Pritzker nixes Brighton Park migrant camp
An empty lot at 38th and California was all set to transform into a tent shelter for migrants in need of housing. Until it wasn’t.
Construction was underway at the Brighton Park site when the Pritzker administration ruled Tuesday that environmental concerns were too serious. As a result, no shelter will be built there.
On Reset this week, we got reaction from the local alderperson, Julia Ramirez, 12th Ward, who said she had “very mixed emotions” when she heard the news.
“I feel disappointed because we did all of this investment,” she said. “At the same time, I’m happy because…I didn’t feel like we were considering the toxic findings on the site.”
In the Recap, we break down what happened and what it means for migrants and asylum seekers in Chicago. More than 26,000 of them have arrived since August 2022.
Burger King features large in Burke trial
Speaking of the Southwest Side, a Burger King in the nearby 14th Ward took center stage this week in the trial of former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke.
Did Burke extort the owner of the business by denying a driveway permit and pressuring the company that owned the site to hire Burke’s property tax appeals firm?
That’s what federal prosecutors have alleged.
Or does it all come down to a “computer glitch” as defense attorneys have argued?
In the Recap, we break down what lawyers had to say in court and where this trial fits in to the many, many corruption cases we’ve seen for public officials in Illinois.
Union Station is set for a re-do
Meanwhile, Union Station is getting $93 million for upgrades from the federal government. But is it enough?
Amtrak had sought far more: a whopping $873 million.
We discuss what the money will be used for at the station, as well as other vital transportation news: Did you know you can rent a hot tub boat in Chicago?
As the Sun-Times headline so aptly put it, the watercraft is “a toasty spot to chill on the Chicago River” this winter. But it will burn your wallet. A 90-minute rental ranges from $278 on weekdays to $418 on holiday weekends.
Might be better to stick with a $2.50 ride on the CTA holiday train.
GUESTS: Angela Rozas O'Toole, WBEZ Politics and Government editor
Simone Alicea, Executive Producer, City Cast Chicago
Quinn Myers, Block Club Chicago reporter covering Wicker Park, West Town & Bucktown
