Council & Governance
Tomorrow: COPA Sanctuary Vote, Parking Scofflaw Pilot
City Council meets Tuesday, February 18 at 10 a.m. with two closely watched votes.
COPA Sanctuary Enforcement: The measure expanding COPA's authority to investigate alleged Welcoming City violations appears headed for passage after clearing committee 19-3 last month. Both Mayor Johnson and Superintendent Snelling have voiced support, with Snelling writing that the measure "furthers transparency around CPD's response to incidents stemming from civil immigration enforcement."
COPA Chief Administrator LaKenya White says her office is prepared to investigate 40 complaints filed since June. The ordinance advanced despite opposition from Alds. Curtis (18th), Napolitano (41st), and Gardiner (45th).
Parking Scofflaw Pilot: Ald. Daniel La Spata's citizen parking enforcement ordinance would create a Street Operations Task Force targeting bus lane, bike lane, and crosswalk violations. The revised measure applies only to commercial vehicles—a concession after concerns from the mayor's office and CPD. Business owners have pushed for loading exceptions and first-offense warnings.
Plan Commission Thursday: Five Projects
The Chicago Plan Commission meets February 19 at 10 a.m. in Room 1103 at City Hall with five development proposals:
- 215 N. Racine (Fulton Market): 29-story, 347-unit tower with 70 affordable units under ARO
- 1338 W. Lake (West Loop): 32-story, 321-unit tower seeking DX-10 rezoning from Light Industry
- 3611-3625 N. Halsted (Northalsted): 10-story, 188-unit building with 38 affordable units
- 4432-4458 N. Clarendon (Uptown): Sarah's Circle proposes 54 supportive housing units for single women
- 1061 W. Van Buren: Amendment adding personal service and day care uses
Written feedback is accepted until 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Bikes
Grand Avenue Phase 2: Coalition Wants Buses Over Bikes
A coalition of business owners is pushing the city to scrap plans for protected bike lanes on the second phase of Grand Avenue—running from Damen to Ogden—and focus instead on dedicated bus lanes.
Roger Romanelli of the Fulton Market Association called the proposal "a compromise" that prioritizes CTA buses over bicycles. Anemarie Aiello, who has run a currency exchange on Grand for 35 years, told reporters the Phase 1 infrastructure eliminated parking her elderly customers depend on.
But Better Streets Chicago director Kyle Lucas defended the project, noting that CDOT tracked more than 100 drivers going over 70 mph on Grand Avenue every day before construction began. Phase 2 is expected to begin later this year.
Archer Avenue: Letters of Support
Sunday's Tribune letters page featured readers defending the Archer Avenue protected bike lanes—a counterpoint to organized opposition that has made the project a political flashpoint in Brighton Park. Advocates continue to argue the lanes represent necessary infrastructure investment rather than a harbinger of gentrification.
Immigration
Broadview Protests Go Weekly
About 50 people rallied Saturday outside the Broadview ICE processing center, launching what organizers say will be recurring weekly demonstrations. The Songs for Liberation Protest Music Collective performed, and attendees held portraits of individuals who died following ICE encounters.
The rally came days after Cook County prosecutors dropped charges against 19 people arrested during a November clergy-led protest at the same facility.
ProPublica: South Shore Raid Prompted by Squatting Complaints
A ProPublica investigation published this week found that the dramatic midnight raid on a Chicago apartment complex last fall was prompted by squatting allegations—not the gang intelligence the Trump administration cited to justify the operation.
Four months after the raid, federal prosecutors have not filed criminal charges against anyone arrested. ProPublica interviewed 15 of the immigrants detained that night; all denied gang membership.
Food
Bloom: Four Days Left
Bloom Plant Based Kitchen continues its final week in Wicker Park. The last day of service is Saturday, February 21—four days away. Chef Rodolfo Cuadros, a James Beard Award nominee, says the team plans to return with a new vegan concept.
Black Restaurant Week: Final Stretch
Chicago Black Restaurant Week runs through Sunday, February 22, with 39 participating businesses offering fixed-price specials. The 11th-annual event honors Carter G. Woodson's founding of "Negro History Week" in Chicago exactly 100 years ago.
ADU Countdown: 43 Days
Chicago's citywide ADU ordinance takes effect April 1, 2026. The ordinance passed unanimously (46-0) in September 2025, more than doubling the area where ADUs may be built.
City Council meets Tuesday, February 18 at 10 a.m. Plan Commission meets Thursday, February 19 at 10 a.m. in Room 1103 at City Hall. Today is Fat Tuesday—and, in a calendrical coincidence, Lunar New Year.