3659 S. Halsted | Chicago, IL 60609 | 773.254.6677

View as Webpage

February 22, 2026

Dear neighbors,

Did everyone get their paczkis this week? Ace Bakery, Dolce Arte, Fat Peach, Huck Finn, Impallaria, Jackalope Coffee, Marz Brewery Pączki Fest (plus Pączki stout), Paola’s Delights—where did you try one out? 

This week, we observed Ash Wednesday in the parishes and Catholic schools across the ward. I’m hoping that everyone had a peaceful fast on Ash Wednesday. We have lots of good options for Friday abstaining across the ward. There’s pepper and egg options and fried fish meals at so many great places. 

Across the 11th Ward celebrations of the Lunar New Year holiday were celebrated by many groups including St. Therese School and Healy, Lakeside Bank in Chinatown and the first Lunar New Year Market held at Ramova Theatre. To be sure, there are many more, including next week’s Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown.

I was invited by a friend to be a presenter at Gunsualus Scholastic Academy for their Career Day. The two first grade classes I visited with kept me on my toes as I attempted to explain what I do as an Alderperson, hopefully planting the seeds for our new aldermen and alderwomen of the future! 

Have you been following Team USA in the Winter Olympics? As the games come to a close this weekend, we heard from Mary Debartolo, resident of the 11th Ward who is actually in Italy for the games as she followed the Gold Medal winning streak of the Women’s Hockey Team. Mary has a special connection to the team–she coached #37 Abbey Murphy in hockey. What a great moment for Mary to share with Abbey! Congrats! I’m sure I joined millions in pride we felt when Alysa Liu won gold with her unforgettable free skate performance. 

Our 11th Ward Blood Drive at the 9th District precinct is coming up the week after next on Monday, March 9th. 

This Week in City Council

We honored the life of the great Rev. Jesse Jackson in City Council, one of the great leaders and coalition-builders of our city, who already made history with his work towards civil rights during his lifetime, and his legacy will continue to grow as we remember and build from his contributions in ours. I’m sure we will reflect upon his legacy further in City Council and across the city in the coming year. I am especially grateful for the support Rev. Jackson gave to the family of Vincent Chin and the Asian American community, when Chin was brutally murdered in Detroit in 1982.

We honored Buddy Guy as part of Black History Month and his longstanding contributions to the city as part of the City Council meeting. Mr. Guy joined us in chambers for a gracious visit. 

We honored Let’s Boogie record store with a 50 year anniversary resolution in this week’s City Council meeting. The store is run by the son of the original owner, Neal Keller, who I know many miss and love. Jason Keller joined us in the city council chambers. Let’s Boogie made it through the pandemic and we are grateful to have them. The store is exclusively open on Saturdays from 11AM-6PM, so it’s a nice destination if you can set aside the time to stop in. 

A veto override was attempted in the City Council for the Hemp Ban Ordinance, but it fell short with 26 versus the needed 34 votes. Another ward has enacted its own ward-wide ban on the intoxicating and unregulated hemp products, and as a supporter of both the initial ordinance and a Yes vote on the veto override, perhaps this could be a next step to consider going forward if another version of the ordinance created with more industry stakeholder and community input does not start to materialize. Hemp products are not currently regulated. While there are many responsible business owners who do not sell to minors and welcome regulation, there are also those who sell untested, synthetic products marketed to children. The lack of any regulation at all is a serious problem. 

I voted against the ordinance introduced by Ald. Daniel La Spata, which would create a pilot program to allow the public to report parking infractions to the City to issue citations, because I believe it creates more problems than it solves by outsourcing core enforcement authority to untrained residents. Furthermore, the City has increased the number of parking enforcement staff and expanded the City’s Smart Streets program where cameras mounted on vehicles including a pilot on City buses, which capture the same violations the ordinance sought to address. Parking enforcement requires consistency, due process, and accountability—this proposal risks uneven application, neighbor-to-neighbor conflict, and potential abuse without sufficient safeguards. It also raises legal and administrative concerns around evidence standards, appeals, and liability, while diverting attention from the City’s responsibility to properly resource and manage its own enforcement systems. At its core, this ordinance substitutes a patchwork, possible quasi-vigilante approach in place of professional enforcement, and I do not believe that is the right direction for maintaining fairness, public trust, or neighborhood cohesion. I believe the City should focus on expanding the Smart Streets Program.

We passed the addition of additional signage in the form of a stop sign at South Elias Court and South Lyman St. 

The Zoning Committee approved a new sign for 2484 S. Archer Ave for Everclean Car Wash, where Snappy Car Wash used to be. 

Upcoming in City Council 

Next week the Finance Committee is meeting on Friday, February 27 at 10AM. 

Around the Ward 

The recording for this week’s public meeting for the proposed zoning initiative for 3237 S. Parnell is now available. No decision was made. We will be working with the applicant on revisions to their plans based on feedback from neighbors.

On Thursday, February 26th, I will be joining a town hall with the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community. I’ll be covering information on the budget that was passed, legislation that I’ve introduced to disaggregate data for the Asian American population and changes to the zoning code related to additional dwelling units (ADUs) and the impact on the ward. The townhall will take place at the Pui Tak Center in Chinatown at 6PM, 2216 S. Wentworth Ave, 3rd Floor.

Zoning 

• A Zoning Meeting is scheduled for the west region of the ward for 2741 S. Archer at 5:30PM on March 6. 

• In the northeast quarter of the ward, a Zoning Meeting for 2905 S. Lowe will happen on March 3 at 5:30PM. 

• Within the northeast section of the ward, the Zoning Meeting regarding the project for 436-439 W. 29th Pl. will occur on March 3 at 6:30PM. 

William McKinley American Legion Post 231 is hosting a fundraiser for childhood cancer with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Raise funds, donate and volunteer to fight back on the first Saturday in March at 2PM with Chicago Police Department 9th District. 

Mark your calendar for our office closure on March 2 for Casimir Pulaski Day. 

Next week, the big Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown is happening on Sunday, March 1. Join me in bringing in the new year! 

Have a great week, 

Nicole Lee

Vote By Mail!

You may now apply online to Vote By Mail for the March 17, 2026 Primary Election– click here to get started!

To apply online, please enter your first and last name (no middle name), address (Street Direction and Street Name) and five number zip code to proceed. Please do not leave any spaces after the numerical value in the online form.

You will be asked to choose one Political Party ballot type for the upcoming election: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Non-Partisan (referenda only). Per Illinois Election Code, voters may only choose one ballot and cannot vote multiple Party ballots.

Prefer to always vote from the comfort of your own home? You may also apply online to join the Vote By Mail Permanent Roster ahead of the next election –click here to join the Permanent Roster!

You may request to have your Vote By Mail ballot sent out of city or state, but not out of the country. Choose your best option for delivery in Step 3 of the Online Application. You may choose to receive your Vote By Mail ballot in Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, or Tagalog in Step 4.

You may also choose to join the Accessible Vote By Mail Program in Step 3. This program allows voters with disabilities to access and mark their ballots through an online system and then print out their ballots and mail in those ballots. Please note: You will not receive a ballot in the mail. Voters with disabilities will access and mark their ballot electronically – this is not online voting.

When you apply online to Vote By Mail, the Board will send you emails:

• When your ballot is mailed to you,
• When the Board receives your Ballot Return Envelope, and
• When your ballot has been processed and counted.

The Board will tentatively start mailing ballots by Feb 5, 2026. All Vote By Mail ballots come with postage-paid Ballot Return Envelopes.

When you receive your Vote By Mail ballot, you may return it through standard US mail and must postmark it before or on Election Day, March 17, 2026. You may also submit the Ballot Return Envelope in a secured drop box at any Chicago Early Voting site before and on Election Day.



Questions? Learn more here or call 312-269-7967 or email VoteByMail@chicagoelections.gov

Sign Up to Be an Election Judge!

• You must be a US citizen and a registered voter in Cook County - and you can earn up to $230 for your service. Being bilingual is especially helpful.
• High School Juniors and Seniors can also apply. Do you know a student with a GPA above 3.0 and an interest in government? Let them know they can serve as an election judge and see how democracy works from behind the polling place curtain.
• You can go to pollworker.chicagoelections.gov or call 312-269-7984 to learn more and apply.

Wentworth AR Construction Project:

A Street Resurfacing & ADA compliant corners project between Cermak and 24th Pl on Wentworth began in October and will be completed in the spring.

• Street resurfacing operations will commence once ambient temperatures reach 45 degrees, and it's weather permitting.

Ongoing Project - Water Main, Sewer Main & Lead Service Line Replacement Project:

Schedule: 2/17/2026 - 2/20/2026 (Weather Permitting)

The work efforts are concentrated in Pershing between Wallace and Parnell where pipe installation is ongoing. Followed up by testing and disinfection of the phase from Lowe to Parnell.

One lane open in each direction (east and west) during construction hours from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Northernmost westbound lane between Lowe and Wallace is permanently closed due to pipe and hydrant installation. Impact on traffic is low from 7am to 9am but we will keep monitoring.



• North side of Pershing from Lowe to Canal - pipe installation completed between Lowe & Wallace. Pipe installation is ongoing between Wallace & Parnell. Pipe installation on Parnell & Canal, expected to resume next week.

• North side of Pershing from Stewart to Wentworth - Conflict with ComEd resolved by changing WM alignment. Expected to start late February 2026.

• South side of Pershing from Emerald to Union - Fully completed.

• South side of Pershing from Union to Lowe - WM installation complete. Testing and disinfection completed. Final connection delayed due to utility conflict. Concrete road base partially complete. Expected to be completed by 2/20/26 (due to utility conflict).

• West side of Lowe from Pershing South - WM installation and testing and disinfection completed. Awaiting water service transfer to large food depot. Scheduling ongoing. Expected late February 2026.

• North side of Pershing (Halsted to Emerald) - Abandonment at Emerald completed. Abandonment at Halsted completed. Abandonment at NEX of Union expected to be completed by February 20th 2026. Concrete road base partially complete.

• Water Shutdowns - No shutdowns expected

• Pipe Installation - ongoing between Lowe and Canal (North side of Pershing)

• Final Connections and Concrete Cap - Completed on the south side of Pershing between Halsted and Lowe.

Ongoing Project - Lead Services Line Replacement (LSLR):

• 3000 - 3100 S Union Ave.
• Restoration will start upon all the LSLR projects completion.

Sewer Project

A Sewer Project is estimated to begin in September 2025 between 3500-3900 S Parnell, with work expected to take approximately one year to complete.

• Jan 20 to end of April – Water service replacements along Parnell Ave.
• Feb to June: Replace sewer main along Parnell Ave.
• October to December: Construction @ 35^th intersection.
• Spring 2027: Street restoration/landscaping.

Access for residents will be maintained throughout the project. Parking may be restricted during the daytime between 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM.



• 35th St & Parnell - a full closure of the intersection and detour of eastbound and westbound 35th St. traffic.
• Once the work at 35^th and Parnell is completed, the contractor will mobilize to 39^th and Parnell and begin installing sewer south to north until they connect to this structure they're installing at 35^th Street.

Sewer Main & Lead Service Line Replacement

 The scope of work for this project in its entirety is as follows:

• S Canal St from W 31^st St to W 33^rd St
• W 33^rd St from S Canal St to S Normal Ave
• S Normal Ave from W 33^rd St to 50’ South of W 33^rd St
• W 33^rd St from S Emerald Ave to S Wallace St



Completed 2/16/26 – 2/20/26

• DWM Re-Mobilized to the intersection of W 33^rd St and S Union Ave following the completion of the emergency sewer repair as of my last update.
• DWM continued mainline sewer on W 33^rd St from S Union Ave to S Lowe Ave.

Schedule: 2/23/26 – 2/27/26

• DWM to continue installation of 30” Sewer main in W 33^rd St between S Union Ave and S Lowe Ave.
• DWM to complete Watermain relocation in the intersection of W 33^rd St and S Union Ave (Scheduled to be completed in 3 working days).

Road Closures / Traffic Control:

• The intersection of S Union Ave and W 33^rd St will be closed until further notice to allow DWM to safely relocate the watermain in the intersection of W 33^rd St and S Union Ave.
• During working hours, no residential parking will be allowed on W 33^rd St between S Emerald and S Lowe Ave (No Parking Signs have been posted).

Schedule: 10/1/2025 - 3/30/2026

Full Closure of 33rd Street at Emerald Ave. for sewer repair.

No parking or traveling during working hours (7 am - 4 pm). Upon completion of the sewer main installation, LSLR replacement will follow.

Most Recent Updates - 2/20/2026



• Peoples Gas contractors continue environmental cleanup activities at 2730 S. Eleanor Street.
• The central entrance gate to the site on Eleanor Street was closed this week so work could be performed safely onsite. Vehicles will use the northeast gate for several weeks until work near the central gate is completed. 
• We continue to excavate and haul soil offsite from the western and central portions of the site. This activity is ongoing, and may include noise from trucks, excavators and concrete removal.
• 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.



• We will post a red flag on the fence at the site entrance in the unlikely event that all remediation work on the site is stopped due to on-site, real-time air monitoring readings that remain elevated following implementation of mitigation measures (in accordance with our EPA-approved Air Monitoring and Fugitive Emissions Management Plan). Note that our plan is already designed to prevent air-quality-based health risks to site workers or the public, and the red flag would be posted for visual communication to the community.

Photo of the Week

Congratulations to our 11th Ward resident, Mary DeBartolo, who served as a coach for Abbey Murphy during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

What an exciting and proud moment for America, for Chicago, and especially for the 11th Ward!

Abbey Murphy (#37), a proud South Side Chicago native, helped lead Team USA to a Gold Medal victory in women’s hockey.

Thank you to Conner Intress from the Veteran Assistance Commission of Cook County for providing dedicated support to retired veterans in our community on the 2nd Friday of each month at the 11th Ward. Your continued service and commitment are greatly appreciated.

11th Ward

School and Parish Information

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.

11th Ward Office| 3659 South Halsted Chicago, IL 60609 | 773-254-6677