2034 North Racine Avenue

Chicago is known for its diverse neighborhoods, but it is also a city of 50 wards, each led by an alderperson with their own agenda. As 2025 begins, the city is grappling with budget issues, population growth, and rising crime perception, while aldermanic prerogative—where each alderman has veto power over development in their ward—adds another layer of hurdles to solving these challenges. We’ll examine this issue today through the lens of two major residential projects currently stuck in bureaucratic red tape, including Old Town Canvas, which was blocked by Alderman Brian Hopkins just yesterday.

A potential groundbreaking date has been announced for the upcoming Englewood Nature Trail in Englewood. Stretching roughly from S Damen Avenue in the west to S Halsted Street in the east, the potential trail will replace the long-abandoned Norfolk Southern Railway lines which the city purchased in 2014. Now the city itself along with Grow Greater Englewood have revealed their initial design studies by Gensler after receiving $6 million last year to kick off efforts.