Dear Neighbors,
We are proud to kick-off this newsletter with more positive landmark news. This week we were informed that our support for the landmark designation of the Roger Brown Home & Studio will advance at next week’s Commission on Chicago Landmarks meeting. Over the past year, our office has pushed for the introduction of landmark designations for Cortelyou Commons, Byrne Hall, Wax Trax!, and the Roger Brown Home & Studio. For context, this level of progress is significant: in 2025 there were only eight landmark designation introductions across all of Chicago, while the 43rd Ward has had four over the past year.
Similar to last week, due to the number of updates, this newsletter is organized into sections to present each item clearly.
Francis Parker Community Meeting
Please join us on Tuesday, March 31st, from 6:00 - 8:00pm for a community meeting our office is hosting regarding the proposed amendment to Francis W. Parker School’s Planned Development. We anticipate strong attendance and interest in this topic and encourage all who would like to learn more to attend. As always, there is no need to RSVP. You can find detailed information on the meeting invitation below. Additionally, we will include the presentation materials in next week’s newsletter and invite additional feedback and questions via [email protected].
City Hall Leadership Departures
In the last two weeks, two key leaders in our city have departed City Hall - Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood and Commissioner of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations Nancy Andrade. As we have covered in past newsletters, our office has partnered with each of Garien & Nancy closely on impactful work related to all of our safety. In addition to both being beyond qualified, I consider them personal friends and leaders to model. Garien’s & Nancy’s presence in City Hall gave me more confidence in our city government’s effectiveness, especially considering that the Mayor’s administration has often struggled to consistently staff boards, commissions and departments. I want to thank former Deputy Mayor Garien Gatewood and Commissioner Nancy Andrade, and highlight some of our shared work:
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Garien Gatewood, Deputy Mayor of Community Safety: Prior to his service at City Hall, Deputy Mayor Gatewood served as Director of the Illinois Justice Project, a statewide organization advancing policing and practices that reduce violence, decrease recidivism, and make the criminal legal system more effective and fair. As Deputy Mayor, Garien was known for showing up personally, on-site and with victim families, when major crimes happened. This included several well-known occasions when other leaders did not. Over the past few years, he built immense trust with alders, law enforcement, community safety advocates, and faith leaders, and I know him as someone who thinks deeply about leadership while delivering results with a genuine sense of kindness. Alongside Director of Violence Intervention Manny Whitfield, who was also fired in recent weeks, Garien’s work contributed to meaningful reductions in violent crime through strategic coordination across departments, community organizations, and law enforcement. As many of my City Council colleagues and I shared, “Chicago needs more Garien’s in public service, not less.”
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Nancy Andrade, Commissioner of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR): This week, Nancy Andrade announced her resignation from the agency responsible for enforcing our city’s human rights. I am deeply grateful for her leadership and her unwavering commitment to protecting residents from discrimination of all kinds. Nancy and I bonded quickly, because of our shared former experience at the same law firm and a commitment to uplifting marginalized groups. Recently, her team’s work focused on fighting the increase in hate speech. Nancy’s impact is felt deeply in the 43rd Ward as my steadfast partner in getting the “Stop Hate Littering” ordinance passed in response to the deeply troubling antisemitic incident where hate-based flyers were distributed on vehicles alongside bags resembling rat poison. She not only showed up on the ground that day, but her whole team worked closely with ours to craft a policy that closed a critical gap in our laws by creating a real enforcement tool to protect communities targeted by this kind of “hate flyering”. This is just one example of her lasting impact in making Chicago safer and more united for all.
These departures come at a critical time as Chicago prepares for the summer months, when strong coordination on public safety is essential. Garien, Nancy and Manny each delivered meaningful results that made our city safer and more just. I am grateful for their service and partnership, and will advocate to ensure their successors are equipped to continue the progress they made.
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Alderman Kundsen (2nd on the right) and Former Commissioner Andrade (in pink) handing out
"Think Before You Hate" resources with team members from The Chicago Commission on Human Relations.
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Protecting HIV Care & Prevention in Illinois
At the state level, State Senator Mike Simmons and advocates at AIDS Foundation Chicago are advancing Senate Bill 2814 to strengthen HIV prevention, treatment, and housing. They are doing so while warning that potential federal Medicaid cuts and changes to Affordable Care Act coverage could jeopardize care for thousands of Illinois residents. This comes at a vital time when Chicago is seeing an increase in new HIV diagnoses, proving the need for sustained investment as providers face rising costs and demand.
In response, I am drafting a City Council letter urging the support of my state colleagues to fight for this essential funding - with the goal of accessible and equitable care, prevention tools, and supportive housing programs. As we collectively work towards the “Getting to Zero” goal of zero new HIV/AIDS diagnoses by 2030, I encourage you to contact your State Representative to support this lifesaving legislation.
Get Involved: Volunteer Corps & April 7th Meet and Greet
Thank you to all of the neighbors who joined our Volunteer Corps for the first “Block Talk on Tap” series focused on “What is a Ward?” It was a great conversation, and I appreciate everyone who took the time to engage and learn more about how local government works. I am excited about all of the growing work of our Volunteer Corps, including this series as a new way for our office to connect with residents and make local government more accessible. If you missed the event or are interested in getting more involved, please sign up here for more detailed updates from the Volunteer Corps.
Looking ahead, our next community “Meet and Greet" will take place on April 7th at 5:00 PM in Trebes Park. This event will feature 43rd Ward Superintendent John, who will be available to connect with neighbors and answer questions about his daily work leading our Ward’s operations for the Department of Streets and Sanitation. From rodent baiting and garbage collection to graffiti removal and snow services, we are lucky to have John make our Ward run strong. I hope to see you there!
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Alderperson Timmy Knudsen
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P.S. A quick correction from last week: our newsletter draft mixed up the address for the Care for Friends location, which is 530 W. Fullerton at the Church of Our Savior. This typo gives us another opportunity to highlight the incredible work Care for Friends is doing. I encourage everyone to get involved and support their efforts however you can.
In Memoriam: I want to take a moment to honor the life of Sheridan Gorman, whose loss has been felt across Chicago. Sheridan was a Loyola student with a bright future ahead, and while Loyola is not in our ward, moments like this resonate deeply here, as we are home to thousands of students who should always feel safe, supported, and able to live in peace. My prayers are with Sheridan’s loved ones and all those grieving.
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Please join us on Tuesday, March 31st, from 6:00 - 8:00pm for a community meeting my office is hosting regarding the proposed amendment to Francis W. Parker School’s Planned Development. In an effort to maximize participation, we began sharing this date a few weeks ago, earlier than our standard 2 week notice. There is no need to RSVP, and you can find detailed information on the meeting invitation below.
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Alderman Knudsen has been in close contact with the Chicago Police Department 19th District on this alleged incident. According to the 19th District and Area 3 Detectives, there is no active threat and there was no kidnapping that occurred; however, there is a person of interest that our detectives and officers are currently questioning to gain more knowledge of what kind of incident occurred. We will continue to work with the 19th District, and have offered any assistance they may need from our office such as access to camera footage or contact with nearby neighbors.
Alderman Knudsen would like to thank the officers and detectives for their quick response to the alleged incident, and constant partnership with our office to help keep residents safe. As always, we welcome CPD patrol efforts in the 43rd Ward, particularly on our commercial corridors where the majority of local safety incidents occur. This local patrol is essential to keeping the 43rd Ward as safe as possible.
If you have any information, please contact Area Three Detectives at (312) 744-8266 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com and use reference RD # JK188969
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Crime, and safety remain top of mind for our community. Each week, the 18th and 19th District post Compstat numbers that reflect changes in indexes for key crimes. As a reminder, these statistics represent 100% of the 18th & 19th Police Districts; accordingly, they represent an area much larger than our ward.
For 18th District (south of Fullerton) Week 12 Compstat.
For 19th District (north of Fullerton) Week 12 Compstat.
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We work closely with the 43rd Ward’s local CAPS districts, which include the 18th (Near North) and 19th (Town Hall) Police Districts. Our office is in frequent contact with officers from both of these districts and their local CAPS officers, who host a variety of community forums and events including beat meetings, informational settings, and expert panel discussions, as well as sending out community alerts when a pattern of crime is detected.
Beat Meetings are part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy and an excellent way to hear directly from CPD about your neighborhood. Meetings are held in the evenings every two months. Click here and find out your Police District and Beat number, and click here for a larger and printable version of the graphic.
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Ald. Knudsen Urges Johnson & CDOT to Prioritize Bridge Closures and Offer Alternative Traffic Congestion Plans
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"The ongoing closure of river bridges (especially the Cortland Bridge) has created major traffic strain and frustration for residents and businesses alike. Alongside seven other aldermen, I sent a letter to Mayor Johnson urging his administration and CDOT to prioritize this bridge issue. My office will continue pushing for clearer communication, smarter coordination, and the fastest safe timeline possible to get these bridges reopened." -Ald. Timmy Knudsen
Alderman Knudsen supported a proposal from 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins requiring the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to present a detailed traffic plan before closing any bridge for more than 30 days. The plan must outline how congestion will be reduced — including detours, parking adjustments, and other mitigation strategies. Our office also received a letter back from CDOT, outlining steps they are taking to help reduce traffic congestion and delays for 43rd Ward residents. You can read it here.
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Interactive Ward 43 Parking Zone Map
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Our office has created a parking zone map to help residents better understand where residential parking zones are located throughout the ward. For several streets, a Residential Parking Permit may not be required. Some areas may instead be free parking, pay-to-park, school zones, or tow and loading zones that restrict parking during certain hours.
While the map can be helpful for general reference, posted signage is always the most reliable indicator of parking rules. We encourage residents and visitors to carefully check street signs when parking to confirm the applicable restrictions.
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Monday, April 27 | 6 p.m.Heller Auditorium - RSVP Here
Parker’s Math Department welcomes all for a film focusing on the power and importance of numeric literacy. The movie Counted Out investigates the biggest crises of our time through an unexpected lens: math. All are welcome to join us for a screening of Counted Out followed by a facilitated discussion with Parker Math faculty. Film run time is 1 hour and 29 minutes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Have questions about street work happening in your area? The Department of Transportation has a wonderful tool to look up street work in your area called the Chi Street Work Portal. Here you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street. The map is also interactive, allowing residents to view the real permits, view projects in other areas of the City, and see which type of work is being done on your street.
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Parking Enforcement via 311
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The Department of Finance (DOF) announced that City residents now have the option of reporting the following parking enforcement violations: Bus Lane Parking, Commercial Loading Zone, Commercial Vehicle Parked on a Residential Street, Disabled Parking, Fire Hydrant Parking, Residential Parking, Rush Hour Zones, School Safety Zones, Vehicle Parked in Bike Lane, Other (Semi-trucks parked on streets, etc.) Neighbors can report parking violations by calling 311, using the CHI311 app, or through the 311 website. The request type is “Finance Parking Code Enforcement Review.”
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E-Scooters and E-Bikes Policy Updates
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Please click here for updated guidance and rules from CDOT on Scooter and E-Bike rides.
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I want to keep spreading the good word of how powerful a tool CHI 311 is to address non-emergency services in our Ward. Via the CHI 311 website and mobile app, you can:
- Create new service requests and check the status of existing requests (such as on timing and completion).
- Snap a photo of an issue to submit it with a request to improve location accuracy.
- Get local and relevant information/tips regarding the 43rd Ward including visibility into what other requests are being made in your neighborhood. The free CHI 311 mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and may be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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