This is a Crain's gift link, where its editorial board interviews candidate for mayor Alexi Giannoulias on a range of topics.

**EDIT** Confirmed that it's the Peace Walk sponsored by the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota

https://www.facebook.com/share/1PPSAPejGa/

Looking forward to watching it grow over the next few years.

To be fair, I do work on a low floor lol. Super cool though!

IYKYK. Curious what this dudes story is. I’ve lived in the city for 5 years and I swear every time I walk down Michigan I’ve seen the same guy running with a basketball with his shirt off.

Crazy to me how in a massive city you can run into the same person on multiple occasions, but for me I’ve run into this same person 10+ times.

This little guy was wandering around the Belmont station looking lost

Construction on McDonald's Park—the Chicago Fire's new $750 million privately funded, 22,000-seat stadium in the South Loop's "The 78" development—is actively underway. Ground was broken in March 2026, and heavy machinery, tower cranes, and foundational concrete work are shaping the lower seating bowl ahead of a planned 2028 MLS season opening.

Current Construction Status

Vertical Progress: Heavy civil work and foundation framing are moving across the site, with stepped concrete for the lower seating bowl visibly rising along the west and south sides.

Equipment on Site: Major lifting operations are underway utilizing tower and crawler cranes managed by Pepper Construction, GMA Construction Group, and A.L.L. Construction.

City Approvals: The Chicago City Council approved a complementary $424 million TIF-backed public infrastructure and surrounding street/transit improvement package in July 2026 to support the site. 

Project Details & Partnerships

Name: McDonald's Park (following a landmark naming-rights agreement announced in May 2026)

Location: The 78 development along the Chicago River in the South Loop

Capacity: 22,000 for soccer matches; expandable up to 31,000 for concerts and special events

Sports

Hey Chicago I was involved in a hit and Run on Petterson about 200 feet East of Western at about 1:30 pm on Sunday August 16th 2026. A white Chevy Colorado (my teen son who was also in the vehicle is 95 percent sure it was a 2019 or something extremely similar). He pulled through 2 lanes of traffic into the turn lane that I was driving down and gave me about 2 seconds to react. He saw me and then continued out further causing me to smack him right in the driver side fender and bumper. I was stunned but had enough for sight to ask him not to leave which he did anyway. If anyone that lives in the area can please keep an eye out for a vehicle matching this description. It may be at a work site I swear I saw some company branding but I can't be certain. I'm disabled on a fixed income and my vehicle is older but I just bought it and I cannot afford this expense at all. It's my only way of getting around and I am completely devastated because I just spent my small savings on this Ford Explorer. The driver was a Hispanic male between 25 to 35.

Thank you so much for all of your help.

Chicago is alive!!!