On January 27, Alderperson Andre Vasquez will host a joint Committee on Immigrant & Refugee Rights and Police & Fire meeting to clarify the investigative process for Welcoming City Ordinance violations. The CTA is accelerating work on the Western Avenue Brown Line project, and ongoing street resurfacing on Ashland, Pratt, and Lincoln avenues will improve traffic flow and safety. The ward office will remain closed on January 23 due to extreme cold, and residents are encouraged to use warming centers; additional updates include a DPD grant application deadline, farmers‑market vendor openings, and upcoming community events such as election‑judge recruitment and a consumer‑fraud seminar.
City Council met in January, approving an amended curfew ordinance, a ban on most hemp products, and an update to the Noise Sensitive Zone law while a public hearing on the Canal/Congress TIF expansion was scheduled. The council also approved the adaptive‑reuse of 30 N. LaSalle, adding 349 housing units (105 affordable), released a $22 million settlement and noted that 25 % of the settlement budget has already been spent; parking policy changes included a new overnight parking ban and a declined parking‑meter buyback proposal. Transit service was affected by the State/Lake station closure and CTA adjustments, and the Lake Street Bascule Bridge rehabilitation will keep the street closed until 2028; additional highlights included International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a museum member swap, and volunteer opportunities.
Alderman Bennett Lawson of the 44th Ward announces that the ward office will be closed tomorrow because of an extreme cold warning, with staff working remotely and available by email. Residents are urged to stay indoors, check on vulnerable neighbors, and use city warming centers and emergency alerts. The office remains reachable at Ward44@CityofChicago.org for service requests and urgent matters.
Alderman Timmy Knudsen of the 43rd Ward reports no new meetings, hearings, or policy changes this week. The city is issuing an Extreme Cold Watch through January 24, with the ward office closed Friday‑Saturday and more than 200 warming centers open, while residents are urged to stay indoors and use the OEMC app for alerts. The Department of Transportation and Business Affairs remind property owners to clear sidewalks and observe the overnight parking ban, and the city’s snow‑plow tracker and warming‑center list are available for residents’ safety.
Alderman Scott Waguespack of the 32nd Ward reports no zoning, development, housing, transit, or budget meetings or policy changes in this issue. The notice focuses on an extreme cold watch through Jan 23, school closures, and the availability of warming centers and public‑safety resources. Residents are urged to stay indoors, check on vulnerable neighbors, and use city services for winter preparedness.
Alderwoman Maria Hadden of the 49th Ward reports no upcoming meetings or policy changes on zoning, housing, transit, or budget. The newsletter focuses on the National Weather Service’s extreme‑cold watch, urging residents to stay warm, use warming centers, and keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice. Additional reminders include checking on vulnerable neighbors, using 3‑1‑1 for well‑being checks, and the office’s remote hours.
There are no upcoming meetings, hearings, or policy changes related to zoning, development, housing, transit, or budget in this newsletter. The office is relocating, and 23rd‑Ward residents have received property‑tax assistance, with Alderman Silvana Tabares commenting on tax appeals and teen takeovers. Additional announcements include a safety reminder about robberies, snow‑removal assistance through My Block/My Hood/My City, and volunteer opportunities for seniors.
Alderman Nicholas Sposato’s 38th Ward update notes no upcoming zoning, development, housing, transit, or budget meetings or policy changes; the office will remain closed through January 23 due to extreme cold, with voicemail/email monitoring and a Monday reopening. Residents are reminded of cold‑weather and pet safety tips, and the ward highlights a rescued dog, local community events, and a range of job openings. No other infrastructure or transit updates were included.
Alderman Dowell of the Third Ward announces a municipal code amendment that permits a sidewalk delivery robot (PDD) pilot program on sidewalks and crosswalks, pending city‑council approval through May 2027. The city will test the Roosevelt Road Bridge from Jan. 21‑23, 2026, closing the roadway to all traffic and providing detour routes, and a new Saturday Real ID service will operate on the same day. Other highlights include Dowell’s recognition at the Illinois Women’s Affordable Housing Network event, the launch of South Loop indoor markets, and updates from Kleo’s Food Pantry and NHS mortgage options.
The 16th Ward newsletter from Alderman Stephanie D. Coleman does not list any meetings, policy changes, development approvals, budget decisions, transit service changes, or street safety projects. It provides office hours, contact details, and promotes community resources such as volunteer sign‑ups, voter registration, senior services, and veteran assistance.
Alderman La Spata of the 1st Ward announces a virtual meeting on February 2 to discuss the Serve and Coco food‑delivery robots, and notes a Rapid Response Training on January 27. He reports that the heat‑ordinance is in effect and that an ordinance authorizing a HUD 108 loan for the Congress Theater’s construction gap has cleared the Finance Committee, with full Council approval expected tomorrow. The newsletter also highlights the secured financing for the Congress Theater, the city’s warming‑center map for the cold snap, and community events such as a Valentine’s brunch for seniors, art classes at Haas Park, and library workshops.
There are no meetings, hearings, or policy changes announced in this issue. 16th‑Ward Alderman Stephanie D. Coleman’s office will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2026 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and no city‑collected refuse or trash will be picked up that day. Recycling services (Department of Streets and Sanitation Zones 2 and 4, LRS Service Areas 1, 3, 5, 6, and private providers) will continue Monday‑Friday, and the office will reopen Tuesday, January 20 at 9:00 a.m.
Alderman Nicole T. Lee of the 11th Ward announced a zoning hearing on February 2, 2026 for the property at 3363 S. Morgan, with a Zoom link for residents to attend. The ward will also see infrastructure spending with the Chicago Park District’s upgrade of Armour Square Park’s water‑spray area and a new splash pad, as well as a street‑resurfacing and ADA‑compliant corner project on Wentworth between Cermak and 24th Street. Other updates include ongoing sewer and water‑main repairs that will close portions of 33rd Street, the opening of a new art social club called Mouse Art and Letters, and the 11th Ward’s free Constituent Education Resource Card for museum visits.
Alderman Jim Gardiner of the 45th Ward announced that the City Council approved a revised curfew ordinance, a new policy affecting street use and public safety. He also reported that four local projects—Parlor Station, The Hinterlands, Turn Back Time, and Adriana Floral—received Chicago Community Development Grant funding, supporting mixed‑use and light‑manufacturing development in the ward. Additional updates noted the ribbon‑cutting for Portage Park Breakfast Place, the ward office’s closure on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (with no garbage service that Monday), and a reminder to keep CTA commuters safe during recent incidents.
Alderwoman Maria Hadden of the 49th Ward announced that the Housing Committee approved several missing‑middle projects—selling city‑owned lots for $1 to developers building 3‑ and 4‑unit buildings—and opened a public comment period on the Mayor’s 5‑Year Homelessness Blueprint. She also highlighted the upcoming City Council meeting on January 21 for public comment, the Department of Water Management’s sewer rehabilitation project, and the 400 Theater opening feedback window, all of which involve development approvals and infrastructure spending. Other key announcements were the 5th Annual MLK Jr. Day Middle School Basketball Tournament, the 40th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Breakfast, and a volunteer snow‑shoveling program.
Alderman David Moore of the 17th Ward announces the first meeting of the new year, correcting the time to 10:30 am–12:00 pm on January 17, 2026 (instead of the previously listed 6 pm). He apologizes for the scheduling error. No additional meetings, policy changes, or development updates are mentioned in this brief notice.
Alderman Nicholas Sposato of the 38th Ward reports no upcoming zoning, development, housing, transit, or budget meetings or policy changes this month. He reminds residents of office hours, the January 19 holiday closure, and that black garbage carts will not be serviced that day. The newsletter also promotes a free 2026 calendar magnet, a dog rescue, a food‑pantry donation link, a local Mexican restaurant, and lists several job openings in the area.
Alderperson Andre Vasquez of the 40th Ward announced that the People’s Budget will spend $398,000 of the $1 million infrastructure fund on a new accessible playground at Chappell Elementary, flashing beacons, and a River Park viaduct mural, while $602,000 remains for repair work, and a joint committee meeting on January 27 will address CPD’s involvement with ICE under the Welcoming City Ordinance. A rezoning request for 2415 W Peterson to allow a cannabis dispensary is open for feedback until January 19, and CTA contractors will work day and night on Western Avenue for the next two weeks to finish the Brown Line project, ending the bus detour for routes #11 and #49B. The ward is also completing street‑safety projects such as the Lincoln Avenue streetscape and Pratt Boulevard bike medians; the office will be closed on Monday, January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and residents are encouraged to recycle holiday lights and trees.
Alderperson Jessie Fuentes of the 26th Ward announced that a COPA ordinance giving the Civilian Office of Police Accountability authority to investigate violations of the Welcoming City Ordinance will be debated and voted on January 27, and residents are invited to comment on a proposed zoning change for 44 affordable units at 3251 W. Division. The ward also highlighted the ongoing Boulevard Landmark District Extension Project and the 26th Ward’s zoning process, while noting the upcoming Legislative Town Halls and a Racial Healing Circle in honor of Dr. King. Additional updates included new staff appointments, Ward‑at‑Your‑Door outreach, and a variety of community resources and events.
Alderman Anthony J. Quezada of the 35th Ward will host a City Budget Report‑Back Town Hall on Jan. 20 with Mayor Brandon Johnson, and the Chicago City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate will meet that Wednesday to discuss the new Five‑Year Blueprint on Homelessness. A request to lift the liquor‑license moratorium on North Milwaukee Avenue between Kimball and Central Park will be considered at the beat‑1412 CAPS meeting on Jan. 20, and the Committee on Health and Human Relations will hold a meeting on Jan. 27 to hear testimony on immigration enforcement. Other highlights include holiday light recycling drop‑offs, a February 2 Ward Night, and a racial healing circle honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day.