Renderings for the rooftop of the 79 W. Monroe St. project are pictured. [Provided]

Mayor Brandon Johnson and city officials on Thursday celebrated the groundbreaking for the city’s first conversion of office space to residential units under an initiative to reuse vacant commercial space downtown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mayor also used the opportunity to announce a new all-encompassing economic development strategy.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) and IPI Chicago Policy Center Executive Director Austin Berg are pictured at the Chicago Charter Symposium on Monday, March 24, 2025. [Jess Plowman/Chicago Policy Center]

Civics nerds, good government advocates and some members of City Council attended a symposium at Northwestern University School of Law Monday morning to hear about the push for Chicago to establish its own charter, an endeavor that bills itself as at least part of the solution to some of city government’s recurring issues, such as dysfunction and corruption.

The symposium was organized by the Illinois Policy Institute’s Chicago Policy Center.

Ethics Committee Chair Matt Martin (47) is pictured at a City Council meeting in June 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight on Tuesday will meet to hear the city’s inspector general present the office’s report for the fourth quarter of 2024 and discuss an advisory the office released last month regarding Department of Water Management (DWM) work that failed to comply with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) regulations and a lack of public transparency about the issue.

The ethics committee will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 201A at City Hall. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a City Council meeting on Dec. 16, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council on Wednesday will consider final approval of a ban on the sale of most fur products, a police misconduct settlement stemming from an excessive force investigation, a housing development catering to Indigenous culture and a new community arts center.

The council, which meets at 10 a.m., will also vote on whether to confirm a permanent head of the business and consumer affairs department and six new members of the city’s culture and arts advisory council.

Mayor Brandon Johnson testifies in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. [Livestream]

Mayor Brandon Johnson joined three other big city mayors on Wednesday to defend Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance at a congressional hearing on sanctuary cities and the effect they have on public safety and immigration enforcement. 

“Any actions that amplify fears of deportations make Chicago more dangerous,” Johnson said in opening remarks. “Those fears cause witnesses and victims to avoid cooperating with police.”

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) attends a mayoral press conference after a City Council meeting on Jan. 15, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) next month will step down after nearly a decade on the City Council to become the next superintendent of the Chicago Park District, giving Mayor Brandon Johnson his first opportunity to appoint an alderperson to a vacant seat.

Apartments near the 606 Bloomingdale Trail. [Eric Allix Rogers]

A pilot program aimed at preserving affordable multifamily housing in Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Avondale, Hermosa and West Town is finally set to go into effect this weekend after months of delay. 

While the impacts of the pilot won’t be immediately apparent, affected building owners and realtors will be watching to see if properties experience reduced sale prices or delayed transactions.

Ald. Nicole Lee (11) speaks about the $830 million general obligation bond authorization ordinance at a special City Council meeting on Feb. 26, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council on Wednesday voted 26-23 to approve an $830 million general obligation bond authorization in a divisive vote over concerns about the proposed repayment structure from nearly half the council.