11th Ward Meeting Updates McKinley Park on Crime, 35th Street Upzoning

At her first quarterly ward update held in Chicago's McKinley Park neighborhood, 11th Ward Alderwoman Nicole Lee introduced new Chicago Police Department 9th District Commander Joseph Mark and shared updates on her work with 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez to upzone West 35th Street.

“The first step is to bring more people to the street and more density,” Lee said.

In a meeting on July 22, 2024, both alderwomen introduced their plan to upzone much of the street between South Archer and Ashland avenues to B2-3 zoning, which would allow storefront businesses, including restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages.

Lee's 11th Ward covers West 35th Street's north side between South Damen and South Paulina Street, and Ramirez’s 12th Ward covers the south side in the same stretch.

The interactive ward map of McKinley Park displays Chicago's 11th Ward area with a tan overlay and the 12th Ward area with a blue overlay.

New Police Commander

Mark said he was promoted in July 2024 to 9th District commander. He has worked for seven years in the 9th District, most recently as a lieutenant.

“I was always behind the scenes in the past, but now I will be front and center,” Mark said. “I look forward to the challenge.”

Mark, who is Asian-American, said he will continue to recruit more Chinese-speaking officers and noted that the 9th District already has the most Asian officers on every watch.

Street Racing Worse

When asked about the street racing in the district, Mark admitted it is steadily growing worse.

“We do have missions to focus on street racing and have made some arrests,” he said. “They are very organized. We get alerts all the time about where they will be. We try to keep them moving and make them leave the district.”

Roundabouts and Speed Bumps

Mark said police are working with the Chicago Department of Transportation to install roundabouts in favorite intersections and speed bumps on side streets.

In other updates, Lee mentioned that repairs were underway to drain the pond at the Bridgeport Neighborhood's Palmisano Park, which heavy rains flooded in July.

Also at the meeting, the McKinley Park Development Council provided updates on its effort to connect a walking and bicycle path along the south side of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal between South Western Avenue and South Ashland Avenue.

Meeting Video

Photography by Kevin O'Neil