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Dear Neighbors,
Baseball is back again at Wrigley Field, with the Cubs home today, Saturday, and Sunday with 1:20pm starts each day. As always, we’re excited to welcome fans back to the neighborhood and hope for more wins this weekend. The next night games will take place on April 20th-22nd. You can view the Cubs schedule on their website here or on our calendar here. Please remember that game days bring additional parking, traffic, and safety restrictions, including enforcement of residential permit parking and no-parking/tow zones on key streets. You can review full details and plan ahead on our website here—and as always, go Cubs go!
As street sweeping continues across the ward, we want to remind residents to please move their cars during posted sweeping times. This helps my staff and me fully clear leaves and debris around drains and curbs to help prevent water buildup as we head further into spring. A big thank you to Ed from the 1000 block of Oakdale for lending a hand, and a special shoutout to the entire 3000 block of Seminary for moving every single car yesterday. Your cooperation makes a real difference in keeping our streets clean and our drainage systems working properly. See our street sweeping page here for schedule details, alerts, and more.
We were excited to join a ribbon cutting celebration this past week at the grand opening of POP/Culture Chicago (2937 N Clark). This unique new shop brings together over 100 craft and hard-to-find sodas alongside vintage finds, collectibles, art, and gifts—creating a fun, funky, and nostalgic space full of discovery. Be sure to stop by and welcome them to the neighborhood!
 
In public safety news, as we shared earlier this year, the pattern of vehicle break-ins to steal airbags is continuing in our area. These incidents have primarily targeted mid-2010s and newer Honda Civics and Accords, though we are now seeing other makes and models impacted as well. Our office is coordinating with CPD, and this issue has been escalated to a citywide taskforce given the broader pattern across Chicago. CPD is also working to acquire additional steering wheel anti-theft locks for community distribution, as they have done in the past. Residents can sign up to be notified when those become available by filling out the form here. As always, if offenders are identified, we will work closely with the State’s Attorney’s Office to support accountability and ensure these cases are pursued.
I wanted to share some bittersweet news from the 44th Ward team. After serving two years in our office, Isaac Troncoso will be leaving Chicago to return to his native New York City.
I’m incredibly proud of Isaac and all that we have accomplished together over the past two years. He was instrumental in creating the 44th Ward Community Plan, played a key role in the historic expansion of ADUs across the City, led the launch of our court advocacy program, and helped ensure that new developments bring much-needed housing while reflecting resident feedback. Many of you have gotten to know Isaac through meetings and events across the Ward, as well as through this newsletter, with this week marking his 116th issue. Before his last day on April 15th, I hope you will join me in thanking Isaac for his hard work and dedication—not only to this office, but to our City—and in wishing him the best in his next chapter.
We are excited to welcome Alex Ponder to the 44th Ward team, where she will be taking on Isaac’s portfolio, including policy, public safety, housing development, and community engagement work across the ward. Alex graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2019 with a degree in Political Science and has spent the past several years working for Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, most recently serving as Senior Advisor for District Operations & Outreach. In that role, she helped lead constituent services, community outreach, and engagement efforts across the district. Alex also has deep roots in our neighborhood—she has lived in and near the 44th Ward for much of her post-grad career and previously served as an intern in our office in 2017. We’re thrilled to welcome her back starting on Thursday, April 16th, and look forward to her continued work serving our community.
 
Our instrument donation drive is still going strong! Thanks to the generosity of neighbors, we were able to donate another batch of instruments this past week including several guitars, a drum set, a trumpet, and more, in partnership with nonprofits Spirit of Harmony and Hungry for Music. Many of the instruments donated so far have already been placed with nonprofit Intonation Music in Bronzeville, which provides youth with small-group music instruction and mentorship—helping students learn to play, form bands, and perform while building confidence and community. We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support, and if you have an instrument sitting in a closet, please consider giving it a second life by donating it to a child in need.
If you’re feeling inspired to give back, you can also support Chicago Animal Care and Control by donating much-needed supplies like unopened pet food, kitty litter, towels, and cleaning products. Their team does incredible work caring for animals across the city—and that dedication was recently recognized nationally, with CACC’s Armando Tejeda being named the 2026 Shelter Professional of the Year by the National Animal Care & Control Association. It’s a great reminder of the impact this organization has every day, and how our support can make a big difference. See a flyer on how to support them here, and more details on their website here.
I am excited to share an early update on my expanded ADU program legislation, which officially went into effect April 1st to legalize basement, attic, and coach house units across much of Chicago. In just the first several days, there have already been 126 new applications citywide—just a few units shy of matching the entire last year of the pilot program. These applications reflect a healthy mix of unit types and geographies, including over 50 coach house proposals (about 40%, a higher proportion than the pilot program), with projects spanning from as far south as 131st Street, as far west as Harlem, and as far north as Howard. Notably, nearly three-quarters of applications are from owner-occupied properties, and the average existing building size is under three units, demonstrating that these ADUs are being used to add modest, neighborhood-scale housing while helping homeowners generate additional income. Hear more from my interview yesterday with Chicago Tonight here.
Our office will be hosting a community meeting on the proposed Tryst Hotel development on Tuesday, April 21st at 6:00pm via Zoom. The development team will present their latest plans and take questions from residents. To receive the Zoom information, please contact our office at [email protected], and you can learn more about the proposal, including plans and project details, on our website here.
As an update on the proposed ComEd substation just across our ward boundary at 1111 W Diversey, our office has co-signed a letter with Alderman Knudsen and Alderman Waguespack, and in partnership with State Senator Sara Feigenholtz and State Representative Ann Williams, requesting a formal zoning determination from the Department of Planning and Development. Specifically, we are asking the City to clarify whether this proposal qualifies under existing zoning definitions or whether it should be classified differently given its scale and impacts. We will continue to keep neighbors informed as we hear back from the City’s zoning experts.
Residents can cast their votes through 5:00pm today for Chicago’s Crossing Guard of the Year. If you know a crossing guard who goes above and beyond to keep our students safe here in Lakeview, please take a moment to submit a quick nomination here and help recognize their incredible work.
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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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KINDNESS RALLY OUTSIDE MERLO LIBRARY - APR 12th
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TEEN ARTIST APPLICATION - DUE APR 15th
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ST ANDREW'S SCHOOL FUNDRAISER - APR 17th
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LAKEVIEW ROSCOE VILLAGE EARTH DAY EVENT - APR 18th
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ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL NO-FEE ADOPTION EVENT - APR 18th
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BRAHMA KUMARIS EARTH DAY EVENT - APR 18th
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NETTELHORST SCHOOL KIDS MAKERS' MARKET - APR 19th
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CENTRAL LAKEVIEW NEIGHBORS WINE TASTING - APR 19th
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LAKEVIEW EAST CHAMBER SUPPER CLUB - APR 21st
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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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HAWTHORNE SCHOOL COMEDY SHOW FUNDRAISER - APR 29th
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MERLO LIBRARY - APRIL PROGRAMS
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- Family Story Time - 4/11, 10:00-10:30am (0-5 years)
- Cozy Crafting - 4/13, 5:00-7:00pm (13-19 years)
- Tummy time - 4/14, 10:30-11:00am (0-5 months)
- Preschool Story Time - 4/14, 11:30am-12:00pm (2-5 years)
- LEGO Club - 4/14, 3:30-4:30pm (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.
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 30th - April 5th
Secretary of State Scam Texts Alert:
Fraudulent texts claiming to be from the DMV or the Illinois Secretary of State are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated. If you get a message like this, it’s a scam. Follow the steps here.
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 14'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 23%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 14%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 11%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is up 6%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 42%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 9%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 16%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 62%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 16%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 6%
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 (4/20)
NS alley between Lakewood, Henderson, Racine, School: Grind date (4/20)
NS alley between Lakewood, Melrose, Racine, School: Grind date (4/20)
EW alley between Clark Buckingham, Halsted, Aldine: Grind date (4/20)
EW alley between Commonwealth, Oakdale, Sheridan, Surf: Ongoing thru 4/30
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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