December 29, 2015

The 47th Ward Office will be CLOSED starting Wednesday, December 30th and will reopen at 9am on Monday, January 4th. Happy New Year! 
Dear Neighbor,

The year is coming to a close and we've accomplished a lot together. I look forward to working with you in 2016. This week I would like to highlight our major accomplishments in 2015 and provide some insight on my goals for 2016.

I am very proud of what we accomplished together in 2015 in our community and in City Council. Together, we did the following:

#ANewLawrence Accomplishments 
  • Completed the Lawrence Avenue Streetscape
  • Welcomed new businesses to #ANewLawrence which include: Band of Bohemia, The Sixth, Roots Pizza, CoCo Vietnamese Sandwiches, Alapash, Groundswell, Ampersand, Gallery 19 and more
  • Worked with Mayor Emanuel, Friends of the Parks, and you to remake Vogle Playlot Park as part of #ANewLawrence
  • Opened the new Ravenswood Metra Station
  • Added Divvy Station at Leavitt & Lawrence and expanded the station at Ravenswood & Lawrence.
#GROWCommunity Accomplishments
  • Scaled #GROW47 to #GROWCommunity into a three-ward effort to create the city's first neighborhood K-12 system
  • Secured a partnership with the University of Chicago's Urban Education Institute to help guide #GROWCommunity efforts
  • Secured $65k in grants from Generation All and the Brinson Family Foundation
  • Secured $10k in grant funding from the Friends of Ameya Pawar to seed initial #GROWCommunity efforts
  • Helped to complete Hamilton Elementary School's outdoor campus with $100k in aldermanic menu funding
  • Worked with Ald. Tom Tunney and Ald. Pat O'Connor to secure a multimillion dollar capital investment for Lake View High School which will include a honors program
  • Gave a TEDx talk on #GROWCommunity and efforts to build a neighborhood K-12 system around Lake View and Amundsen High Schools
  • #GROWCommunity was awarded the Vision award by the Urban Land Institute
  • Wrote Op-Ed in Chicago Sun-Times to prioritize City and CPS efforts around neighborhood high schools
Local Accomplishments
  • New Divvy Stations at: Rockwell & Eastwood, Campbell & Montrose, Oakley & Irving Park, Rockwell & Addison, Leavitt & Addison
  • Chief of Staff Jim Poole was awarded the Problem Solving Award by the Chicago Police Department for his efforts to close the FantaSea Lounge
  • Worked with the community and local elected officials to Bring Back the #11 Lincoln Bus as part of a pilot program in the Spring of 2016
  • Worked with the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce and the City of Chicago to activate North Center Town Square
  • Opened new $32 million Lycee Francais campus
  • Opened Kerry Wood Cubs Field and the soccer field (funded in part via TIF) at Clark Park in partnership with the Chicago Park District, Mayor Emanuel, and the Clark Park Advisory Council
  • Secured TIF funding for improvements to Welles Park which included renovations to the locker room, pool, a new playground (under construction), resurfaced tennis courts, and a new fieldhouse roof
  • Opened the Private Bank Chicago Fire Pitch after years of work with the Chicago Fire and local community
  • Advanced several new developments, including Transit-Oriented Development projects, at 1801 W. Grace, 4801 N. Ravenswood, 3420 N. Lincoln, 4620 N. Western and 2232 W. Lawrence.
  • Secured new affordable housing units online via upcoming development projects: 1801 W. Grace, 4801 N. Ravenswood, and 4620 N. Western
  • Installed new Divvy stations throughout our community
  • Welcomed these new businesses to our community
  • Completed $5 million TIF funded renovations of Sulzer Regional Library
  • Supported 39 special events in the 47th Ward
  • The 47th Ward Graffiti Reduction Mural Initiative facilitated three new murals on walls experiencing frequent graffiti
  • Openwall brought three art shows to the 47th Ward Office

Legislative Efforts and Accomplishments
  • Appointed Ben Winick as new head of City Council Independent Budget Office. Learn more about this effort here.
  • Passed Chicago's Language Access Ordinance which also calls for the creation of a taskforce to develop a Chicago Municipal ID card
  • Continue to lead efforts to ensure robust City Council ethics oversight
My Goals for 2016
  • Advance a 100% senior affordable housing project for the Ravenswood Neurological Building located at 4501 N. Winchester
  • Launch of the #11 Lincoln Bus in the Spring of 2016
  • Break ground on the new turf field at Chase Park
  • Continue efforts to build a neighborhood K-12 around Lake View and Amundsen High Schools
  • Continue efforts to remake of North Center Town Square
  • Work with Revere Park Advisory Council to advance efforts to renovate Revere Park Campus facilities
  • Work with Chase Park Advisory Council to advance efforts to renovate Chase Park fieldhouse
  • Secure TIF funding to complete Phase 2 of the McPherson Elementary campus project
I want to thank my amazing team: Erick, Jim, Ernie, Brad, and Dara. They work incredibly hard in service of our community. I am grateful for their public service. Lastly, I want to thank all of our volunteers. We have a small army of nearly 60 volunteers who answer phones, take service requests, advise on zoning decisions, and so much more.

I also want thank you for re-electing me for a second, and final, term as your alderman. The long list of accomplishments would not have been possible without your voice, advocacy, and input. These are our accomplishments. Thank you for your support!

Personally, 2015 was a great year for my family. I got married. And now my wife and I are expecting our first child in February. So finally, I want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. See you in 2016.

Sincerely, 
Ameya
The Northcenter Neighborhood Association is coordinating Christmas Tree Drop-Off sites at the Northcenter Town Square (4100 N. Damen) and Montrose Green (1819 W. Montrose) in the designated areas starting on December 31st through noon on January 10th. Complete information is available on their website.
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