FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR |
Greetings IMD partners, stakeholders and friends-
Now that the snow has melted and we’ve had a glimpse of the warm weather to come, I am ready to be out and about in the IMD. The progress in the IMD to make our community one where you can live, work and play continues. At the heart of the IMD you’ll find the Gateway project.
Under Construction now, the Gateway Apartments development is located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Polk Street. The development is ideal for professionals seeking proximity to the major IMD institutions and easy access to transportation and downtown.
With 161 units comprised of studio, one and two bedroom layouts, the complex will feature amenities that include a rooftop lounge and pool and a 2nd-floor tenant lounge with an outdoor terrace. Construction is scheduled to be completed summer 2022.
|
Now breaking ground, the Hilton Hampton Inn & Suites is located in the center of the Gateway Project site immediately adjacent to the central landscaped plaza and retail center. The development will serve patients and professionals seeking proximity to the major IMD institutions, and includes 135 keys (92 standard rooms and 43 suites), meeting rooms, an indoor pool, fitness room, market pantry and dining experience. Construction is scheduled to be completed summer 2023.
The hotel site is located steps away from existing food and service providers that we know and love, including Starbucks, Chipotle, AT&T, Jimmy John’s, Panda Express, and Pita Pita.
The IMD is currently experiencing a period of growth and expansion not seen here in quite some time, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. We share all upcoming plans within the IMD at a quarterly IMD Stakeholders meeting. If your organization is interested in attending or presenting at a future IMD stakeholder development meeting, please contact IMD's Director of Real Estate Operations Chris Fahey.
|
Our IMD partner Urban Prairie Waldorf School will host its first annual Donor Dinner on April 23rd at 6:30 PM. The dinner will be in appreciation of the parent body and community who have supported the school this past year.
|
Refer to the flyer for more information about how to support or attend. For questions, please contact Jeff Smagley.
|
IMD STAFF SPOTLIGHT: GINA OKA |
As General Counsel, Gina Oka oversees all legal and regulatory matters impacting the IMD. Gina provides guidance and support to the IMD staff and board of commissioners on real estate leasing and transactions, statutory compliance, ethics and legislative efforts.
Gina ensures the IMD’s mission is being served with every project, including attention to initiatives designed to benefit the local community.
“We know that service to the community results in positive outcomes that reach far beyond our borders, and we’ve placed a renewed focus on this component of our mission,” said Gina.
|
Gina previously worked for the City of Chicago, where she focused on contracts and supplier diversity, and at law firms in Chicago and New York as a litigator. Gina serves on the board of Girls in the Game, a West side-based organization that provides sports, health, and leadership programs to girls from underinvested communities.
|
UIC WALKING/RUNNING ROUTES |
UIC has a great resource for fitness enthusiasts who want to enjoy the warming weather. The school’s Campus Recreation program created ten walking/running routes ranging from one to five miles each.
You can start these routes at a UIC Campus Recreation location and see some of the great sites Chicago has to offer. The routes are generally flat and are on sidewalks and are looped.
|
"MEDICAL MILE" ROUTE - 1.08 MILES
For more information or to view the route maps, click here.
|
Walking/Running Safety Tips:
- Try not to bring valuables/phones or keep them hidden from view
- Try to not use headphones, but if you must, keep the volume low so you are still aware of your surroundings
- Obey traffic signals and watch for bicyclists
- UIC campus has emergency buttons throughout campus—be aware of those locations
|
|
IMD PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: UIC COLLEGE OF NURSING |
The College of Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago constructed its main building in the heart of the IMD in the 1960s. Now UIC is training a new generation of nurses from a state-of-the-art simulation laboratory. |
The M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning & Simulation Laboratory features suites devoted to medical and surgical practice and other vital clinical disciplines. Each semester, the 15,000-square-foot lab trains more than 1,000 student nurses across 13 different courses. |
"When we have new students come in that are thinking about going to nursing school, we give them a tour of this brand new, beautiful space, the Schwartz Lab, and they can see that it’s really close to real life as the hospital," said Dr. Susan Kilroy, director of the Clinical Learning Resource Center at UIC’s College of Nursing.
“Here at the UIC College of Nursing, we really craft simulations and cases and skills, so we prepare them before they go into the clinical setting."
|
The nursing program is a pipeline for careers in the University of Illinois Hospital system and other IMD institutions. Forward-looking programs like the nursing lab maintain the IMD’s excellence in medical care and clinical research.
|
UAS COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE PROGRAM |
Urban Autism Solutions' (UAS) Growing Solutions Farm is a 1.2-acre produce farm located in the IMD. Young adults with autism and other learning differences visit the farm to gain vocational and social skills, and most of all, to have fun!
|
The Growing Solutions Farm will also offer produce through its weekly farm stands:
Onsite Farm Stand
2200 W. Campbell Park Drive
Wednesdays 10 am - 1 pm
Fridays 2 pm - 5 pm
(June 1 - Oct. 26)
Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii
1224 W. Lexington St.
Sundays 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
(June 15 - Oct. 9)
All proceeds from the Growing Solutions Farm stands support programming for young adults with autism. For questions, please email Tucker@urbanautismsolutions.com.
|
IMD STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE |
The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation has released its 2022 street sweeping schedule. In order to keep our streets beautiful we will need to make way for these sweepers, and you will see "no parking" signs up 24 to 48 hours in advance of sweeping. Street sweeping in the IMD will occur on the following dates:
- 4/29/22
- 5/2/22
- 6/22/22
- 6/23/22
- 8/12/22
- 8/15/22
- 10/4/22
- 10/5/22
|
IDFPR EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION |
Governor Pritzker and Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. have issued an emergency proclamation to enable internationally trained doctors to provide much needed relief to the healthcare system during the Covid-19 emergency.
More than 200 highly-qualified international medical graduates (IMGs) have been granted temporary permits to work under the supervision of licensed IL physicians.
The IDFPR is working closely with Upwardly Global to locate IMGs with temporary permits and assist them with job placement. If you or your organization are interested in hiring IMGs, email April Harrington.
|
Everyone 5 years of age and older is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and everyone 12 years of age and older is eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot. To find a COVID-19 vaccine near you, click here.
Although vaccination remains the best way to protect against COVID-19, individuals are encouraged to continue observing basic precautions to help protect against infection, such as:
- Washing your hands frequently with soap and water
- Coughing or sneezing into your elbow, rather than into your hands
- Avoiding large social gatherings where COVID-19 mitigation protocols are not in place
- All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, should continue observing mask and social distance policies in public places and at businesses in your community
- Consult with your medical provider if you feel sick
For more information on COVID-19:
|
Our Catalyst newsletter exists in part to promote the great work of our IMD partners and friends. If you have news, events or information about your organization that you'd like us to include in a future edition of The Catalyst, please reach out to IMD Communications Director Ryan Gage. |
|
