2901-2993 S. Michigan Ave.

Update on NATO road closures in Chicago - May 18, 2012
Portions of I-55 will shut down earlier than originally planned.

Stevenson Expressway (I-55) closing Friday evening in order to shut down I-55 near McCormick Place at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Chinatown feeder ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan to the northbound I-55 closes at 9:30 p.m.

Some northbound I-55 lanes north of Ryan closes at 10:30 p.m.

Stevenson, between the Dan Ryan & Lake Shore Drive, completely shuts down at midnight - will stay close through the NATO Summit.

Lake Shore Drive closes from Balboa to 39th Street

On Sunday May 20, there will be street closures on Randolph from Lake Shore Dr to Michigan from 4pm - 11pm. Also, on Sunday May 20th traffic on Lake Shore Dr will be closed from Grand to 39th street from 4pm - 11pm

Click here for all road closures, parking restrictions and
other security & transportation plans.

Please remember many Near South restaurants and retailers will be open for business during the weekend.

Near South Planning Board is pleased to continue reporting to you as information is available. To get on our e-blast list, send an email to: TheNSPBorg@aol.com

My boyfriend and I stopped by Swagger last night after driving past it and seeing its lights on. Can I say that this place has ALL of the bells and whistles of a top of the line lounge. I don't even think my description would do the place justice! But it has a full service kitchen, a bar both upstairs and on the first floor, two outdoor padded seating areas with colorful lighting, an outdoor stage for performances, an outdoor fountain, a TON of flat screen tvs, dining area, a room for jazz performances, a Playstation section, beautifully decorated his and hers restrooms on both floors, lounge rooms on both floors, plenty of security on hand, and a friendly, accomodating wait staff. We met with Kara and she gaves the complete tour. I have been screaming about solid businesses and nightlife coming to Bronzeville for a while and Swagger has surely helped to fill the gap. They are currently open on Thursdays through Sundays and stay open as late as 2AM. As the word gets out, they plan to add more days to be open during the week. The menu consists mostly of bar food, and the menu is light, but it's still a great selection and the lounge plans to expand the options as popularity grows. Oh, and there is also plenty of free parking, so that is always a plus! OH...what a breath of fresh air for Bronzeville and the south side of Chicago! Please support this business soon!

Hello,

I am looking to start/am in the process of starting a new non-profit organization that will, to begin with, be focused on the Bronzeville area. The organization will, in short, aim to restore the musical culture that was once quite prevalent in the area. The organization, called "Project: Experience Music", will predominantly focus on providing free music lessons to the youth of the area, as well as establishing a venue which will serve to create musical interest and attract other artists to the area.

I was wondering how the people of the community feel about this endeavor, as this organization will greatly depend on the support of the community's members. Do you have any suggestions? Thoughts? Ways in which we can further reach-out to the community? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Hello,

I was made aware of the Bronzeville Job Fair that will be taking place tomorrow through EveryBlock and I was wondering if anyone would be able to provide more information on it. I know the time and location, but there was no information regarding the recruiting representatives. I would very much like to research the companies before I attend the job fair, so any information would be greatly appreciated.

More generally, does anyone know of any available positions in the Bronzeville area at all? As I recently started a non-profit here (See: http://chicago.everyblock.com/announcements/apr24-music-non-profit-organization-bronzeville-4925657/), I would really like to stay in the area, but with the job market being as it is, I am forced to look outside of the Bronzeville area, as well. To be honest, I am not above any type of work, so long as it is able to sufficiently provide enough income to survive. So, if anyone knows of anyone hiring - for anything - in the area, I would really appreciate some direction.

Thank you!

What is going on????? I stopped in on Friday and the manager told me that Joann Leatherwoods sold the place and they are the new owners. Who are the new owners? I have no idea. Stopped in there this morning and I was told the store is owned by a large group that owns 15 liquor stores in Chicago. Still no name. Called Ald. Dowell's office this morning and her Chief of Staff , Marcel Bright, took my call. He checked into to the matter and reported back that Joann Leatherwoods still owns the place and the liquor license is still in her husband's name.

If you are a neighbor you know we have been fighting to close liquore stores that are near schools. When Mr. Leatherwoods died several years ago we were told that the liquor license could not be transfered. I can't believe Alderman Dowell would let a new store open.

Will anyone shed some light on this for me?

I've gone through two locksmiths now - Chitown Locksmith and Mega Locksmith, without getting any services. In the 1st case (Chitown) the tech called me 5 minutes before the 2-hour window passed, to tell me he'd be 45 minutes or more late. I told him don't bother. I let them choose whatever 2-hour window they wanted the previous day, and they didn't have the courtesy to show up in the time of their choosing or to let me know they'd be late until 5 minutes before I had waited for 2 hours.

While that sucks, it doesn't suck as much as a locksmith not showing up or calling at all, like Mega Locksmith did. I made an appointment yesterday with them for today, 12/31 between 9 and 10 a.m. Yes, I live on the South Side (on Lake Park in an affluent area) but why should that mean that we can't get any services at all?

The locksmith never showed up, and it is now 12:30 p.m. I got no call saying that they would be late or that they couldn't or wouldn't come. I am sick and tired of businesses not serving the South Side with any professionalism whatsoever. If they had at least called before the time passed for the appointment I would have given them some credit for professionalism which ChiTown Locksmith (barely) had a little of.

I called Ashland locksmith and made an appointment for next Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. - we'll see if they show at all. What they said was troubling though - 'we only have one tech and we can't send him to the South Side today - we have to keep them here for business on the North Side. So North Side business is 'better'?

I'm considering cancelling them as well and going through the rest of the phone book until I find one business willing to come to the South Side and do business professionally and without comments like that.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for locksmiths (that come out and fix/change locks) on the South Side?

The recently published Urban Institute report on the impact of CHA relocatees on crime rates has stoked tension in communities between CHA and non-CHA residents.

The report is very nuanced. The topline summary provided by the media has served to only confirm the worst fears of middle class residents of communities with CHA relocatees.

While media attention has been focused on the impact of CHA relocatees on crime rates, some points must be made. First, crime rates dropped across Chicago in the 2000s. Second, the amount of the reduction in crime in communities with CHA relocatees is related to the concentration of CHA relocatees. Communities with low numbers of relocatees experienced a larger reduction in crime rates than communities with high numbers of CHA relocatees.

More importantly, the report demonstrates that communities that converted traditional public housing to mixed income transformation sites experienced significant reductions in crime rates. For many years the Fourth Ward has had traditional public housing projects such as Washington Park, Ida B. Wells, Madden, Darrow, and Lake Michigan Homes. The CHA transformation plan has converted traditional public housing into mixed income developments.

Mixed income housing disaggregates toxic concentrations of poverty, increases the median income of neighborhoods, grows population density, and spurs retail development.

Current and future mixed income housing developments in the Fourth Ward require drug testing for all residents, regardless of income, and prospective tenants submit to a rigorous selection process.

Finally, I have made it clear to CHA in public and private meetings that lease provisions must be enforced and that CHA residents who fail to comply with their leases must be evicted.

Today the Mayor's Ethics Task Force released its first report with recommendations on how to improve Chicago's ethics ordinance and the enforcement of the City's ethics policies.

The Task Force, attorneys, and consultants spent countless hours reviewing best practices from other cities and states and benchmarking Chicago's ordinance against those practices. Key leaders in this field including inspectors general, ethics commissions members, and reform advocates provided important insight on ethics policy.

I believe that this report strikes the right balance. The Task Force recognized that most employees and officials want to do the right thing. Here are some the highlights of the Task Force's first report. The report:

• calls on the Mayor's office and the Board of Ethics to revise its ethics guidance materials;
• recommends lowering the amount of gifts allowed from $100 to $50 for City employees and officials;
• urges pre-clearance by the executive director of the Board of Ethics for trips and educational missions taken by City employees and officials;
• offers cleanup language for conflicts of interest that make it simpler for employees and officials to understand;
• recommends disclosure of additional information on financial interest statements;
• encourages the City to incorporate the State's ban on prohibited political activities into the Ethics Ordinance.

The Task Force will continue to work on other issues related to the Ethics Ordinance and plans to introduce a second report in late July of this year.