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May 6, 2024
Hello Neighbors,
Apologies for the late delivery of this newsletter! It was quite a week and it spilled over into the weekend.
We received a lot of feedback on the possible migrant shelter at 3951 S. Canal Street and worked through the weekend to address it. We wanted to wait until we had an update to share to send this week’s newsletter and I’m very glad to inform you that the owners of the property, Bajaj Medical, released a statement clarifying the company “has not been contacted by City officials, and has not approved, and does not intend to approve any public use of this property. The property will continue to be used for business purposes and will create jobs in our neighborhood. We deeply empathize with the plight of migrants and recognize the pressing need for the government to address the humanitarian and public health challenges. This old, industrial property is unsuitable for humane housing, and needs significant renovations for use as a modern industrial property, let alone residential use.”
Without the consent of the property owner, we see no legal path to further pursuing this location as a possible site for a migrant shelter. We appreciate Bajaj Medical’s outreach to clarify their position as the property owner and moreover, their intention to invest further in the 11th Ward as they move forward with their plans to create a modern manufacturing facility for pharmaceuticals and create more jobs for our community.
This morning, I spoke to representatives of the Mayor’s Office who confirmed that as a result of our collective opposition against the use of 3951 S. Canal Street as a migrant shelter that “The City is no longer considering this site”.
Like Bajaj Medical, I understand the pressing need to address this humanitarian crisis. While this site is not suitable for residential use, I expect that the City will continue to explore other locations that would be safer and more convenient for the migrants and community residents of Chicago alike.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled newsletter programming:
Last Monday, I attended the funeral of Officer Luis M. Huesca. Listening to his friends, family and CPD family talk about him, I got a crystal clear picture of who he was—a man of integrity with a big heart, a person who lived to help others, someone with an adventurous spirit who loved to make people laugh, and dedicated son, brother, uncle and friend. It was clear that he left an indelible mark on everyone that he came into contact with. My prayers are with his family and the entire CPD community.
De La Salle Institute held the 135th anniversary kick-off celebration and annual Great Futures Gala last week on Thursday. I was happy to serve as an Honorary Chair for the first time. It was great to see so many familiar faces from the community supporting a school that has meant so much to generations of families in the 11th Ward.
On Friday, the 55th Annual Special Olympics Spring Games Opening Ceremony took place at Soldier Field. Congratulations to all of the athletes, especially our very own, McGuane Park Magic! The competitions will take place next week at Dunbar Park all week from 10AM-1:30PM every day. Go cheer on the competitors if you have some free time!
Over the weekend there was so much happening in the ward! Big thanks to the Chinese American Service League and their volunteers who organized a clean up in Chinatown on Friday, as well as the group from the Bridgeport Alliance who did the same on Saturday in Bridgeport.
A couple of new businesses have opened up recently! Electric Funeral is the newest bar on Halsted, located in the old Sheehan’s space at 35th Place and Halsted, across the street from the Ramova. Runaway Cow, a vegan ice cream shop, opened up in the former Scoops space on 31st Street. Runaway Cow celebrated their grand opening on Saturday and both businesses have already had rave reviews!
City Council
I attended a hearing on the Chicago Fire Department Hiring Plan, wherewe heard from the public as well as expert witnesses regarding the challenges of minority hiring for the department. Unfortunately, several commissioners were not on hand to answer questions from Alders. I’m hopeful that another hearing will be scheduled where all of the relevant stakeholders are present to answer questions about this important topic.
Housekeeping
Construction season is underway!
For full details about upcoming construction in the ward, please see the section below.
Participatory Budgeting Group
We are still looking to add members to our participatory budgeting group, especially from regions of the ward other than Bridgeport, which is the most represented in the makeup of our current group. If you’d like to put your voice into action in helping decide the distribution of our annual ward spending, please sign up by emailing us.
Sox Parking
Anyone who did not receive stickers in the mail or require courtesy stickers are welcome to drop by the office.
If you are dropping by our office for guest parking passes or decals, please don’t forget to bring a photo ID with your address on it. If you’re new to the neighborhood and you haven’t updated your ID, please bring a copy of your lease or a utility bill to verify your address. Only vehicles registered with the City of Chicago may receive a Sox parking decal. Note: as a courtesy to all 11th Ward and Canaryville residents including those in the 15th Ward, we provide a decal for each vehicle registered with the city, to ensure folks can come into Bridgeport on game days to park their cars and access local businesses.
For your calendars
Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) applications are open to business-owners within the 47th/Ashland TIF district. All interested should apply here. You may also register to attend an informational webinar hosted by the Department of Planning and Development and SomerCor to review program requirements and the application process. Applications close on May 30.
Happy Asian American And Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month!
Have a great week ahead,
Nicole
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