After many years of advocacy for a pedestrian footbridge over the Chicago River System at Pratt, JNDC is “at the table,” working with Lincolnwood Mayor Jesal Patel, Village officials, and community leaders to bring that goal to fruition. The bridge is currently in the engineering-planning stage, with construction anticipated in 2025.

The proposed bridge would benefit Lincolnwood cyclists, opening access to recreational bike trails in Chicago and environmental resources at Park 538, along Kedzie Avenue from Touhy to Albion.

Pedestrians in both Lincolnwood and West Rogers Park have long sought a bridge at Pratt – as an alternative to crossing the Channel at Devon or Touhy — to shorten the walk from one community to the other by as much as a mile.

Other priorities include streetscape and safety improvements along Devon from Lincoln to McCormick, improved lighting for residential streets, an economic development plan for Ridgeway and Lawndale north of Devon, updates on the old Whistler’s property, and Lincolnwood Town Center.

Some 14 community members working in varied fields including real-estate acquisition, specialized health-care support, metals, accounting and mental health services, and graphic design attended JNDC’s Small Business Forum, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, at the Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center.
JNDC board member Daniel Peikes conceived and chaired the event.

JNDC board member Barb Singal, herself a business consultant, helped develop the program and recruit expert speakers who shared their expertise at the two-hour roundtable, which featured a hybrid format of in-person and virtual speakers.

Presenters included Bruce Leon, human resources management; MJ Weinberg, commercial real estate broker, Strauss Realty Greater Chicago; Barb Singal, principal, Ease the Day, addressing the operational needs of a broad range of businesses; Diane Casas, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and Sacella Smith, Northeast Regional Manager, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity.

Following the presentations and Q & A, lively discussion ensued, and contact information was exchanged among speakers and participants.  

Future programs geared to the needs of small business owners are in development. 

JNDC is currently developing exciting new ideas for community programming geared to children and adults for summer and fall, 2023, to build on our growing roster of environmental and recreational offerings at Park 538.

In addition to sponsoring numerous bird and nature walks in partnerships with Chicago Audubon Society in summer and fall, 2022, JNDC offered new opportunities for nature exploration and education, including a five-session Monarch Butterfly Club for parents and children in cooperation with Peggy Notebaert Museum; a Sunday-morning on-site program led by Chicago Park District staff on the transformation of Park 538, and free distribution to the community of milkweed seeds and saplings by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, geared to bringing Monarch butterflies back to the neighborhood.

JNDC is proud to have developed Park 538 into a unique asset in West Rogers Park, with free public programming for residents and visitors to enjoy.

We are grateful to our program partners for helping to make these programs possible, and to the community for their interest and participation!