Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
One night last fall, nearly 1,000 birds were killed after slamming into the McCormick Place Lakeside Center. That’s more than 14% of all Chicago building strike bird deaths for the average year. These losses add up and affect ecosystems far beyond our city. One 2014 study estimated that 2% to 9% of all bird deaths come from building strikes — and may disproportionately affect already vulnerable species.
Bird advocates pointed to the lakefront building’s massive glass windows as the cause and began pushing for solutions. In today’s newsletter, we’re looking into what’s being done to prevent a repeat.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on Chicago’s high-profile lawsuit against a firearms maker, a makeover under the L, why SNL veteran Tim Meadows loves Chicago and more community news you need to know below. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
McCormick Place installs bird-safe film to deter migrating birds from hitting its windows
Reporting by Kaitlin Washburn
For the birds: McCormick Place Lakeside Center’s glass windows are being covered with a bird-safe film meant to deter birds from flying into the glass. After nearly 1,000 birds died crashing into McCormick Place in one night last year, staff began working with bird advocates, experts and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to make the building safer for migratory birds.
The root cause: Birds rely on the moon and stars to travel, and bright lights from glass structures at night throw off their navigation. Pulled toward the light, they often can’t perceive the glass and think they can fly straight through.
Fall migration prep: The $1.2 million project began in early June and will take three months to complete, just in time for the fall migration season, according to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which manages McCormick Place.
What’s being done: In addition to the bird-safe film, the center will continue measures to prevent bird collisions, including closing drapes and turning off lights when possible. For the migration season, the authority will work with the Field Museum to monitor and track collisions daily.
Key quote: “McCormick Place’s glass retrofitting and light reduction are a win for birds,” said Annette Prince, director of Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. The move is also setting an example for other buildings and future projects, Prince said.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Makeover under the L: Timed with the arrival of the Democratic National Convention next month, a colorful new light installation will illuminate a 50-foot stretch of the Green Line at the Washington/Wabash station.
City expands Glock suit: City Hall this week named two Chicago-area firearms dealers as defendants in its high-profile lawsuit against the firearms maker, labeling the dealers as being among “the most irresponsible gun stores in the country.”
Secret Service director resigns: Kimberly Cheatle’s departure comes one day after she was grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill for her agency’s failures amid the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Refunds coming to property owners: The $22 million in refunds will be distributed to owners of 10,099 properties who overpaid last year’s taxes, the office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas announced.
$7B campus pitched for United Center: The owners behind the United Center want its parking lots and surrounding area replaced by a $7 billion mixed-use district. Plans call for a music hall, housing, park and pedestrian-friendly spaces.
3 stars for ‘Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam’: This three-part Netflix series lays out all the dirt on disgraced music mogul Lou Pearlman, the con man who created the Backstreet Boys — and features one distracting gimmick, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
EXPLORING THE CITY 👟
Stop by the McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum
Lynnea Domienik and Nadia Hernandez | WBEZ
As you walk north along Michigan Avenue from the Loop to the Mag Mile, you cross the DuSable Bridge as it passes over the north branch of the Chicago River.
Naturally, the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower might catch your eye — but don’t miss the modest limestone bridgehouse at the DuSable Bridge’s southwest corner, home of the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum.
The bridgehouse may look small, but it’s actually a five-story building, much of it below street level, and each floor tells part of the Chicago River’s story. The museum has a twofold mission: to show off the city’s unique bridges and educate the public about the Chicago River’s rich past and present.
Exhibits cover pre-European settlements along the waterway; how Chicago’s slaughterhouses and sewers polluted the river; and how in more recent years, it’s been cleaned up and transformed into a lifeline for birds, turtles, kayakers and yes, even swimmers.
At the museum, you get to stand inside the DuSable Bridge and inspect the massive gears that allow the bridge to move.
The museum hosts bridge-lift viewings in the fall and spring, as well as a variety of other events throughout the year.
If you go:
⌚: Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; through Oct. 26
💵: Suggested donation of $8
📍: 99 Chicago Riverwalk
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Tim Meadows gets a boost from improv work and his famous fans Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert
Reporting by Erica Thompson
The Chicago improv scene is known for launching the careers of some of comedy’s most beloved superstars. But it can also provide a midcareer boost.
Just ask Tim Meadows, an alum of the Second City and iO Theater, who returned to Chicago during the aughts to be closer to his kids after his divorce. An opportunity to improvise regularly with Second City alums Joe Canale and Brad Morris was a saving grace.
“I was kind of questioning my talent and my career,” said Meadows, 63, who had followed a 10-season stint on “Saturday Night Live” with a few film roles at the time. “It was sort of a reaffirmation to myself that I had talent and that the things that had happened to me in my career weren’t a fluke.”
Meadows, Canale and Morris are now known as Uncle’s Brother. The trio, along with Matt Walsh (of “Veep” fame), will headline iO Fest with two sold-out shows Friday at iO Theater.
The festival appearance is happening during a successful year for Meadows, as his career is moving full steam ahead. But he remains humble about his accomplishments, thanking the peers who helped him along the way.
“I owe all of this to Tina Fey,” Meadows said of the actor, comedian and “Mean Girls” writer. “I don’t know why Tina likes me so much. … She’s given me these gifts in my career. I don’t even know how to pay her back or say thank you.”
He also credits Stephen Colbert with offering support. The two men met on the Chicago improv scene, and when Colbert briefly wrote for “SNL,” Meadows championed his sketches. They have remained friends and often make each other laugh during the Second City artistic advisory board meetings.
“He’s looked out for me during periods when I didn’t have a lot of work on my table,” Meadows said
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
What do you think of the United Center owners’ plans for a $7 billion campus around the arena?
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Written by: Matt Moore
Editor: Esther Bergdahl
Copy editor: Angie Myers