City officials celebrate Chicago DNC success; clean-up begins around United Center, McCormick Place
See full street reopening schedule below
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago leaders are celebrating a successful four-day Democratic National Convention as the city starts dismantling the security measures around the United Center and McCormick Place.
Crews have been working quickly to take down the barriers comprising the security perimeter as resident reclaim their neighborhoods. Meanwhile, officials including Mayor Brandon Johnson have moved just as fast to declare the convention a success and that Chicago's global image is in very good shape.
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"As far as the world is concerned, yeah, look, I think it's pretty clear. People fell back in love with Chicago. They fell back in love with Chicago. I keep telling you this is the great love story," Johnson said Friday. "I'm honored and humbled to be your mayor."
Fifty-thousand people came to Chicago for the DNC, truly putting the city's reputation on the line. The fact that the convention went off so smoothly, without any significant issues, thrilled organizers and officials.
Tourism officials said the convention helped reverse a narrative of Chicago as unsafe for visitors.
"I'm checking out of the hotel, and delegates from New York, from Ohio, from Wisconsin, from all over are just saying, congratulations," said Rich Gamble, interim CEO of Choose Chicago, the city's marketing and tourism partner. "This was so much fun, high energy. They've had a great time exploring the city, attending the convention."
And while the convention buzz will soon fade, the city's global reputation got a shot in the arm that civic leaders said will have long-lasting positive ramifications for tourism and the convention business.
"It's gone a long, long way. Because, you know, there are, I'd like to call this the Great Chicago MythBuster, right? There's all of these memories that people have that have stuck. But Chicago is an ever evolving, changing city," Gambe said.
Chicago police officials call DNC security operation a success
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling praised the work of the Chicago Police Department, managing the massive protests during the DNC without any significant conflict and only a small number of arrests.
During four nights of demonstrations, Chicago police said they arrested 74 people and only a few minor injuries were reported. Fewer than 10 complaints were filed against officers.
"Please, can we stop talking about 1968?" Snelling said. "2024 is the new standard."
READ MORE | Chicago Police Department Supt. Larry Snelling, Secret Service praise DNC security operation
Snelling, who was alongside officers at major demonstrations, marked the DNC as a turning point for a department in the midst of reform.
"Now it's time to bring this city back up to the standards we know it can be," Snelling said.
Police said the neighborhoods also fared well, with shootings, robberies, and other major crimes down this week compared to the same week last year.
Near West Side residents say inconveniences were worth having a front row seat to history
Near West Side residents have dealt with major disruptions to their neighborhood between the street closures, parking restrictions, security fencing, protest and convention madness. But they said despite all that, they are grateful to have been this close to history.
Andrew Taylor is ready to get back to a normal routine, but he won't soon forget this past week.
"I'm glad it's finally done because it was definitely just annoying trying to move around, but it was still cool that it happened," Taylor said.
He said even though he was forced to park blocks away and use public transportation during the convention, being this close to history is one for the books.
"The fact that it was happening right by my block was pretty cool," Taylor said. "I got to go on Wednesday."
City officials said crews are working as fast as they can to remove the security infrastructure around the United Center and McCormick Place.
Friday morning, flatbed trucks could be seen hauling away heavy cement barriers. The Chicago Office of Emergency Management said the clean up outside the UC began at 1 a.m. and will wrap up by midnight Monday.
Crews began tearing down the area around the McCormick Place at 6 p.m. and are expected to be finished by noon on Monday.
"Me and my kid and my wife, we are going to knock on doors for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because we are excited about it and want to make sure she wins," 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett said.
Burnett, who was a delegate for the DNC, lives near the UC and said he's feeling energized after the DNC.
He said he's grateful to his neighbors for moving their lives around for the convention.
"Thank you all very much, we really appreciate it," Alderman Burnett said. "This is a real community, we all look out for each other."
From the political side, the convention was also seen as a big success for Kamala Harris and the Democratic party. Now the question becomes whether Harris can keep the enthusiasm and momentum going to win the White House in November.
"And so it's what resonated with voters. What was the messaging, the language, the visuals that they can go back over the last four days and say, this hit, this didn't, this worked with these people and not to craft a really tight, cohesive, consistent message over the next 74 days," said Dr. Suzanne Chod, political science professor at North Central College.
When will streets reopen after the DNC?
City officials are asking residents to stay patient in the coming days as the clean-up wraps up.
Residents can expect more lane closures on some streets as the security infrastructure comes down.
Full security perimeter reopening timeline:
McCormick Place: (all times subject to change)
Thursday, August 22: 6 p.m. Perimeter take-down set to begin.
Friday, August 23: 3 p.m. All major intersections cleared. I-55 off-ramp will be open.
Sunday, August 25:
6 a.m. - Cermak from Michigan to Indiana will be clear.
8 a.m. - All area open and 75% of assets cleared off curbs.
Monday, August 26: 6 a.m. - 100% of assets removed - area completely reopened.
United Center perimeter reopening timeline (all times subject to change)
Friday, August 23: 1 a.m. - Takedown to begin (subject to change)
Saturday, August 24: 12 p.m. - Damen, Wood, and Adams open (if possible), Most major intersections cleared for traffic.
Sunday, August 25: 11:59 p.m. - All areas open & 75% of assets cleared off curbs
Monday, August 26: 11:59 p.m. - All assets removed, reopen complete.
