Chicago's annual Winter Overnight Parking Ban on critical arterial streets is now effective until April 1, 2015. 

There are 107 miles of city streets considered critical arterial streets, and the nightly ban is in effect between the hours of 3:00am and 7:00am regardless of the presence of snow.

Violators of the Winter Overnight Parking Ban may face a $150 towing fee (minimum), a $60 ticket and a daily storage fee of $20.Vehicles in violation of the ban will be towed to Pounds 2 (10301 South Doty Avenue) or 6 (701 North Sacramento). 

Please click on the following link to see a MAP of streets that are affected by the Overnight Parking Ban.

Overnight parking restriction signs are posted throughout the designated routes.  Please be aware of these signs indicating the parking restrictions.

The 2 inch winter parking ban on marked arterial streets or "Snow Routes" is in effect year round to allow emergency vehicles and snow clearing equipment to pass. These parking restrictions are strictly enforced when snow accumulation of over 2 inches is present.

Please click on the following link to see a MAP of streets that are effected by the Arterial Street Snow Route Ban.

Arterial Street Snow Route parking restriction signs are posted throughout the designated routes. Please be aware of these signs indicating the parking restrictions.  For more information on the overnight parking ban, click here.

SMASHotels is redeveloping a site along Ontario Street that is currently occupied by two three-story structures: one vacant and another with a couple of commercial uses including a nail salon.  The developer, ECD Company of Lincolnshire assembled both the 224 E and 228 E parcels for an as-of-right proposal, designed within the existing zoning constraints of the Downtown Mixed-Use (DX -12) District.  Other SMASHotel properties include: The Wit, The Fairfield Inn - Magnificent Mile and the Hampton Inn & Suites in Lincolnshire.  

Earlier this year, Alderman Reilly met with the developer to review the proposal and begin community process.  Since this proposal did not require a zoning change, the Alderman required the development group to meet with adjacent property owners and SOAR to present their plans and gather feedback.  The presentation previewed plans for a 17-story, 195-key modern designed hotel and a traffic study to identify the best solution for guest and commercial loading.  

The architects, Koo and Associates, Ltd. chose a more modern design to give homage to the block which was the former home of the Museum of Contemporary Art but also provide some aesthetic diversity to the streetscape while respecting the scale, coursing and property lines of adjacent structures.  Project traffic engineers worked closely with the Department of Transportation for final approval on a workable loading configuration.

 Proposed: 

From those mandated community meetings with SOAR and surrounding stakeholders and many months of work with the developer came some constructive changes to the initial proposal:

• The hotel structure was designed with a setback 10' from the property line to better respect its neighbors and blockfront
• The proposed hotel canopy which dramatically extended over the property line was eliminated 
• The loading zone was recessed to help alleviate traffic congestion along Ontario
• New trees will be planted along the frontage 
• The color palette of the structure was modified for greater compatibility with the existing built landscape

Next steps for this proposal include demolition of the two existing three-story structures and site prep in the upcoming months.  To view a copy of the plans, please click here.

If you have any questions about this proposal, please do not hesitate to contact our constituent service office at: 312-642-4242.

Alderman Reilly is very pleased to announce the completion of a resurfacing project on Rush Street!  The Alderman initiated this significant infrastructure improvement and allocated a portion of funds from his Aldermanic Menu to resurface Rush Street, between East Chestnut Street and East Delaware Place, including the intricate intersection of Rush Street, Chestnut Street, and Wabash Avenue. Work on this project was completed in late November of 2014.

The project required the removal of the old, deteriorated asphalt on the affected portion of the street. Following the removal of the old asphalt, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) made the necessary structural adjustments to the numerous manholes, catch basins and curb side drains that are located along the street to ensure they were in alignment with the new layer of asphalt.

This stretch of Rush Street handles 18,000 vehicles every day with residents, visitors, and tourists traveling between home, work, and many local retail establishments.

According to the Chicago History Museum's street naming guide, Rush Street is named after Dr. Benjamin Rush (1745 - 1813), who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and was Surgeon General in the Continental Army. He later was a member of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention that ratified the new U.S. Constitution in that state.  

Street Condition Before and After photos: 

Have an idea to improve Chicago? CHIdeas.org is an online platform where government and citizens work together to address civic challenges. Chicago residents and businesses can share ideas to improve City services, create neighborhood initiatives and enhance quality of life.

On this site, you can respond to specific questions from the City or comment on ideas from your fellow residents. Visit the site to see what issues your community is discussing!

• Post ideas in response to questions from the City
• Comment on and support ideas from your fellow Chicagoans
• Share the site with friends, family and neighbors Add your voice to the conversation

New Topics

• Healthy Chicago 2.0 - What strategies can be employed to help parents and children create healthier, more active lifestyles?
• Supporting Our Small Businesses - How can our Small Business Expos across the city better support small business owners and entrepreneurs?
• 311 - What are new ways in which you'd like to contact and engage with 311, and how can the City improve your 311 experience?
• Land Usage - The City owns many vacant parcels of land in residential areas. How can we better utilize these lots?

Visit CHIdeas.org  today!

Too many artists are uninsured!  Everyone can get affordable health insurance that covers doctor and hospital visits, maternity care, prescription drugs and pre-existing conditions. Learn how to get health insurance at a reasonable cost.

Attend this FREE Town Hall to:

• Learn about the Affordable Care Act "Obamacare"
• Find and enroll in an affordable health insurance plan
• If you qualify, enroll in Illinois Medicaid Program
• Get a Free Flu Shot

Friday, December 5, 2014

4:00pm - 8:00pm 

Chicago Cultural Center

78 E. Washington St. 

To RSVP, click here.

To learn more about BACP's workshops, please visit the BACP website for more detail on this month's workshops.

Business Workshop Videos Now Available On Demand! 

The Small Business Center recently launched its Business Video Library. The library has several small business workshop videos available on demand and continues to add videos regularly.

Available workshop videos include:

• City Inspections - Ask Questions, Get Answers
• Early Liquor Sales in Chicago: What You Need to Know
• How to Respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP)
• How to Use YouTube to Market Your Business
• Instagram 101 for Small Businesses: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
• Facebook and Business Do Mix 
• Twitter for the Technologically Challenged

Watch the workshop videos at Business Video Library.

Share Your Feedback to Improve Small Business Expos

Through CHIdeas.org, BACP would like to hear from you about how small neighborhood business expos can improve. Your ideas can help make these events even more helpful for small business owners and entrepreneurs across the city.

Provide your feedback at CHIdeas. 

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is collecting feedback from Chicagoans about the neighborhood they live in, since where you live is an important part of your health. Your responses will help CDPH and its partners develop health priorities for the city.

This survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. You may choose not to answer any question on the survey and all responses will be kept confidential and anonymous. Only combined results from the survey will be shared.

Click here  to participate in the survey, and please make sure to share the survey with your family and friends. 

A version in Spanish is available here.  

1 City, 1 Food Drive 

Partner with the Chicago Police Department 018th District in being a partof the "1 City, 1 Food Drive" for the Greater Chicago Food Depository". Items may be dropped in the barrel located in the 018th District main lobby, 1160 N. Larrabee Street at all hours, until December 14th, 2014. 

Holiday Safety Tips

Don't Become A Victim

Christkindlmarket Chicago 

Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago annually tributes the traditional holiday market in Nuremberg, Germany by transforming into a European holiday village with candy cane striped wooden huts and bright twinkling lights. The Christkindlmarket Chicago hosts over 55 vendors offering holiday ornaments, nutcrackers, cuckoo-clocks, beer steins, wooden toys, jewelry, wood carvings and European sweets. Aromas of holiday spices and German delicacies such as sausages, potato pancakes, and schnitzel fill the air. Visitors can also enjoy the refreshing imported German beer or cup of Gl�hwein (hot spiced wine), which is served in a unique collectable souvenir mug.

Open Now until December 24, 2014

Daily Hours: Su - Th from 11am - 8pm; F - Sa from 11am - 9pm

Special Hours on Thanksgiving Day, November 27 11am - 4pm;

and Christmas Eve, December 24 11am - 4pm

Daley Plaza

50 W. Washington Street

For more information, visit www.christkindlmarket.com.

Millennium Park Ice Rink 

Don't miss the opportunity for ice skating at the one of Chicago's most popular winter destinations. For more than a decade, the McCormick Tribunehas drawn over 100,000 skaters annually. The rink, located on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Madison Streets, offers $12 skate rentals.

Free ice skating lessons are offered to the public one hour before opening on Friday, Saturday and Sundays. Lessons will also be offered each day of Chicago Public School Winter Break, December 22-January 4, except December 25 and January 1, one hour before the rink opens.

Open Now until March 7, 2015

Click here for ice rink hours

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park

201 E. Randolph Street

For more information visit millenniumpark.org.

Cloud Gate Caroling 

Caroling at Cloud Gate returns just in time for the holiday season. Chicago choral groups will be showcased in Millennium Park at Cloud Gate every Friday evening at 6pm. Residents and visitors are encouraged to participate in a holiday sing-along during this free program presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Fridays only, through December 29, 2014

6:00pm - 7:00pm

Millennium Park, Chase Promenade Central 

Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street 

For more information visit millenniumpark.org.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan recently released her annual Safe Shopping Guide highlighting hazardous toys, children's products and household items that have been recalled over the past year to help Illinois families ensure their home is a safe for the holidays.

The 2014 Safe Shopping Guide includes detailed descriptions and photographs of over 100 children's products recalled in the last year - from popular strollers to a toddler toy with high levels of lead and cribs that pose serious entrapment hazards.

This year's edition also has a new feature that addresses another risk consumers confront during holiday shopping: identity theft. The past year brought a renewed focus on identity theft in the wake of numerous data breaches at popular nationwide chains, including Target, Michael's, Neiman Marcus and Home Depot. Madigan's guide provides simple steps for Illinois families to take to help protect their financial information as they shop online and in stores this year.

The Safe Shopping Guide also provides four simple steps you can take to protect your financial information:

• Set up Transaction Alerts on your accounts to receive notifications when your credit or debit card is used above a certain dollar amount, so if someone uses your card without authorization, you'll receive a text message or email and can immediately call your card issuer to dispute the charge.

• Regularly review your bank and credit card statements to make sure there are no unauthorized transactions.

• Review your credit reports for unauthorized accounts.
  You are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies per year. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 to order your credit reports
  
  
• Consider putting a security freeze on your credit. A security freeze, also known as a credit freeze, essentially locks down your personal data at the consumer reporting agency until an individual gives permission for the release of the data, which can prevent someone from taking out credit in your name. You can easily have the freeze lifted when you want to allow a company to check your credit if, for instance, you are opening new accounts or purchasing a car or home.

Consumers can view and download the 2014 Safe Shopping Guide at www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov or by calling the Attorney General's Recall Hotline for a print copy at 1-888-414-7678.

42nd Ward Construction Updates  

To read the most recent construction updates for current development projects in the 42nd Ward, please visit the "Major Projects" page on Alderman's Reilly website.

Mended Hearts Lecture: Heart Rhythm Disorders

Friends of the Parks' Walter Netsch Lecture Series Presents: Jens Jensen The Living Green Project - A Pathway to Action