Enjoy the sunshine and warm weather today. Before you get out to take a walk in your local park, read on for the latest local headlines from WTTW News.
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LaSalle Street in Chicago. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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On Wednesday, the City Council’s Finance Committee unanimously endorsed a $64.2 million plan from R2 Co. and the Campari Group to transform the 14-story office building at 79 W. Monroe St. into an apartment building with 117 units, including 41 units set aside for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans.
It's the first of four proposals to use millions of dollars in taxpayer money to breathe new life into Chicago’s Financial District by transforming it into the city’s newest residential neighborhood. The plan relies on $28 million in city subsidies and the full City Council is set to consider the proposal Oct. 9.
Here's more about the plan:
The redevelopment site is the former Bell Federal Savings & Loan Building, which was built in 1906 and perhaps best known for its weather prediction clock.
Mayor Brandon Johnson embraced the effort launched by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot that would build approximately 1,000 apartments in what is now mostly empty office space, including 300 units set aside for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans as part of an effort to reduce segregation in Chicago and chip away at an affordable home shortage.
City officials said their goal was to transform the Financial District into an area that is vital 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The other proposals set for consideration are:
- 111 W. Monroe St., where Prime/Capri Interests, LLC wants to spend $203 million to build 345 apartments, including 105 affordable units, as part of a development that would include a 228-room hotel. The project has requested a $40 million subsidy.
- 208 S. LaSalle St., where the Prime Group wants to spend $123 million to build 226 apartments, including 84 affordable units, sandwiched between two hotels. The project has requested a $26.2 million subsidy.
- 30 N. LaSalle St., where Golub & Co. wants to spend $130 million to create 349 units, with 105 affordable. The original proposal included ground-floor retail, as well as green space and seating on streets bordering the property. The project has requested a $57 million subsidy.
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Campaign-style mailers were sent to Chicagoans this week. (WTTW News)
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A flood of campaign-style mailers swept Chicago this week, praising some City Council members for “standing with workers and Chicago residents” while slamming others for putting “special interests before our community.” The effort has to do with the battle over whether to functionally ban the use of natural gas to power most new Chicago homes and businesses.
While the mailers did not identify who paid for them, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 confirmed to WTTW News they helped bankroll the campaign to stop a proposal called the Clean and Affordable Buildings ordinance. Supporters contend that it is “the first step in a managed, planned process to move away from dirty, expensive gas and embrace a cheaper, cleaner energy future for all Chicagoans” as part of a larger fight against climate change.
Here's more about the mailers:
Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward), the proposal’s lead sponsor, said the mailers contained misinformation and were “deeply irresponsible.”
The unsigned mailers do not violate Illinois law, according to a spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections.
What’s the backstory of the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance?
It would require all-electric heat and appliances to be installed in new construction. It does not apply to existing homes and businesses.
The change is designed to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in newly built structures, reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change. Nearly 70% of total citywide greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings in Chicago.
Representatives of People’s Gas oppose the measure, contending that it will increase utility costs and reduce reliability, especially during cold weather.
A 2022 analysis paid for by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that Chicagoans could save between $11,000 to $24,000 over 20 years by replacing natural gas appliances with all-electric stoves and furnaces.
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Director of MedGlobal Gaza Operations Rajaa Musleh speaks during a press conference on Oct. 2, 2024. (WTTW News)
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Chicago-based health care workers who provided humanitarian aid in Gaza gathered yesterday to raise awareness of the ongoing suffering and deaths of Palestinian civilians amid Israel’s war in the region against Hamas and Hezbollah, which has now escalated into Lebanon.
The CAIR-Chicago-organized conference comes nearly a year since the Hamas-led attack in Israel on Oct. 7 that killed around 1,200 people and led to the kidnapping of around 250 others. Since Oct. 7, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza after Israel launched its war against Hamas, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Here’s what was said:
“I hope that there is the political will that is necessary to establish a cease-fire. That the Gazan people, the people of Palestine are able to have the dignity to be able to move on with their lives and start the very necessary rebuild.” — Dr. Thaer Ahmad, who spent three weeks working at a hospital in Gaza earlier this year
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Back in the Day: October 3, 1984 - The ISU Beer Riot
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When the Beastie Boys released their single “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” in 1986, they weren’t thinking about Illinois State University. But two years prior to the debut of that rap-rock classic, students in Normal took that sentiment to the extreme. On this day 40 years ago, what started as a small protest to combat city laws restricting giant parties and drinking ballooned into the “ISU Beer Riot.” In 1984, the Illinois General Assembly increased the legal drinking age for beer from 19 to 21. That summer, the Normal City Council voted to enact new ordinances restricting mass gatherings and the sale of beer kegs. Still, during the fall semester
students partied and alcohol-related arrests spiked 300% in Normal. Eventually, an anonymous leaflet circulated around campus, calling for frustrated students to meet on the Quad on Oct. 3, 1984. According to the ISU website, “Hundreds of students marched from campus to Downtown Normal, throwing rocks, slashing tires, and facing off with a growing police force that used tear gas and riot gear to push back.” Five were arrested and many more faced disciplinary action. The massive parties eventually settled on campus and the drinking age is still 21.
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On the Artbeat with Marc Vitali
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The Chicago Sukkah Design Festival (Provided)
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This week the MacArthur Foundation named two Chicago artists with international roots among the winners of the “genius grant” fellowship. Fiction writer Ling Ma and multimedia artist Ebony G. Patterson were chosen, and they were born in China and Jamaica respectively. In honor of these artists, here are six cultural picks that celebrate the diversity of art – and people – in Chicago.
Destinos – The 7th Chicago International Theater Festival launches this week, offering 22 wildly different shows from around the world and Chicago’s own Latino theater companies. Performed on stages across town through Nov. 17, the shows include “El Brote” a psychological drama from Argentina and “Desvenar” an exploration of the significance of the chile in Mexican culture.
The Lira Ensemble – Part of Chicago since 1965, the Lira Ensemble ring in Polish Heritage Month with a performance of patriotic and folk music. Singers and dancers wear colorful costumes from the different regions of Poland. The concert will be narrated in English and includes a performance of music by Frederic Chopin. Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg.
Indigenous Chicago – A new exhibition at the Newberry Library reflects the dynamic aspects of Native life in Chicago from the 17th century to the present. Works from the Newberry collection are joined by contemporary art, exploring how the place we call Chicago has long been a crossroads for Indigenous people. Curated with advisors from the Chicago Native community.
Mandala – This South Asian Performing Arts group will perform traditional dances from India on the streets of Chicago among streetlamps, benches and pedestrian walkways. The performance is called “Dancing with Architecture” and takes place on the corner of Western and Devon Avenues, merging the artists’ heritage with their current home. Saturday morning at 11am.
Sukkah Design Festival – An unusual festival pairs community groups in Lawndale with architectural designers to design and build sukkahs – small outdoor pavilions built for the Jewish holiday Sukkot. It’s an exercise in collaboration, social justice and design literacy co-organized with the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot. Part of Art Design Chicago, an initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art.
“The Great Wave” – The Art Institute has returned its three prints of the Japanese masterwork “The Great Wave” to its galleries. The images were created nearly 200 years ago by Katsushika Hokusai. Because they are works on paper, they’re only on view for three to four months every five years – so catch this iconic wave while you can and discover why it has inspired so many tributes and parodies.
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How are you feeling about the first four weeks of the Chicago Bears' season? Tell us why
you're optimistic or ready to give up
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Early voting is kicking off in Chicago this week. We have a rundown of what to know.
We explore the retro, weird and cool items at an antique shop in Pilsen.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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