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Dear Neighbors,
It was great to once again see the 44th Ward turn out in such strong numbers for the primary election. The ward ranked in the top five citywide for both total votes cast and percentage turnout. Thank you to everyone who made their voice heard and contributed to the strong civic spirit that defines our community. You can view full results on the Chicago Board of Elections website here, as well as statewide results from across Illinois here. We are gathering feedback on the new early voting site at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, so if you have any thoughts or experiences to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office.
Cubs Opening Day is this coming Thursday, March 26th. We’re excited to welcome another baseball season to the neighborhood! As always, please be mindful of game day transportation and parking restrictions. You can view maps of these restrictions and additional information on our website here. Please note that prior to the game, there will be a parade of the Clydesdale horses around Wrigley Field, fireworks at approximately 1:00pm, and a flyover near the 1:20pm game start. There will also be a pedestrian reroute near the Sheridan train station due to renovations at Kelly Park—see details here. If you’re planning to celebrate, be sure to check out the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce’s Opening Day guide here for a full list of local businesses offering specials, events, and ways to enjoy the day right here in Lakeview.
As a reminder, game days also bring enhanced safety and traffic measures to the neighborhood. Expect increased security presence beginning one hour before the game and up to two hours after, along with street closures around Wrigley Field—including portions of Sheffield and Waveland—as well as potential increased traffic and additional closures or slowdowns on Clark and Addison depending on crowd conditions. Residential permit parking will be strictly enforced, and vehicles in violation may be ticketed or towed. For non-emergency concerns related to traffic or neighborhood conditions, residents can call the Cubs Hotline at 866-4-CPD-TOW (866-427-3869), which is staffed by CPD during game times. Public safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping keep the neighborhood safe and accessible for residents and visitors alike.
In public safety news, the Chicago Police Department has issued a community alert regarding several recent business burglaries in and around our ward. Anyone with information or video should contact Area Three Detectives at the number listed, and you can click here to view the full community alert. We encourage all business owners to remain vigilant, review CPD’s business safety tips here, and consider proactive steps like registering your commercial or residential cameras with CPD here so detectives can quickly access footage if needed. Our office will continue working closely with CPD’s detectives and their business burglary task force to support these investigations, and will give further updates as they become available.
March Madness is in full swing, and our local bars are bringing the energy with watch parties and game day specials throughout the neighborhood! The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce has put together a great guide here highlighting deals including wings, game day drink specials, and more. Whether you’re tracking your bracket or just along for the ride, you can catch all the action right here in Lakeview.
The Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce is also hosting their popular Coffee Stroll this Sunday, a great opportunity to sip, shop, and explore local businesses while enjoying samples from neighborhood cafés. Looking ahead, be sure to mark your calendars for their Easter Celebration at Lincoln & Wellington, along with a nearby community egg hunt hosted at Blaine Elementary by Missio Dei. Both are on April 4th and are two fun, family-friendly ways to welcome the season just west of our ward.
  
A “No Kings” protest is planned for Saturday, March 28th in our neighborhood from 12:00pm-2:00pm on Sheridan between Oakdale and Wellington—the same location as one that occurred last October. The right to peacefully protest is a vital part of our democracy, and we encourage anyone interested to participate as neighbors make their voices heard.
In legislative news, this past week I circulated a letter to my City Council colleagues and the Mayor calling for support of "The Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. Young Voter Empowerment Law" in the Illinois state legislature. I was proud to receive unanimous support, urging passage of this important civic participation reform to honor the legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson. The bill would require all Illinois high schools, beginning next school year, to give graduating seniors the opportunity to register to vote and help build lifelong civic engagement. Read the full letter, which we will be sending to state legislators soon, here.
I also recently signed onto a letter by Fair Vote Illinois supporting ranked choice voting, and calling on the Illinois General Assembly to allow municipalities to pursue local referendums on its use. Recent developments in Evanston—where a court struck down the city’s 2022 voter-approved ranked choice system due to Illinois state law—underscore that this reform will likely need to be authorized at the state level before it can be implemented in Chicago. I will continue supporting ways to modernize our democratic process, and you can read more about this effort here.
As we previously shared, architects of the 3257 N Halsted hotel project approved last year have aesthetically redesigned the project. They are now ready to share nighttime renderings highlighting its new dynamic lighting features. The updated design includes glass columns that can be illuminated in a range of colors, including rainbow lighting, adding a vibrant and flexible architectural element to the neighborhood.
 
The Department of Water Management is currently conducting significant necessary infrastructure work on drains and pipes across portions of Greenview, Lakewood, Southport, and other streets with up to four crews that will be working simultaneously over the next 5-6 weeks. Crews will limit construction impacts on Southport during Cubs home games. Residents can see maps of the work areas here and here, and a full range of affected addresses here.
Our office wishes a joyful and peaceful Eid to all who are celebrating in our community. May this special time bring you and your loved ones happiness, reflection, and togetherness.
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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LAKEVIEW DOG PARK - DONATION PAGE
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44th WARD INSTRUMENTS DRIVE
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OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL OPEN HOUSES - MAR 23rd & APR 24th
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VIRTUAL OVERDOSE RESPONSE TRAINING - MAR 26th
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ST ANDREW'S FISH FRY - MAR 27th
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NAVY PIER TEEN BASH - MAR 28th
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CENTRAL LAKEVIEW NEIGHBORS WINE TASTING - APR 19th
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MERLO LIBRARY - MARCH PROGRAMS
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- Film Screening: 'Sense and Sensibility' (PG) - 3/23, 5:00-7:00pm
- Canvas & Conversation - 3/24, 11:00am-1:00pm (13+)
- LEGO Club - 3/24, 3:30pm-4:30pm (3-13 years)
- Photography Scavenger Hunt - 3/24, 4:00-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Big Kid Story Time - 3/25, 3:30-4:00pm (6-13 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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COOK COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE LOCATION OPEN DOWNTOWN
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To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
City Public Safety Vendor Fair - March 31st, 10:00am-12:00pm
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PUBLIC SAFETY & 19th DISTRICT WEEKLY REPORT:
March 9th - March 15th
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 11'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 31%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 68%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 19%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is up 50%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 52%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 38%
- Year to Date, Thefts are down 1%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 18%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 19%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 76%
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. See maps of the work areas here and here, and a full range of affected addresses here.
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UPCOMING ALLEY RESURFACINGS
NS alley between Janssen, Addison, Southport, Cornelia: Grind date (3/24)
NS alley between Lakewood, Henderson, Racine, School: Grind date (3/25)
NS alley between Lakewood, Melrose, Racine, School: Grind date (3/25)
EW alley between Clark Buckingham, Halsted, Aldine: Grind date (3/25)
EW alley between Commonwealth, Oakdale, Sheridan, Surf: Grind date (3/25)
All start dates are tentative and subject to change due to weather delays.
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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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TIPS FROM TOMMY K - MARCH
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GARBAGE & RECYCLING
Recycling pick-ups for the 44th Ward are occurring the week of March 30th. 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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