#tbt South Michigan Avenue 1970s

 Actually I don't know when this photo was taking. I presume 1970s looking at the cars.

Earlier on Thursday "business" took me into Roseland and decided to snap a few shots. I can't stand the ruin porn, a lot of vacant storefronts. 

You see that Hillman's sign? That used to be a grocery store. This is a block or so north of 115th Street. The old Hillman's store faces a Chicago Fire Department firehouse. The only grocery store appears to be home to a medical facility of some sort.

And this isn't that far away from the Red Line Extension to be built near 115th & Michigan.

In fact to give credit where credit is due, this photo was shared on the Red Line Extension FB page.

Also allow me to announce you can now find Ninth Ward Chicago on TruthSocial & BlueSky. You can always follow us via @TheSixthWard on X formerly known as Twitter, although perhaps it's time to change the handle there.

Next level squatting pt. 3 - moving in with them

 

[VIDEO] This is related to the other two entries. According to this ABC 7 report the alleged squatters involved in the other two stories had found another home to occupy. Of course I have to admit it took some guts to bring a few friends and move into this house - which March Velasquez expected to place on the market.

And, I'm wondering if there is any attorney's reading this blog. Are the police correct that this is a civil matter and they just can't kick any trespassers off a property? What does Illinois law say about situations like this?

Update to the story about "next-level squatting"

 

[VIDEO] You saw a story about this last month about a squatter who was able to produce some documents showing that they owned the home although the address shown on documents was actually in the south suburbs.

A good conclusion that squatter was removed from the property and arrested. She's being charged with burglary, fraud, obstructing identification, and trespassing.

The couple who sought media attention for this is doing work on the house and clean-up, and expect to put this house back on the market soon.

Thanks to media attention the couple got a call from a detective who said they were taking a closer look at this. I don't know about you, but this was a bit sketchy anyway.

Chicago Tribune: Downtown alderman considering Cook County Board run against Preckwinkle

 Just remember 2026 is next year. We will be voting for a new US Senator (Dick Durbin who's represented Illinois in the US Senate since 1997 is retiring), for Governor for sure (Gov. Pritzker was in New Hampshire recently an important primary state and he may want to run for President), and now maybe a contest for Cook County Board President.

42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly is considering running against longtime County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Though in her case she's probably the one of a handful of Chicago-area politicians engaged with the reorganization of public transportation.

Tribune:

Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly said Wednesday he is exploring a challenge to Toni Preckwinkle in the 2026 Democratic primary for Cook County Board president.

Reilly, 42nd, told the Tribune he would make a final decision in the coming weeks, but claimed he’d been approached to take on Preckwinkle — who is so far unchallenged for her fifth term — in recent weeks. He made similar overtures for a congressional run against Democratic Rep. Danny Davis in 2015 and has also explored mayoral runs in past cycles but has stayed put in City Hall.

One of the City Council’s moderates, Reilly has represented downtown for nearly two decades. An ally to the business community, he has been one of the best fundraisers on the council and has run uncontested for the seat since defeating longtime Ald. Burt Natarus in 2007. He closed the last fundraising quarter with more than $700,000 in the bank.

Preckwinkle ended the same quarter with a little over half of that, $365,000, in her main campaign committee.

But Preckwinkle also chairs the Cook County Democratic Party, which gives her additional political power and fundraising heft.

You think it's time for a change at the county? Perhaps time for a younger person to step up to the plate?