Stop by to see what specials they have through the month of October, and show them your love! What’s your favorite thing at Ricobene’s? Italian beef or breaded steak? My preferred Ricobene’s order is the Italian Beef and Sausage Combo, dipped with sweet peppers and hot giardiniera and a side of red gravy…and don’t forget the fries!


As summer wanes, we have about a month to enjoy our very own hot dog stand, Sonia’s Red Hots. This pilot program at Palmisano Park has been an incredible addition to the neighborhood and I’m glad we got to roll out something that brings so much community and benefit to the neighborhood. The stand will be closing October 30th, so there is still time to get your Vienna Beef hot dog. 


We had bridge motor work done on the bridge at Halsted St. and 22nd. Thank you for your patience with the road closure at the end of last week. There is future work on the horizon for the Halsted Street Bridge and we will let you know when we hear from CDOT about timing.


Wishing everyone a great week and we continue to get back into the swing of school events and Fall fun. 


Alderwoman Nicole Lee 

Public Safety


This is a Reminder for the upcoming Community Conversation Dates for the 9th District:


  • 1st Community Conversation Date: Oct 28th @ New Eclipse Church - 715 W 51st St (6PM - 8PM)
  • Affinity Community Conversation Date: Nov 4th @ 009th District - 3120 S Halsted St (12PM - 2PM)
  • 2nd Community Conversation Date: Nov 12th @ Five Holy Martyrs Church - 4327 S Richmond St (6PM - 8PM)


911

We have a new 911 emergency dispatch system which is in the process of being rolled out by the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on a shifting timeline. Within this rollout, there have already been questions raised about the reliability of the technology as well as the training that has been provided so far to our first responders. My colleagues and I in the City Council are scheduled to be individually briefed by the Mayor’s Office next week on the status of this rollout. With any technical glitch having the potential to cause serious harm, I assure you that this is front of mind for me. We have had reports of people calling 911 and getting no answer on the old system, and have reached out to the Office of Emergency Management and Communication about the issues. As this new system gets rolling we want to hear from you about your experience.  


A Reminder to Drive Safely

We would like to remind everyone to make sure to abide by all traffic signs and signals when driving in the 11th Ward.


Unfortunately, this week alone, we had two bike and vehicle accidents. One accident occurred during a time when children were on their way to school. Please be alert when driving, biking, and walking throughout the ward.

This Week in City Council

This week in City Council, we had a *few* things going on. For one, I want to acknowledge the support of everyone that came out to the public comment portion of the meeting to voice their concerns about the Amtrak Maintenance Facility. I also introduced a resolution supported by a supermajority of 36 of my City Council colleagues calling for a subject matter hearing, an environmental review process conducted by a third party, and generally more transparency and community input so we can slow down this process and eventually stop this project. You can read that resolution here. 


The Committee on Finance advanced an ordinance that would approve the transfer of the lease of the remaining 57 years from the 75 year lease of the Chicago Parking Meters to Stonepeak Partners, LLC. As part of the agreement to approve the transfer, the City was finally able to break open the contract and get a better deal for all Chicago residents. I was proud to be part of the five-member team of alders who negotiated the deal along with Corporation Counsel Mary Richard-Lowry and other key staff from the Department of Law and Department of Finance. If approved by the full City Council, the City will:

  • Receive a one-time transfer fee of $75 million
  • Receive a 2% fee of the sales price for any future transfers
  • Ensure 5% profit sharing for the remaining 57 years of the contract
  • Provide 7 event closures where we won’t be charged for meters related to closures for events like the Pride Parade or Lunar New Year Parade.


The competing Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) improvement bills were both agreed to be deferred and published at a recent meeting instead of seeing a vote. We will continue to see what kind of compromise we can reach to make these changes come about.

Upcoming in City Council

Full City Council meetings: Tuesday, 9/29

Events in the Ward

October 3: 

Bridgeport Catholic Academy presents Rock the Block on Sunday, October 3 from 1PM-10PM at 3700 S Lowe Ave. Pre-order your wristbands, game tickets, and drink tickets to avoid waiting in line on the day of the event. Tickets available online here.  


October 4: 

Come out in support of the Canaryville Breast Cancer Awareness walk on Sunday, October 4. Sponsored by the Canaryville Madonna Ladies Auxiliary #1135. This second annual fundraiser will be a can’t-miss event. 


October 7: 

Lake Township property tax appeals workshop with the Assessor’s Office at Taylor-Lauridsen Park, 704 W. 42nd St., 3PM-7PM. 


October 9: 

Veterans Office Hours are from 12-4PM in the ward office.


Zoning Meetings

Notice of public community meeting for a proposed zoning change at 350 W. 30th St., join online or come to the meeting at 3659 S. Halsted St. on September 28th at 5:40PM. 

Recordings of our community zoning meetings are available after they occur on the ward YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8gOyO6-erw52vyGS1VsUVQ

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87962218888?

pwd=GzpFaf3N38tOcxKaLeCG300mHXvjmc.1&jst=2

Meeting ID: 879 6221 8888

Password: 522324

Dial in: +1 301-715-8592

Phone Passcode: 522324

Ongoing Construction &

Street Closures

Project Type

Location

From

To

Project Date

Grind

S. Normal Ave. (500W)

W. Root St. (4134S)

W. 43rd St. (4300S)

9/28/2026

Pave

W. 32nd St. (3200S)

S. Wells St. (200W)

S. Wentworth Ave. (200W)

9/22/2026

Pave

Alley - S. Wells St. / S. Wentworth Ave.

W. 32nd St. (3200S)

W. 33rd St. (3300S)

9/22/2026

Pave

S. Emerald Ave. (732W)

W. 37th St. (3700S)

W. 38th St. (3800S)

9/22/2026

Street Repaving S. Emerald Ave.


  • Emerald Ave. from 37th St. to 38th St. is expected to grind and mill from August 3rd to September 22nd, 2026.

Ongoing Project - 3500 - 3900 S Parnell Ave.:


Most recent updates - 8/28/2026


We are currently finishing final restoration on the Parnell Ave. from 3500-3900 S. There will be some small projects that will need to be completed but this will not impact road closures. CDOT will install a temporary barricade located near 3900 S. Parnell. This is in replace of the Cul-de-Sac that will be installed by IDOT (estimated installation in 2027).








Most Recent Updates - 9/18/2026


We have completed storm restoration efforts, including storm assistance provided in response to the storms that impacted our service territory and neighboring areas throughout July and August. We started Overhead construction on Monday, September 14th, we will continue to work through the construction activities listed below:


  • Weeks 1 -2 WEEK (9/14/26 – 9/25/26)

We will be working between 33rd Pl & 33rd St and Lituanica Ave & Halsted St. We are reframing two existing poles and replacing four existing poles. We are installing 270’ of new Overhead wire.

  • Week 3 (9/28/26 to 10/2/26)

We will be working on 34th St between Lituanica Ave & Halsted St. We are replacing four existing poles and reframing two poles. We are replacing two existing overhead transformers.

  • Week 4 (10/5/26 to 10/9/26)

We will be working between 33rd Pl & 33rd St and Lituanica Ave & Halsted St. We are replacing two existing overhead transformers and adding wildlife protection.

Peoples Gas South Station Remediation

Most Recent Updates - 9/11/2026


  • Peoples Gas contractors continue environmental cleanup activities at 2730 S. Eleanor Street.
  • Activities at the site for the next two weeks will include excavating and hauling away soil as well as In Situ Stabilization (ISS) work and backfilling with clean fill. Trucks will visit the site most days to pick up soil or deliver materials. 
  • 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.

Photos of the Week 

Cook County Board Meeting

On Thursday, September 24th 2026, I spoke at the Cook County Board of Commissioners meeting in opposition to the proposed Amtrak Midwest Maintenance Facility. All of the commissioners signed onto a resolution opposing the facility in its currently proposed form and location.

Announcements & Information 

The Stop Amtrak signs are available in our office.
Flyer from Alderman Nicole Lee (11th Ward, City of Chicago) titled “11th Ward 2026 White Sox Residential Zone Parking Updates,” featuring a background image of a night baseball game at Guaranteed Rate Field. The flyer is divided into two sections: Traffic Updates: “This season, 35th Street will be closed between Wentworth and Normal in both directions 90 minutes prior to the start of a game or event at the ball park and will reopen one hour after the close or when OEMC advises. The street will remain open for emergency vehicles, CTA Buses, IDOT and cyclists. Small map showing 35th Street closure area near the ballpark. “Parking Lots”: Event guests will be directed to access Lots A, B, C and G from Wentworth & 33rd Street. Lots F and L will be accessible from Pershing Road. Accessing residential streets: We recommend using 31st Street to access all North South Streets between Wentworth and Wallace. From the South, we recommend Pershing from Wallace to Halsted Reminders: If you live within the White Sox Park Residential Parking Zone and have a vehicle registered with the city of Chicago at that address, a packet with a decal and supply of season and single game guest passes was mailed to you in the last week. If you do not receive your packet in the mail, you may come to the 11th Ward Office beginning Monday, March 23rd to pick up decals and passes. Vehicles parked in White Sox Residential Zone Parking during events at the ball park must display a decal or valid guest pass. Decals are only valid on vehicles that also display a valid City of Chicago vehicle registration sticker. White Sox Park Residential Zone Parking is enforced two hours prior to the start of a game or event and one hour after. For areas where there is a city designated Residential Permit Parking and White Sox Residential Parking Zone - vehicles must display both permits or guest passes or be subject to citation. Pay close attention to signs on the street within one block of the perimeter of the ball park for additional restrictions. All signs will be updated to No Parking 4 hours prior and 2 hours after events.
Flyer titled “Residential access to local streets” explaining traffic and access changes for residents near a ballpark. Top section: Asks if the reader lives north of 33rd Street and south of 31st Street between Wentworth Avenue and Normal Avenue. A map highlights streets in this area with colored markings indicating closures and access routes. Text explains: o access Wells St., Princeton Ave., Shields Ave., Stewart Ave., Canal St. and Normal Ave., area residents are advised to come from the north and utilize 31st Street. Two hours prior to the start of an event, 33rd Street from Wentworth Ave. to Canal St. will be converted to a one-way, west bound street for parking access only – this means no residential access to Wells St., Princeton Ave., Shields Ave., Stewart Ave., or Canal St. Northbound from 33rd St. Access to Wells, Princeton, Shields and Stewart will be for residents only at 32nd Street. Once the game is over, 33rd Street from Canal St. to Wentworth Ave. will be converted to a one-way, East bound street to expedite traffic from parking lots. Bottom section: Asks if the reader lives south of the ballpark between 35th Street and Pershing Road, and between Normal Avenue and Wallace Street. A second map shows this area with marked routes and restrictions. Text explains: To access Wallace, Parnell, and normal to/ between 37th and 38th streets, area residents are advised to come from the north and utilize 35th Street at Wallace or from south and utilize Pershing rd. Access to 37th St. and 38th St. will be for residents only at Normal Ave.

Community Programs and Events

Jobs & Opportunities

Park District Programs

Services
Home Energy Savings Program - For Spanish
For Spanish
For Spanish
For Chinese 中文
For Polish

11th Ward

School and Parish Information

one hope united Affordable Child Care - Spanish and Chinese

Waste Management

11th Ward

2026 Constituent Education Resource Card

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. 

Chicago Public Libraries

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

 
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Alderman Nicole T. Lee | 3659 S Halsted Street | Chicago, IL 60609 US
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