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3659 S. Halsted | Chicago, IL 60609 | 773.254.6677
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August 2, 2026
Dear neighbors,
Earlier in the week, Raymond M. Chin was laid to rest. Mr. Chin was a Chinese immigrant who lived in Chinatown and never forgot his roots. He was an engineer, entrepreneur, civic leader, and founder of R.M. Chin & Associates who devoted his life to building projects that shaped communities and creating opportunities for others. Through his unwavering integrity, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to public service, he left an indelible mark on the City of Chicago, the engineering and construction industry, the Chicago Chinatown community, and the countless people whose lives he touched. He was a long-time board member of the Chinese American Service League and saw them through the successful building of their current home in Chinatown Square. He was a dedicated patron of St. Therese School and parish. He was the project manager for 900 N. Michigan Ave., and importantly for us as Chicagoans, he was the project manager who led the team that repaired the failed freight tunnels that caused the big flood of 1992. He was an incredible business and civic leader who gave back to the community every chance he had. To me, he was simply Uncle Ray, not a relation of blood, but as we all have uncles and aunties in our lives who are good friends of our parents, Uncle Ray and his family shared a townhouse wall with us when I was a child. I will always remember him as the craftsman who built the coolest playset on the block (I played in his back yard a lot) and as dad to my first friend in life, his daughter, Eileen. He was someone I looked up to and am grateful to have known. My deepest condolences to the entire Chin family.
Friday marked the anniversary of the closure of our Union Stock Yards, which closed its doors on July 31st, 1971. Although we may no longer have animal pens, we have the history very much alive today, from South Chicago Packing’s viral beef Wagyu cooking tallow, to Great Western Beef which has been in business for over 100 years. I’m looking forward to the next chapter of development in the Union Stock Yards, which continues to draw a number of innovative businesses and factories. It will always be intrinsically linked with our neighborhood, the name Armour Square coming from the Stockyards magnate J. Ogden Armour, alongside other major families in the packing business like the Swifts.
I want to extend my highest honor and thanks to all the families connected to the legacy of the Union Stockyards, who made our city and the 11th Ward what they are today.
Have a great week,
Ald. Lee
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| This Week in City Council | | |
We had some concerning news this week, with the abrupt resignation of the City’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Steven Mahr. The guidance of the CFO is an important part of the budgeting process, which is coming up here soon in October. The resignation of Acting CFO Mahr is disconcerting on multiple levels - he was only on the job for less than a year and is not leaving for another job according to news reports, his departure comes just ahead of an annual investor conference. The instability in this office may be a sign of instability that could impact our bond rating and cause our borrowing costs to go up. Like the rest of the city, I’ll be watching this closely.
We also saw the call this week from Anthony Driver of Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPRSA) for the City Council to extend the deadline for finding the next police superintendent, in the wake of Superintendent Snelling’s retirement, until after the mayoral election in February. I agree that rushing through this process might be an unnecessary hurdle alongside the budget, and with the possibility of the new mayor wanting to make changes at CPD. Fred Waller has returned for a second stint as Interim CPD Superintendent. My hope is that his leadership allows for stability in the police department until the search for a permanent one is completed.
| | City Council reconvenes September 23. Additional City Council committee meetings are being added to the agenda currently as well. | | This year’s National Night Out is coming up on August 4th. This event connects local police districts with neighbors. Meet your local police officers, CAPS, Beat Officers, enjoy activities for kids, food, raffles, and more! Located at Armour Square Park on 8/4/26 from 5-8 p.m. I’ll be at the event with my staff to meet constituents, we would love for you to stop by to see us. | |
Ongoing Construction &
Street Closures
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Street Repaving in Chinatown
- Princeton from 24th place to Cermak and Archer to Tan Court have been ground down/milled in preparation for new asphalt. This work is scheduled to be completed by August 11th.
- Work has finally begun on 24th Place from Wentworth to Stewart to resurface the street. The south side of the street haws been milled and work will continue for two weeks.
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Ongoing Project - 33rd Street & Canal Sewer Project Update:
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Landscaping work is scheduled to begin Thursday, July 16, 2026, and expecting to be completed in the next 1-2 week.
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Streetlight Restoration Update: the streetlight mastarms have been temporarily repositioned due to the ongoing roadway project, Streetlight restoration is expected to begin once the project has been completed.
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Ongoing Project - Water Main, Sewer Main & Lead Service Line Replacement Project - Pershing Road:
Projected schedule: 7/13/2026 - 7/31/2026 (Weather Permitting)
- Going forward our updates will focus on the completion of restoration activities which are currently under way.
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Concrete road base is expected to be fully completed by Thursday, July 16th 2026, and the project will be handed over to MWRD/IDOT shortly after.
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Small paving by Pershing and Lowe will start Thursday, July 23, 2026 and pave Friday, July 24, 2026.
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Ongoing Project - 3500 - 3900 S Parnell Ave.:
Most recent updates - 7/31/2026
We are currently finishing restoration of roadway on the 3500 block, 37th St. intersection, the 3600 block from 37th to the alley, and 36th intersection along Parnell Ave. Concrete pours are taking place in the order listed above and should take about 2 weeks to complete. The remaining work at 35th and Parnell Ave.is expected to resume after the end of White Sox season around October 2026.
Roadway restoration is occurring in the following phases over the next 4 weeks:
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38th St intersection
- The north half of the 3600 block
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The south half of the 3600 block and 37th St intersection.
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The 3500 block and 36th St intersection
See below for updates on traffic control:
- 3500 Block of Parnell: Closed until early next week for concrete curing.
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36th and Parnell: Closed until end of week of 8/10/26 for concrete placement and curing.
- Asphalt Paving: Estimated week of 8/10.
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Most Recent Updates - 7/17/2026
A ComEd notification was issued for work beginning May 25, identifying the full design area (31st street to 39th street between Lituanica to Normal Street) as potentially impacted. The project has been segmented into smaller work areas to enable more precise notifications. Scheduled work updates will be provided weekly. Below is the Pershing project work planned for the upcoming four-week period.
- Weeks 1 -2 WEEK (7/20/26 – 7/31/26)
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 (8/3/26 to 8/7/26)
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 (8/10/26 to 8/14/26)
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 - 7/31/2026
- Peoples Gas contractors continue environmental cleanup activities at 2730 S. Eleanor Street.
- The primary activities at the site for the first two weeks of July will continue to be excavating and hauling away soil, followed by backfilling excavations with clean stone. Trucks will visit the site most days to pick up soil or deliver stone.
- 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.
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White Sox Players Visit the 11th Ward Chinatown Library
On July 28, 2026, the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library welcomed nearly 80 children for a special Meet the Mascot and Players event, hosted in partnership with the Chicago White Sox as part of the club's 81 Club Promotion.
The event featured White Sox players Sam Antonacci and Drew Romo, who spent time reading books to children, sharing stories, taking photos, and encouraging a love of reading. The White Sox mascot also joined in the fun, creating an exciting and memorable experience for the young attendees. Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown also attended this exciting community event, which encouraged literacy and brought smiles to young readers throughout the 11th Ward.
Thank you to the Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Public Library, and everyone who helped make this inspiring event a wonderful success for the children and families of our community.
| | Announcements & Information | |
Community Programs and Events | |
11th Ward
School and Parish Information
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11th Ward
2026 Constituent Education Resource Card
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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.
| | 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.
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11th Ward Office| 3659 South Halsted Chicago, IL 60609 | 773-254-6677 | |
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