Community Calendar

Emergency Heating Repair Program Every year, the City of Chicago offers a grant to homeowners through the Emergency Heating Repair Program. Eligible properties must be located in Chicago, habitable, owner-occupied, and not at risk of foreclosure. This is a one-time service program for single-family, one to four units, and owner-occupied properties located in the city of Chicago. Any owner-occupied property that has received this service in the past will be ineligible to receive service again. Households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI) are eligible to participate in the program. The total gross income of all owners and other household members shall be included and may not exceed this limit. The gross incomes of all adults, 18 and older, who reside in the property are included in determining income eligibility. If the owner sells, transfers title, or no longer occupies the unit within one year of the grant, the owner will be required to pay the balance of the loan from the time of transfer to the loan ending period date. Applicants can download the application package and view eligibility requirements on the Department of Housing’s website .

Public Way Use & Sidewalk Cafes PUBLIC WAY USE PERMITS Businesses that have a sign, canopy, awning, bench, or anything else that extends over, under, or is on the public way require a Public Way Use Permit . These permits are issued by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) – Public Way Use (PWU) Unit. The permit process does require City Council approval. Business identifiers including signs, awning, canopies, and banners are also required to obtain a Department of Buildings sign construction permit in addition to the public way use permit. Only a licensed sign contractor can apply for the sign construction permit. The city does provide a list of approved contractors from which business owners can choose for the sign construction permit. Learn More & Apply SIDEWALK CAFES Sidewalk cafes are another use of the public way that requires a public way use application. Dining in a sidewalk cafe is a great way to enjoy a delicious meal in warm weather. The sidewalk cafe season runs from March 1 to December 1. To take advantage of those occasional warm days in March, it would be beneficial to submit your application in January. A Sidewalk Cafe Permit has a 9-month term, and must be applied for, and issued, every year. Businesses with an approved Sidewalk Cafe Permit must conspicuously display the permit and the approved plan on the exterior window or wall of the main entrance of the licensed retail food establishment during all hours of operation., and approved plan, must be conspicuously displayed on the exterior wall or window of the main entrance of the licensed retail food establishment during all hours of operation. Learn More & Apply

Rogers Park Business Alliance Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA ) is a 501c3 non-profit organization established in 1993. RPBA works in the areas of business, community and economic development. We employ a professional staff and are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of local business owners, residents and other stakeholders. RPBA Program Offerings Their entrepreneurial training program, GROW provides visionary entrepreneurs with the resources and tools Sustainable Rogers Park provides local businesses information, tools and connections to implement sustainable business practices. Their Glenwood Sunday Market is an award-winning farmers market, located on Glenwood Avenue between Lunt Avenue and Morse Avenue. Live Love Shop Rogers Park is their annual holiday, shop local campaign. RPBA administers three Special Service Areas offering commercial corridor revitalization to Howard Street SSA #19 , Clark/Morse/Glenwood SSA #24 , Devon Avenue SSA #43 and Sheridan Road SSA #54 .

Business & Development Our office is dedicated to promoting new business and development in the 49th Ward. Please see click on one of the projects listed below for specific information pertaining to that business or development. If you have any questions, our staff can always be reached by emailing office@49thWard.org or calling (773) 338-5796 . Current Development Proposals Past Development Decisions Building Permits Liquor Moratorium Process Loading/Standing Zones Public Way Use & Sidewalk Cafes Rogers Park Business Alliance Zoning Changes

Shared Cost Sidewalk Program The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program offers an opportunity for owner/occupants to share the cost of replacing sidewalks with the City. This voluntary program allows residents to replace sidewalks at a much lower cost than if they were to hire a private contractor. The program covers the main walk, the courtesy walk, and existing catwalks/landing steps (the narrow strip of concrete adjacent to some curbs). Owner-occupants of corner houses will be charged for both the main (address) side and the sidewalk on the side of the house. CDOT will build ADA-compliant ramps where applicable, with the City paying the entire cost of the ramps. The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program is very popular and is handled on a first-come, first served basis when the program opens in January. The funds are limited and the program closes for the year once the funds are allocated. The Department of Transportation typically announces when the program will open in mid-December. Keep your eye on my weekly e-newsletter and this website for that announcement. Please note that if you applied for the program in previous years, you must apply again when it re-opens. Applications will only be accepted through the City’s 311 system or at the city’s Shared Cost Sidewalk website . Owner information and the property address must be provided at the time of the request. Further information on the program is available by clicking here .

Building Permits The City of Chicago does require building permits for most construction projects to ensure that our buildings are safe and comply with the Chicago Construction Code . The Department of Buildings has a robust website that can help a variety of users navigate the process of when to apply for a permit, how to apply for a permit, and estimate the costs of a permit. The Department of Buildings also has a concise Guide to Permits , which provides an overview of the permit processes for small and mid-size projects. GUIDE TO PERMITS

The Future of the Fields: Community Process The Fields Community Process: Next Steps & Recommendations On Tuesday, October 27, our office hosted the final meeting in the Fields Schools community process. During the meeting, we reviewed the process, which was launched in December 2019, to date. We also shared the results of the final visioning survey, which are available by clicking the button below. View the Results During the meeting, the 49th Ward office shared information from Chicago Public Schools that we received in August for school communities seeking to pursue a school action. In that meeting, we learned that CPS has created a robust process for recommending school actions. This process includes establishing a steering committee that is representative of the school community, including a student representative. The steering committee would be required to follow specific outreach and engagement procedures, including recording participants and attendance throughout. Based on the level of engagement throughout the community process, the requirements CPS has established for recommending school actions, and the history between the two schools, our office will be making the following recommendations to CPS: We will push again for CPS to reconsider the student-based budgeting model that is bad for our neighborhood schools; We will ask CPS to reconsider the SQRP rating model and address the concerns around equity as it pertains to this rating system; We will ask for additional support from CPS to create robust articulation between the two schools, including more opportunities for students at both schools to engage with each other and the administrations; We will advocate for additional resources for Eugene Field so they can more effectively market the school to neighborhood families, especially prospective parents who are just beginning to look into schools for their children; and We will continue to engage with the two schools with activities and actions to bring healing to the two communities. Our office launched this process in December 2019 in response to a grassroots effort from the Unite the Fields organization. Our office took on a community process to ensure transparency and accountability in our ward's decision-making process. What became clear throughout the process is that our community deeply cares for our students and wants to provide them with strong neighborhood schools. When seeking schools for their students, parents want continuity, stability, and cohesion. Our office will continue to work with our local school communities and CPS to advocate for the resources and services they need to be first-choice schools. We know that this topic is extremely personal to many, so thank you for engaging with our office around it. While we plan on making these recommendations to CPS at this juncture, it doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t support other proposals or community actions in the future. We would support the formation of a steering committee that can explore potential community actions that follow CPS’s requirements. Thank you again to everyone who participated in this process over the past year. The Fields Community Meeting October 27 Our office will host our final meeting for the Fields Schools Community Process on Tuesday, October 27, from 6-7:30 pm. People interested in attending the virtual meeting can pre-register at bit.ly/fieldszoom . During the final meeting, our office will share the results of the last survey we asked people to complete. We will also share some of the feedback we received during the last two meetings. Finally, we will share the recommendations and feedback that we will be presenting to CPS. The Fields Community Meeting September 29 Our office will host a meeting for the community process around the Fields schools on Tuesday, September 29, from 6-7:30 pm. To join the meeting, go to bit.ly/fieldszoom . During our meeting on September 23, we began the process of evaluating the proposals and ideas that have been submitted through the community process to date. September 29 will be a continuation of that work. You can view the notes from the September 23 meeting by clicking here . Participants will also have the opportunity on September 29 to submit any additional ideas that were not previously identified. We are still asking that stakeholders complete the Fields Schools Visioning Survey online (en español aquí ) to share their feedback and ideas. This will help inform any final recommendations made to CPS. The survey will close on Friday, October 9, at 5 pm. Our office will host a final meeting after the survey closes to share the results of the survey and community feedback with the Fields' communities. We will then present the information to Chicago Public Schools so we can make recommendations that will create strong and sustainable neighborhood schools in the 49th Ward. The Fields Community Meeting September 23 In December 2019, the 49th Ward office undertook a community process to help vision and brainstorm ideas for the Fields Schools (i.e., Eugene Field and New Field). During the process, we identified strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities that these schools face. With a slight pause in the spring due to the COVID-19 crisis, the process resumed in August with an adjusted timeline. During the process, stakeholders submitted ideas and proposals to help support these schools. During the next community meeting, we will review the ideas that were generated during the community process. Participants will also have the opportunity to submit any additional ideas that were not previously identified during the meeting. We will then present this information to Chicago Public Schools so we can make recommendations that will create strong and sustainable neighborhood schools in the 49th Ward. To join the virtual community meeting at 6 pm on September 23, go to bit.ly/fieldszoom . Those who are unable to attend the meeting on September 23 may still complete the Fields Schools Visioning Survey online (en español aquí ) to share their feedback. For an overview of the community process to date, please visit the 49th Ward website . The Fields Community Process Update On August 19, our office hosted a meeting to resume the community process around the Fields schools. During the meeting, Principal Dobbins shared some of the matriculation work Eugene Field is partnering with New Field on to have a seamless and cohesive transition for students entering the fifth grade. We also heard from the Fields communities and Rogers Park residents regarding some of their concerns they have around our neighborhood schools, including the student-based budgeting model and the decrease of school-aged children in the neighborhood. Our office is finalizing the date for the next community meeting, where folks will have the opportunity to bring recommendations for consideration. Please keep your eye on this space, where we will announce the next meeting date. Additionally, we will share a Google Form for folks who are unable to attend the meeting but would still like the opportunity to share an idea or recommendation. Finally, please note that the infographics we previously shared in our newsletter inadvertently had switched out the "strengths" section for the schools. A corrected version of those SWOT analyses is available below. The Fields Community Process Resumes August 19 The 49th Ward office is resuming the community process on the future of the Fields schools. In March, the community process was forced to take an abrupt hiatus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to thank community members who were engaged with us on this issue previously and who provided the necessary space for our office to respond to the emergency of the global pandemic. However, knowing that this community process continues to remain a priority for our parents, we are looking to pick it back up. As a reminder, during the last meeting, our office asked participants to complete SWOT analyses of both of the schools. The results of those analyses are below: Since having to halt the community process, our office has contacted Chicago Public Schools to discuss resuming it. During our meeting on August 19, we will discuss the revised timeline for the community process and review the engagement to date. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 19 at 6 pm via Zoom. Online preregistration is required at bit.ly/THEFIELDS . Complete a SWOT Analysis As we continue in the community process to vision solutions to support our Fields schools, we have asked residents to take a moment to complete a SWOT analysis for each school. This includes identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each school. These can be internal or external factors. Please make sure to complete a SWOT analysis for each school. These analyses will help continue the process of identifying and visioning solutions to create strong, first-choice neighborhood schools. Feedback Overview During the second community meeting, the 49th Ward office asked stakeholders to complete a feedback form (a digital version of this was also made available). Below you will find a breakdown of the responses we received on that feedback form and some common themes that we identified. Our office ran into some issues with getting these sent home in kids' take-home packets through CPS. We are currently working with them to find ways to increase the number of respondents to help inform this process. Attend the Community Meeting The 49th Ward will host its third community meeting to continue the discussion on New Field and Eugene Field. During the meeting, we will go over responses to the feedback form from the previous meeting. We will also begin brainstorming and visioning ideas during the third meeting based on the feedback we've received so far. The next meeting will take place on Monday, January 27, at 5:30 pm at Eugene Field Elementary, 7019 N. Ashland . As we continue in the community process, meetings will alternate between Eugene Field and New Field. Spanish translation and childcare services will be available during the meeting. Submit Your Feedback In December, the 49th Ward office hosted its second community meeting on the future of the Fields Schools. During the meeting, we outlined the process and goals we'd like to see from this community-driven dialogue. Beginning in January, we will ask stakeholders to vision and brainstorm ideas. This will help build the foundation to identify solutions to support these two schools and the challenges they face in February and March. Beginning in April, we will present the community with proposal presentations and an opportunity to complete a survey before submitting a final report to CPS. At the December meeting, we asked participants to complete a feedback form to begin to identify their relationship to the schools, the reasons they want to be a part of this community process, the challenges their school(s) face, and things they would like to change at their school(s). The feedback form has now closed, but we will be going over the responses during the January 27 meeting.

Youth Advisory Council The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is a group facilitated by Alderwoman Maria Hadden’s office to uplift young voices and develop youth leadership within the community. Led by youth, members have the opportunity to provide input and feedback on legislation as well as create programming that meaningfully impacts the community. Open to all youth ages 14-18 that live or go to school in the 49th Ward, members come together over Zoom once a week to check-in with each other, receive legislative updates, and develop community projects. Since launching in August 2020, the 49th Ward YAC has made the @youthofthe49th Instagram page, is currently running a food drive to benefit the United Church of Rogers Park, and is hosting 49 Expressions, the office’s first ever virtual art gallery. You can learn more about these projects below. If you or a local youth you know are interested in joining the 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council, please contact the office’s Coordinator of Constituent Services and Youth Engagement Grayson Alexander at grayson@49thward.org . 49 Expressions: A Virtual Art Gallery The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is hosting a virtual art gallery to highlight the best art the community has to offer and to bring the community closer through the mutual appreciation of the 49th Ward’s comfort and community through artistic expression. We’re looking for artists of all ages and skill levels to submit their work that highlights what we all love about our community. All forms of artistic expression, including visual art, music, and performances, are encouraged. All submissions should be PG-13. Submissions are open until March 29th. All submitted art can be seen here on the Ward website and featured in a video presentation, with Council favorites highlighted. If you or someone you know would be interested in submitting work, visit bit.ly/49Expressions21 . If you have any questions, please feel free to contact YAC Facilitator Grayson at grayson@49thward.org . Land Acknowledgement In March 2021, members of the 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council joined the Roman Susan Art Foundation to record narration for the Land Acknowledgment the Roman Susan Art Foundation created with the American Indian Center and Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society. The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is honored for the opportunity to lend their voices and to help recognize that our community is located on the traditional homelands of the Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac & Fox tribes. New Years Food Drive The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is currently running a food drive to benefit the United Church of Rogers Park’s weekly hot meal through the end of February. In a time where many of our neighbors are hungry, we hope to help our neighbors in need. Everyone is welcome to donate non-perishable goods to Devon Market and Rogers Park Fruit Market. Thank you to our partners at Cermak Market and Morse Market for giving direct donations from their inventory! @youthofthe49thward Instagram Created as a one stop shop for everything 49th Ward, the @youthofthe49thward Instagram features local artists, small businesses, student opportunities, and much more!

Information on how to donate to the new arrivals How to Help Our New Neighbors Thank you for your interest in helping our new neighbors feel at home in the great city of Chicago. We are not accepting donations of supplies at the 49th Ward Office at this time. Instead, if you are interested in providing support, please do so via the following methods: Monetary donations : Instituto del Progreso Latino is accepting monetary donations which will go towards basic necessities for individuals in need, including food, clothing, and toiletries. Donate at this link. Instituto del Progreso Latino has also set up an Amazon Wishlist in partnership with the City of Chicago, which is regularly updated to meet the needs of new arrivals. (Wishlist link) Cradles to Crayons Chicago also has an Amazon Wishlist, through which they provide clothing and diapers. ( Wishlist link) Furniture donations: Chicago Furniture Bank is collecting furniture. You can: Schedule a pickup by filling out this form. Drop off furniture at 4801 S Whipple St, Chicago IL, 60632. Drop-offs are open Monday through Friday, 9am - 4pm. For more information visit https://www.chicagofurniturebank.org/ . Other supply donations: Cradles to Crayons Chicago is requesting gently used clothing, shoes, winter coats, socks, underwear, and pajamas. Find a drop-off location near you. New, unopened supplies such as diapers and baby clothing can also be donated through Instituto del Progreso Latino (at 2520 S. Western Ave) or the Pilsen Food Pantry (1850 S. Throop St.) , which is also requesting hygiene supplies such as sanitizers and medical kits. Local supply donations: Please call ahead of time to find out current needs! Family Empowerment Center : 1533 W. Devon, 773-262-0760 A Just Harvest: 7649 N. Paulina, 773-262-2297 Care for Real: 5339 N. Sheridan, 773-769-6182 Current donation drives: Click on the links for more information on what items are being collected, and where to drop off donations . One Warm Coat has an interactive map of all places accepting winter clothing in the country. Locations in our ward include CMSA and Housing Opportunities for Women. To look for aid options in the Edgewater/Uptown communities, please access the 48th Ward's migrant relief document here . To provide additional information and update this webpage, please email clarissa@49thward.org . Last updated: March 13th, 2024

Zoning Change Requests One of the biggest concerns individuals have vocalized in the 49th Ward is a lack of a coherent plan for the development in the 49th Ward. Currently, development seems to be something that is just allowed to happen to us and community input, when allowed for, is often at the end of a decision-making process. Alderwoman Hadden wants to work with community residents to ensure that we truly have a transparent, community-driven zoning process. Additionally, she wants the community to collaborate with local builders and developers to determine what we want to see in the ward in the next 5, 10, and 15 years. Community driven zoning has worked in other wards and will work here as well. Zoning Change Process Zoning Change Packet

Liquor Moratorium Process The 49th Ward has several existing liquor moratorium zones. On streets with existing liquor moratoriums, liquor licenses cannot be requested, sold, or transferred except under limited circumstances (e.g., inheritance of the business by a family member). The moratoriums, in essence, prevent the opening of new liquor-licensed businesses and most transfers or changes of ownership and/or plans of operation for existing liquor-licensed businesses within the moratorium zone. Lifting of a moratorium zone requires legislative action. Businesses may request a moratorium amendment, either for the sale of an existing business to request a liquor license at a new business, by filling out this form . Lifting of a moratorium does not guarantee the issuance of a liquor license. If a moratorium is lifted or amended, businesses must still apply for a liquor license and go through the city's public notification and comment process. The 49th Ward Office will flyer the specific areas within the moratorium boundary to ensure that those that live and work within the boundary are notified. Businesses and residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the Alderwoman's office on any request to lift the liquor moratorium. Alderwoman Hadden will review feedback within two weeks from the initial public notice date. From there, she will make a decision on the request, which may include further community engagement in some cases. Request Form Feedback Form