Daycare/Preschool To Be Built On Site of Truc Lam Buddhist Temple

The Gardner School proposal for Truc Lam site, north elevation. (NORR)

Note that the meeting location has been changed for tonight at 6:30PM to My Buddy's, 4416 N. Clark.

See the entire presentation with renderings for tonight HERE.

The order of Buddhist monks who owned the Truc Lam Temple at Wilson and Ashland has completed a sale of the property.

A previous sale that was contingent on a zoning change fell through when the zoning change was denied. It would have put a 12-unit courtyard-style brick residential building on the lot, consisting of two- and three-bedroom condos.

Now the property has been sold and the building will be demolished this spring. No zoning change is required.

The new owners of the property will build a preschool/daycare building on the site, consisting of a two-story 14-classroom facility. The new owners will ask Ald. Pawar for an expansion of a loading zone on Wilson for pickup and dropoff of students.

There will be a community meeting about the new school on Thursday, February 28th, 6:30pm-7:30pm, at My Buddy's, 4416 N Clark

What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

Exactly 38 years ago, the Grateful Dead were playing the Uptown Theatre. They opened their nearly year-long schedule of concerts at the Uptown with a three-night set on February 26, 27, and 28, 1981.

Poster courtesy of the Psychedelic Art Exchange

Tickets cost $10 ($11 for the good seats). The concerts were sponsored by JAM Productions and Budweiser.

You can hear what the concert sounded like here.

What no one foresaw was that 1981 would be the last year of the Uptown's life as a live music venue. A December 19, 1981 show by the J. Geils Band was its swan song.

After lying dormant since 1981, the theater was in the news last summer, when it was announced that the once-magnificent building would be restored. (We still can't believe it's happening!)

Work is scheduled to begin in August, and the Uptown should be open for business -- again -- in early 2021, just about forty years after the Dead played their three-night stand.

We can't wait. CanNOT wait!

Seeking 1960s/1970s Class Photos From McCutcheon and Stockton Schools

A reader writes:

"I'm searching for old yearbooks or class photos from the 1960s/1970s for two Uptown elementary schools - McCutcheon and Stockton.

Not sure if you might know someone who may have access to these, or know where they might be archived. I've checked with the CPS school board and the individual schools, but they don't have them."

Can any of your long-timers help him out? You can write us at uptownupdate@hotmail.com or use the comments below.

The Results Are In!

With the local results mostly in (scroll down in this post), and the mail-in votes still to be counted, it shakes down like this:

• 46th Ward is headed to a runoff, with incumbent James Cappleman getting approximately 44% of the vote and Marianne Lalonde getting approximately 18%
• 47th Ward will be heading to a runoff, with Matt Martin getting approximately 39% and Michael A. Negron getting 21%
• 48th Ward was a runaway victory for Harry Osterman, who got approximately 84% of the vote
• Ameya Pawar, the outgoing alderman of the 47th Ward, will go into a runoff with Melissa Conyears-Ervin for City Treasurer. She got 44% of the vote, he got 42%.
• And, of course, there will be runoff in the mayoral race, with Preckwinkle versus Lightfoot.

There are a couple precincts yet to report in each ward, plus there are the mail-in votes to be counted:  1004 in the 47th Ward, 741 in the 46th Ward, and 553 in the 48th Ward.

So the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago will have a few days, maybe even a few weeks, before they certify the final totals.

Onward to April 2nd....

Keep An Eye On The Returns

It's 7pm and the polls are closed! So how do we know how the voting went?

Well, you could stand at Racine and Broadway and stare at First Ascent / Huntington Bank, in hopes of seeing the returns projected on a screen on the building, as Uptowners did 99 years ago for the 1920 presidential election.

Or, you could call up the websites for the Tribune and Sun-Times, or the Chicago Board of Elections. CLTV is running live election coverage.

We'll be here updating returns for a couple hours. Keep checking back and hitting refresh.

NOTE: There were a very large number of mail-in votes this election, so if a race is close, it can change as the Board of Elections counts the mailed ballots manually. It may be a couple of days before we know for sure.

UPDATE: 7:14pm -- nothing yet. CBoE website is very slow to respond. Half the city is probably clicking on it.

UPDATE: 7:31pm

46th Ward:

3 out of 40 precincts (7.50 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE 231 22.87 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS 209 20.69 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER 35 3.47 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN 359 35.54 %
ANGELA CLAY 152 15.05 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL 24 2.38 %

47th Ward: 

2 out of 48 precincts

EILEEN DORDEK 96 12.06 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY 18 2.26 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES 35 4.40 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON 208 26.13 %
MATT MARTIN 289 36.31 %
GUS KATSAFAROS 19 2.39 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS 23 2.89 %
KIMBALL LADIEN 1 0.13 %
JEFF JENKINS 107 13.44 %

48th Ward:

8 out of 46 precincts (17.39 %)

HARRY OSTERMAN 2,130 85.47 %
DAVID EARL WILLIAMS III 362 14.53 %

UPDATE: 7:35pm:

47th Ward:

18 out of 48 precincts (37.50 %)

EILEEN DORDEK 1,226 17.90 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY 290 4.23 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES 293 4.28 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON 1,437 20.98 %
MATT MARTIN 2,737 39.96 %
GUS KATSAFAROS 123 1.80 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS 141 2.06 %
KIMBALL LADIEN 22 0.32 %
JEFF JENKINS 580 8.47 %

UPDATE: 7:40pm:

Alderman 46th Ward

18 out of 40 precincts (45.00 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE 1,040 18.01 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS 1,046 18.12 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER 203 3.52 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN 2,406 41.68 %
ANGELA CLAY 980 16.98 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL 98 1.70 %

UPDATE: 7:42pm:

Alderman 48th Ward
27 out of 46 precincts (58.70 %)

HARRY OSTERMAN 7,256 84.18 %
DAVID EARL WILLIAMS III 1,364 15.82 %

UPDATE: 7:45pm:

Alderman 48th Ward
27 out of 46 precincts (58.70 %)

HARRY OSTERMAN 7,256 84.18 %
DAVID EARL WILLIAMS III 1,364 15.82 %

UPDATE: 7:53pm:

Alderman 47th Ward

24 out of 48 precincts (50.00 %)

EILEEN DORDEK 1,640 17.67 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY 427 4.60 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES 410 4.42 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON 1,924 20.73 %
MATT MARTIN 3,841 41.39 %
GUS KATSAFAROS 149 1.61 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS 166 1.79 %
KIMBALL LADIEN 28 0.30 %
JEFF JENKINS 694 7.48 %

Alderman 46th Ward
24 out of 40 precincts (60.00 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE 1,470 18.82 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS 1,352 17.31 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER 285 3.65 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN 3,276 41.94 %
ANGELA CLAY 1,306 16.72 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL 123 1.57 %

UPDATE: 7:57pm

Alderman 47th Ward
32 out of 48 precincts (66.67 %)

EILEEN DORDEK 2,217 18.01 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY 556 4.52 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES 555 4.51 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON 2,551 20.72 %
MATT MARTIN 4,942 40.14 %
GUS KATSAFAROS 209 1.70 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS 247 2.01 %
KIMBALL LADIEN 38 0.31 %
JEFF JENKINS 998 8.11 %

UPDATE: 7:59pm

Alderman 48th Ward
35 out of 46 precincts (76.09 %)

HARRY OSTERMAN 9,294 83.74 %
DAVID EARL WILLIAMS III 1,805 16.26 %

UPDATE: 8:07pm 

Alderman 46th Ward
25 out of 40 precincts (62.50 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE          1,534          18.81 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS         1,418          17.39 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER          311          3.81 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN          3,428          42.03 %
ANGELA CLAY          1,335          16.37 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL          130          1.59 %

UPDATE: 8:10pm 

Alderman 47th Ward
38 out of 48 precincts (79.17 %)

EILEEN DORDEK          2,579          17.71 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY          672          4.61 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES          716          4.92 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON          3,016          20.71 %
MATT MARTIN          5,881          40.38 %
GUS KATSAFAROS          246          1.69 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS          289          1.98 %
KIMBALL LADIEN          45          0.31 %
JEFF JENKINS          1,121          7.70 %

UPDATE: 8:14pm 

Alderman 48th Ward
41 out of 46 precincts (89.13 %)

HARRY OSTERMAN          10,801 83.90 %
DAVID EARL WILLIAMS III 2,072 16.10 %

UPDATE: 8:33pm 

Alderman 46th Ward
27 out of 40 precincts (67.50 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE          1,698          18.94 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS          1,540          17.18 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER          344          3.84 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN          3,843          42.86 %
ANGELA CLAY          1,393          15.54 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL          148          1.65 %

Alderman 47th Ward

39 out of 48 precincts (81.25 %)

EILEEN DORDEK	2,643	17.71 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY	697	4.67 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES	738	4.95 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON	3,089	20.70 %
MATT MARTIN	6,033	40.43 %
GUS KATSAFAROS	254	1.70 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS	294	1.97 %
KIMBALL LADIEN	45	0.30 %
JEFF JENKINS	1,130	7.57 %

UPDATE: 8:40pm:

Alderman 48th Ward

43 out of 46 precincts (93.48 %)

HARRY OSTERMAN	11,158	83.85 %
DAVID EARL WILLIAMS III	2,149	16.15 %

UPDATE: 8:43pm

Alderman 46th Ward 30 out of 40 precincts (75.00 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE	1,839	18.50 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS	1,685	16.95 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER	408	4.11 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN	4,276	43.02 %
ANGELA CLAY	1,575	15.85 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL	156	1.57 %

UPDATE: 8:59pm

Alderman 47th Ward

41 out of 48 precincts (85.42 %)

EILEEN DORDEK	2,745	17.64 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY	712	4.57 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES	791	5.08 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON	3,244	20.84 %
MATT MARTIN	6,271	40.29 %
GUS KATSAFAROS	267	1.72 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS	315	2.02 %
KIMBALL LADIEN	48	0.31 %
JEFF JENKINS	1,172	7.53 %

UPDATE: 9:10pm

Alderman 46th Ward

31 out of 40 precincts (77.50 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE	1,896	18.72 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS	1,711	16.89 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER	417	4.12 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN	4,352	42.97 %
ANGELA CLAY	1,596	15.76 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL	157	1.55 %

UPDATE: 9:25pm

Alderman 46th Ward

33 out of 40 precincts (82.50 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE	1,987	18.45 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS	1,800	16.72 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER	436	4.05 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN	4,629	42.99 %
ANGELA CLAY	1,755	16.30 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL	160	1.49 %

Alderman 47th Ward

44 out of 48 precincts (91.67 %)

EILEEN DORDEK	2,937	17.55 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY	763	4.56 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES	849	5.07 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON	3,505	20.95 %
MATT MARTIN	6,654	39.77 %
GUS KATSAFAROS	306	1.83 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS	334	2.00 %
KIMBALL LADIEN	64	0.38 %
JEFF JENKINS	1,319	7.88 %

UPDATE: 9:40pm

Alderman 48th Ward

44 out of 46 precincts (95.65 %)

HARRY OSTERMAN	11,420	83.79 %
DAVID EARL WILLIAMS III	2,210	16.21 %

UPDATE: 9:58pm

Alderman 46th Ward

36 out of 40 precincts (90.00 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE	2,183	18.38 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS	1,955	16.46 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER	455	3.83 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN	5,191	43.71 %
ANGELA CLAY	1,911	16.09 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL	181	1.52 %

Alderman 47th Ward

46 out of 48 precincts (95.83 %)

EILEEN DORDEK	3,062	17.49 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY	790	4.51 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES	876	5.00 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON	3,721	21.25 %
MATT MARTIN	6,869	39.22 %
GUS KATSAFAROS	316	1.80 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS	340	1.94 %
KIMBALL LADIEN	67	0.38 %
JEFF JENKINS	1,471	8.40 %

**FINAL** UPDATE of the evening: 10:28pm

Alderman 46th Ward

38 out of 40 precincts (95.00 %)

MARIANNE LALONDE	2,243	17.98 %
ERIKA WOZNIAK FRANCIS	2,087	16.73 %
JUSTIN KREINDLER	493	3.95 %
JAMES CAPPLEMAN	5,506	44.13 %
ANGELA CLAY	1,947	15.61 %
JON-ROBERT MCDOWELL	200	1.60 %

Alderman 47th Ward

47 out of 48 precincts (97.92 %)

EILEEN DORDEK	3,128	17.49 %
ANGELA ''ANGIE'' MALONEY	827	4.62 %
HEATHER WAY KITZES	882	4.93 %
MICHAEL A. NEGRON	3,771	21.08 %
MATT MARTIN	7,049	39.41 %
GUS KATSAFAROS	324	1.81 %
THOMAS M. SCHWARTZERS	345	1.93 %
KIMBALL LADIEN	68	0.38 %
JEFF JENKINS	1,494	8.35 %

Alderman 48th Ward

45 out of 46 precincts (97.83 %)

HARRY OSTERMAN	11,607	83.87 %
DAVID EARL WILLIAMS III	2,233	16.13 %

"Chicago Med" Filming In Uptown With Parking Restrictions

Andersonville Restaurant Week Is In Full Swing

The Third Annual Andersonville Restaurant Week is going on through Sunday, March 3rd! There are plenty of opportunities to dine on both the Edgewater and Uptown sides of Andersonville with discounted menu specials and prix fixe offers.  Below are the participating Uptown restaurants; the entire list is here.

Bon appétit!

Bar Roma | 5101 N Clark
$30: Four-course prix fixe dinner
View Menu

Dollop Diner | 5060 N Clark
$10:  All-day Breakfast sandwich + latte or a mimosa
$20: Dinner entree (steak frites or seared salmon, kale and carrot farrotto with lemon creme fraiche) + glass of wine or beer

Hopleaf Bar | 5148 N Clark
$22: Housemade Sausage Platter served with a glass of Metropolitan Generator Dopplebock
$30: Pan-Seared Sea Trout served with a glass of Quarter Gruner Veltliner

Hutch American Kitchen + Bar | 1477 W Winnemac
$20: Three-course Brunch Prix Fixe – View Menu
$30: Three-course Dinner Prix Fixe – View Menu

Konak Pizza & Grill | 5150 N Clark
$10: Chicken Chops with Bulghur Rice

Last Day To Vote Early

Monday is the last day to vote early.

Poll hours are 9am to 5pm, with Welles Park (2333 West Sunnyside) as one of seven locations open citywide until 7pm.

Tuesday, Election Day, the polls are open 6am until 7pm. You will have to vote at your assigned polling place on Tuesday.

All info is here about early voting.

Good luck! Get out there and help decide the future of our city!

DUI Strike Force To Be In 19th District Saturday Night

It's obviously never a good idea to drive under the influence, but Saturday is a particularly bad choice to do it, because the CPD's DUI Strike Force will be out in the 19th District (Fullerton to Lawrence, the lake to the river).

The saturation begins at 7pm Saturday, February 23rd, and ends at 3am Sunday, February 24th.

The press release says, "The purpose of this program is to saturate a pre-designated area with roving police officers that continually monitor vehicular traffic for signs of impaired driving. Patrols also place emphasis on speed, alcohol-related and safety belt violations. Police vehicles equipped for speed detection are deployed to apprehend speeding violators.

In addition, the Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT) Mobile Unit may also be deployed to allow officers to expedite the process of charging a person with Driving under the Influence (DUI) prior to transporting an alleged into the nearest lockup for bonding. The mobile unit also allows for Individual Recognizance Bonds (I-Bonds) to be issued at the site of the DUI Strike Force Patrol."

A couple of weeks ago, the Strike Force was out in the Jefferson Park District, and wrote 111 citations and towed four vehicles. That included three DUIs. Others violations were issued for seatbelt use, lack of insurance, unsafe vehicles, and drivers license violations.

Early Voting Hours Through Monday

Have you voted in the Chicago municipal election yet? What are you waiting for?!

Voting hours are Friday (9am-7pm), Saturday (9am-5pm), Sunday (10am-4pm), and Monday (9am-5pm - with Welles Park open until 7pm).  Make your plans!

You can vote at any polling place in the city right up through Monday. That's Truman College, the downtown Super Site (175 West Washington), the Edgewater Library, the Merlo Library, and many other sites throughout the city.

Not registered? Not a problem. You can register and vote at the same time.

On Tuesday, Election Day, polls are open 6am to 7pm, and you must vote at your assigned polling place.

All the info you need about early voting is here.

Get Your Tweet On

Police Seeking Other Victims of Buddhist Monk Accused of Child Sexual Assault in 2001-02

A cold case involving the sexual assault of minors is heating up, and the police are looking for more information from the public.

In the period between 2000 and 2002, two children were allegedly sexually abused in a classroom at the Wat Phrasriratanamahatatu Chicago Buddhist Temple, at 4735 N Magnolia (one block directly west of the Pancake House).

Police say the abuser is Sripai Biadnok, a Buddhist monk who taught Thai language and culture at the school. The minor victims took classes at the school at the time of the alleged assaults.

According to CWBChicago, Biadnok was arrested recently in Las Vegas and has been extradited to Chicago to face charges. He is being charged with Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse.

The police are looking for information and other possible victims. At the time of the alleged Uptown assaults, Mr. Biadnok was in his early 30s, had a slim build, a height of 5' to 5'2", with black hair (shaved), and brown eyes.  He wore the traditional orange robes of a Buddhist monk.

The alert released by the police says, "If you have any information/questions about this incident or any other incident involving the subject of this alert, call the Special Investigations Unit at (312) 492-3810."

The Baton Show Lounge Sets Uptown Opening Day

According to its Facebook page, the last show at the legendary Baton Lounge's original Clark Street location will take place on February 24th.

On March 1st, the Uptown chapter begins.

Meet Your Montrose Beach Neighbor

Thank you to reader Bill Biederman for his photos of a beautiful wild coyote, taken near The Dock restaurant at Montrose Harbor on Friday afternoon.

Coyotes are everywhere in Chicago, with at least 500 tagged and tracked within the city limits. Despite this large population, however, according to the Urban Coyote Research Project, "There has not been a single coyote bite or attack reported on humans in northeastern Illinois."

Unless a coyote is aggressive or fearless, the best advice is to leave them alone. Don't approach them, or leave food out, or let pets run free. See "How To Avoid Conflicts With Coyotes" for more information.

Given the proximity of this guy to the Montrose Dog Beach, we'd recommend taking your pups to to Puptown instead for a few days.

Development News In The 48th Ward

From Ald. Osterman's latest weekly newsletter:

"If you traveled along Broadway near Argyle this week, you may have noticed a giant crane dropping the HVAC system at 5050 N. Broadway.  This building is the first phase in what will ultimately be a 700-unit residential development by Cedar St., and will include 15% affordable units on site.  This project will bring new residents to our community who will enjoy and support the vibrant Argyle business district, and will enjoy TimeLine Theatre, who is moving their headquarters to 5033-35 N. Broadway, across the street.

Cedar St. is putting the finishing touches on another nearby residential project at the former Agudas Achim Synaogue at 5029 N. Kenmore. This project includes 40 residential units, with 10% affordable units on site. The project is a renovation of a beautiful building in our community.  There will be a grand opening celebration for the community in the coming weeks,  I will share more information as it is available."

My Chocolate Soul Packing Up For A Move To Gotham; Wish Them Luck At A Saturday Open House

The owner of My Chocolate Soul, Ramona Thomas, is moving to New York and taking her wonderful concoctions with her. We wish her much luck and success, but it is certainly a loss for Uptown and our sweet tooth!

On its Facebook page, there is a notice: "We're closing our retail store in Chicago and moving to NYC. Our last day is Friday 2/15. Join us for a thank you open house Sat 2/16, 12-4 pm. We love you Chicago--thank you for everything!!!"

Best of luck to Ramona and her future endeavors. Thank you for bringing sweetness (both in your personality and in your creations) to Uptown.

My Chocolate Soul is located at 4442 North Broadway.

Research The Candidates, and GO VOTE!

The Sun-Times distributed candidate questionnaires to all who are running in the upcoming city elections. The paper has published the candidates' responses, and voters who are still making up their minds can read them here.

Below are the links for the replies of aldermanic candidates in the three wards encompassing Uptown. Early voting is open now; the election is on Tuesday, February 26th. Vote, y'all!

46th Ward:

• James Cappleman
• Angela Clay
• Erika Wozniak Francis
• Justin Kreindler
• Marianne Lalonde
• Jon-Robert McDowell

47th Ward:

• Eileen Dordek
• Jeff Jenkins
• Gus Katsafaros
• Heather Way Kitzes
• Kimball Ladien
• Angela "Angie" Maloney
• Matt Martin
• Michael A. Negron
• Thomas M. Schwartzers

48th Ward:

• Harry Osterman
• David Earl Williams, III

Incumbent 47th Ward alderman Ameya Pawar is running against two other candidates for City Treasurer, as well:

• Peter Gariepy
• Ameya Pawar
• Melissa Conyears-Ervin

The Latest On The Clarendon Park Fieldhouse; Comments Invited

From Ald. Cappleman's newsletter today:

"CLARENDON PARK COMMUNITY CENTER PLANS--SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS.

The Chicago Park District held a community meeting on Feb. 4 to unveil four options for the Clarendon Park Community Center, 4501 N. Clarendon.

Two of the options were for renovations to the existing building and two were for new construction. One of the new construction options would allow the existing community center to remain open during construction of a new community center on an adjacent site, which means indoor park programming would not be interrupted or temporarily relocated.

• Click here to view the presentation from the meeting, 
• click here to view the options and 
• click here to submit your comments. 
• Click here to watch a video of the entire Feb. 4 meeting, including the presentation and Q&A."

Photo courtesy of Chicago Park District.

See The CPD's Latest Technology At An Open House At The 19th District

According to CBS, "In addition to the ShotSpotter technology, [Strategic Decision Support Centers] allow officers to monitor a network of surveillance cameras, license plate recognition software, the location of police units, and incoming calls for service. The screens inside each center are updated every 30 seconds, and the rooms are staffed 24 hours a day.

Investigators also work with the University of Chicago Crime Lab at each nerve center to analyze crime data and develop predictive crime-fighting strategies.

Police have said the tools are directly responsible for reductions in murders, shootings, carjackings, burglaries, robberies, and more."

Early Voting For City Election Is Open Now

Early voting for city elections has come to the neighborhoods! From now through Monday, February 25th, you can vote at any early voting polling place in the city. 

We're hearing it takes just a couple minutes to vote: the only offices on the ballot are Mayor, City Clerk, City Treasurer, and Alderman.

The list of all polling places is here. The ones closest to Uptown are

• Truman College (1145 West Wilson)
• Welles Park (2333 West Sunnyside)
• Edgewater Branch Library (6000 North Broadway)
• Merlo Branch Library (644 West Belmont). 

For downtown workers, you can vote at the Loop Super Site (175 West Washington) or the Museum of Broadcast Communications (360 North State).

Early voting hours are:

• Monday, February 11 - Saturday, February 16: 9am-5pm
• Sunday, February 17: 10am-4pm
• Monday, February 18 - Friday, February 22: 9am-7pm 
• Saturday, February 23: 9am-5pm
• Sunday, February 24: 10am-4pm
• Monday, February 25: 9am-5pm (seven sites, including Welles Park, will be open until 7pm)

But wait, there's more!

If you want to vote by mail, your request must be received by February 21st. Instructions are here.

If you aren't registered to vote, you can register and vote at the same time. Be sure to bring two forms of ID, one of which must show your current address.

If you want to go old school and vote on Election Day (Tuesday, February 26th), you must vote in your precinct. Polls will be open from 6am until 7pm. You can make sure you're registered here, and check your polling place too.

Sheridan Park SRO To Undergo $8.7M Renovation

4707 N Malden, The Miriam (Google)

A 66 unit SRO (Single Room Occupancy) is set to undergo an $8.7M renovation at 4707 N. Malden.

Mercy Housing operates the building known as "The Miriam" and serves women in the area needing supportive services.

Mercy has operated out of the building since 1991.

The construction permit lists the work to be completed for the $8.7M pricetag:

"Renovation of existing 66 SRO units as per plans. Renovation includes new mechanical system, revisions to fire sprinklers configuration, new elevator, new 1st floor layout with amenity spaces, insulation of exterior walls, new roof, new windows, kitchen and bathroom updates and other cosmetic updates."

Turning Back Time On Broadway

The way most Uptowners remember the building at 4647 N. Broadway

4647 N. Broadway after an extensive renovation and nearing completion

We've been following the progress on the rehab of a building that had certainly seen better days. But now, the future looks even brighter for 4647 N. Broadway, a building that was most recently home to the Army Surplus Store for many years.

MDT Architects and Formed Space painstakingly cataloged each piece of damaged terra cotta and brick and where necessary, refabricated it. The entire facade was removed, restored, and put back together. The building had been covered in blue siding since sometime BEFORE 1961, according to a photo on Chicago-L.org.

The restoration is winding down as second floor windows have been installed. First floor windows and doors are next on the list. The building is slated to become communal workspaces on the ground floor, with the second floor becoming private offices along with a recording studio.

We are told that the "Indian Chief" building at 4629 N. Broadway is next on the renovation list with work there beginning this spring.

Spoil Me Salon Presents Valentine's Day Specials

Spoil Me Salon's Valentine's Day specials. (click to enlarge)

Gift certificates are also available. Spoil Me Salon is located on the SW corner of Broadway and Leland. Visit their Facebook page here.

Free Legal Help At McCutcheon Elementary School

LAF (Legal Assistance Foundation) operates 4 free community legal clinics that are open to the public, one of which is located in the Uptown neighborhood, at the John T. McCutcheon Elementary School once per month. They are open to anyone and everyone needing assistance.

Your Opinion Requested On Future Of Clarendon Park Community Center

Blueprints for the original Clarendon Park Municipal Bathing Beach (now the community center)

via Ald. Cappleman's latest email newsletter:

The Chicago Park District held a community meeting on Feb. 4 to unveil four options for the Clarendon Park Community Center, 4501 N. Clarendon. Two of the options were for renovations to the existing building and two were for new construction. One of the new construction options would allow the existing community center to remain open during construction of a new community center on an adjacent site, which means park programming would not be interrupted or temporarily relocated.

Click here to view the presentation from the meeting, click here to view the options and click here to submit your comments. Click here to watch a video of the entire Feb. 4 meeting, including the presentation and Q&A.

46th Ward Aldermanic Candidates Forum February 7

46th Ward Aldermanic Candidates Forum

Thursday, February 7th | 6:30-8:30pm (doors open at 6:00pm)

The Preston Bradley Center | 941 W Lawrence Ave.

Hosted by Uptown United and Business Partners, The Chamber for Uptown

Moderated by WBEZ Political Reporter Becky Vevea

Join us to hear from the candidates running for Alderman of the 46th Ward about issues facing the ward and the City.  All candidates confirmed their attendance at this forum. Please arrive early, as seating is limited. Doors open at 6:00pm.

Early Voting Has Begun!

Early voting at the Loop Super Site (175 W. Washington) has already begun. Early voting at this location will be available the following days and times through February 10:

Tuesday January 29 through Saturday Feb. 2 : 9 am - 5 pm
Sunday, February 3: 10 am - 4 pm
Monday February 4 through Saturday February 9:  9 am - 5 pm 
Sunday February 10: 10 am - 4 pm

Early voting in the 46th Ward begins on Monday, February 11. More info can be found here.

2019 Argyle Lunar New Year Parade Kicks Off February 9

2019 Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration

February 9 2019, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

1:00 PM - Parade kick-off at Argyle & Winthrop

FREE Admission

The annual Argyle Lunar New Year Parade is a decades-old Uptown tradition celebrating the start of the new Lunar Year. We hope you'll join us as we kick off the Year of the Pig with music, colorful lion dances, entertainment, and more!

More information here.