Chicago spruces up for DNC with extensive cleanup effort

CHICAGO - If it seems like Chicago is looking a bit more polished, it’s not just your imagination.

With the Democratic National Convention just days away, city and state cleanup crews have been working overtime to prepare the city for the national spotlight. Street sweepers have been spotted along Madison Street near Kedzie, more than a mile west of the United Center.

On Monday, about two dozen Streets and Sanitation workers were busy trimming trees, cleaning sidewalks, and removing graffiti from areas of the West Side that usually don’t receive this level of attention.

"I think it’s a good job. A good job. It’s work. It’s clean," said resident Samanica Starks, who was watching the cleanup while waiting at a bus stop. "I think it needs to stay just like this. Always cleaning up. Always keeping our West Side community cleaned up."

The cleanup crew will continue working east down Madison until they reach the United Center by the end of the week.

In a statement, a Streets and Sanitation spokesperson said, "With thousands of visitors expected to arrive for the Democratic National Convention, our staff will be out all week removing debris and graffiti, as well as street sweeping and tree trimming to help showcase our world-class city."

34th Ward Alderman Bill Conway, whose ward lies just east of the United Center, supports the effort.

"Chicago always seems to shine in big events, and I’m confident it will in this one," Conway said. He hopes the cleanup will counteract negative portrayals of the city.

"There is, of course, a narrative of Chicago that is not accurate," Conway added. "Chicago is a city with a beautiful lakefront, a sprawling transportation system, a skilled workforce, and a lot of green space. We’re going to make sure we present that to the nation and the world."

The State of Illinois is also contributing to the effort. Numerous Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) crews have been seen cutting grass, picking up garbage, and removing graffiti on the Kennedy Expressway and the Eisenhower Expressway, routes commonly used by visitors traveling from O’Hare.

While City Hall is eager to showcase Chicago’s best, there is concern about the perception of only addressing cleanliness for the convention. The cost of the cleanup has not yet been disclosed, but similar efforts during the 1996 convention ran into the tens of millions of dollars.