Melody Mercado

3 weeks ago | blockclubchicago.org | Melody Mercado

DOWNTOWN — The city has released its plan for how it’ll close down streets and sidewalks for the Downtown NASCAR race. The race is set for July 5-6, though the city will need 25 days for setting up and then tearing down the course, according to a Monday news release. Traffic and street closures related to the building will total 18 days, with pre-race closures and parking restrictions starting in late June.

3 weeks ago | blockclubchicago.org | Melody Mercado

FULTON MARKET — For more than 40 years, the Bartucci family has been crafting and delivering fresh pasta from Chicago’s Northwest Side. This summer, their beloved pasta and sauces will be served at Pasta Via, a new fast-casual restaurant from a member of the Bartucci family. Pasta Via, 179 N. Morgan St., will feature order kiosks where customers can select their pasta type, sauce, protein and toppings like mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic.

3 weeks ago | blockclubchicago.org | Melody Mercado

DOWNTOWN — A Korean fast-casual restaurant chain is opening its first Chicago location on Michigan Avenue in the Loop — and it’s offering free food all day during its grand opening. SeoulSpice, founded by Eric Shin, is known for customizable Korean rice bowls with meat marinades and kimchi based on Shin’s mother’s recipes. The restaurant was founded with a mission to make Korean food more approachable.

4 weeks ago | blockclubchicago.org | Melody Mercado

DOWNTOWN — The first office-to-residential conversion under the city’s LaSalle Street Reimagined initiative is now underway. On Thursday, the city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for 79 W. Monroe, the first project in the initiative to begin construction. Other LaSalle Street Reimagined projects are located at 135 S. LaSalle St., 111 W. Monroe St., 208 S. LaSalle St., and 30 N.

4 weeks ago | blockclubchicago.org | Melody Mercado

RIVER NORTH — After several dogs were electrocuted outside a River North apartment complex, a soon-to-be-proposed ordinance would improve public warnings about electrical hazards. The move follows growing pressure from residents — and a petition from Nicole Johnson, whose 85-pound German shepherd, Jenna, was shocked by an electrical current outside her luxury apartment building, Wolf Point East. Johnson contacted Ald.