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11th Ward Newsletter - September 7, 2026

Nicole Lee Ward 11 📞 773-254-6677 ✉️ [email protected]
Relevance: 3/10
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Summary

In the 11th Ward newsletter, Alderwoman Nicole T. Lee reports on upcoming City Council committee meetings (including the Committee on the Budget and Ethics on Sept. 9 and Finance on Sept. 14–21, plus Economic/Capital/Technology Development on Sept. 15 and Police and Fire on Sept. 22) and announces an in-person/on-Zoom zoning meeting for 2125–27 S. Archer on Sept. 14. The main policy focus is her and Commissioner Daley’s campaign against Amtrak’s proposed 24/7 maintenance facility and related proposals that could affect local schools and parks; she also notes letters sent to Amtrak and that Amtrak will hold a virtual board meeting on Sept. 9 at 10:30 a.m., with a Sept. 8 press conference at 35th and Shields. Other items include ongoing ward street/work updates (repaving and Parnell Ave./Peoples Gas projects), a reported FBI investigation into an attempted U.S. Bank robbery in Chinatown, and ward announcements such as free “Stop Amtrak” signs and a free Constituent Education Resource Card for 2026 visits.

Email from Alderman Nicole T. Lee

3659 S. Halsted | Chicago, IL 60609 | 773.254.6677


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September 7, 2026




Dear neighbors, 


Happy Labor Day. Labor Day means a lot of things. It symbolizes the fights against child labor, for the 8-hour work day, for the weekend, and many more workers rights that we take for granted today. So many of our labor battles were fought in our own backyard, including the triumphant history of the Stockyards and the decades of union organizing that incubated there. Today is a great day to remember our city’s important history and contributions to the labor movement. I hope you had a restful holiday and an even more restful week! 


I wish I had completely positive news to deliver this week regarding the fight against the Amtrak 24/7 maintenance facility. Commissioner Daley and I released a statement against the new proposal that White Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia announced to the media on Saturday, including a move of the White Sox stadium to a piece of land his company has just purchased. The proposal suggests the stadium should be moved to a new place in the South Loop which he suggests would be branded “The Railyards.” 


As we face the potential endangerment of the health and safety of our schools and parks such as Armour Elementary falling into the shadow of a beefed up railyard as part of the proposed Amtrak facility, it’s troubling to hear this and see these renderings for the first time in the news. You can read the full statement from myself and Commissioner Daley here. Please share it with your friends and neighbors. Equally, if not more, frustrating is seeing renderings for “The Railyards” while Amtrak has still not released any site plans or renderings of their proposed new facility on Union Pacific’s Canal Yard. 


In case you missed it, Amtrak has finally turned on their website for the project, which can now be found at: mwmaintenancefacility.com. The site has links to their statement on the slide that was floating around social media showing additional phases of development involving parcels outside of the property line of Canal Yard. It also provides a link to the full presentation from the August 20th community meeting at Armour Square and a running list of Frequently Asked Questions for your perusal. 


Commissioner Daley and I have both sent letters to the Chairman and Board of Amtrak to ask them to do three things before another step is taken to advance their plans to move from 14th Street: pause the process, commit to meaningful community engagement, and work with us to identify a site that does not require a major 24-hour industrial operation in the middle of a dense residential neighborhood. The Board of Amtrak has a meeting on Wednesday, September 9 at 10:30am. It is a virtual meeting and I’ve registered to watch it on zoom. If you’d like to watch live, you need to register in advance.  


Commissioner Daley and I continue the campaign against the Amtrak facility and will continue to fight against the White Sox being anywhere but in the 11th Ward where they belong. To that end, I ask that you join me tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10AM at the corner of 35th and Shields alongside Commissioner Daley, State Rep. Theresa Mah, and leaders of the Armour Bridgeport Coalition, Bridgeport Environmentalists, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community and other community members for a press conference to push back against this proposal. All are welcome to join in solidarity. This fight has only begun. 


Please join us. 


Finally, we have free signs at the ward office for anyone who wants to put one in their window to oppose the Amtrak project. 



Always fighting for you,

Alderwoman Nicole Lee 

Upcoming in City Council


  • Wednesday, September 9, Committee on the Budget and Government and Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight
  • Monday, September 14 and 21, Committee on Finance 
  • Tuesday, September 15, Economic, Capital, and Technology Development 
  • Full day City Council meetings scheduled for September 17 and 23.
  • Tuesday, September 22, Committee on Police and Fire
  • Tuesday, September 29, Committee on Education and Child Development

Events in the Ward

Upcoming Zoning Meeting 

2125 - 27 S. Archer, Monday, September 14, 2026 - 5:30pm

In-person at the ward office or https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87816835961?

pwd=asTeGyPkv3sC1Q3E3g7dgX2xma7Q3X.1&jst=2

Meeting ID: 878 1683 5961

Password: 132629

Dial in: +1 253-205-0468

Phone Passcode: 132629


9/8: Beat 913/915 Meeting, 9th District Police, 3120 S Halsted St, 6PM 


9/11: Veterans Office hours from 12-4PM. Please see the flyer below for our upcoming office hour dates for the Fall. 


After Labor Day holiday office schedule including changed weekend hours: 


September 8 - 11: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM


September 12: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Public Safety

The FBI is investigating an attempted bank robbery at the U.S. Bank in Chinatown on Wednesday. One person is in custody but no details have been released. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the attempt.  

Ongoing Construction &

Street Closures

Street Repaving S. Emerald Ave.


  • Emerald Ave. from 37th St. to 38th St. is expected to grind and mill from August 3rd to September 1st 2026.
  • Emerald Ave. from 32nd to 33rd St. is expected to grind and mill from August 3rd to September 1st 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 - 9/4/2026


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. Our Overhead crews are scheduled to begin the planned “Week 1” activities on Monday, September 14th We will continue to provide updates at work progresses.


  • 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 - 8/28/2026


  • 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. 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.

Announcements & Information 

The Stop Amtrak signs are available in our office.
For Spanish
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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