BLACK HISTORY
From the West Side with Love Cover and spread photography by KENN COOK JR.
FREE Vol. 40 No. 5
February 4, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Mars site redevelopment meetings paused as stakeholders revise format TODD BANNOR
By IGOR STUDENKOV
Candidates at the 7th District Congressional Forum at Collins Academy High School.
Who should I vote for in the 7th District congressional primary? Staff Reporter
Ahead of March 17, Growing Community Media is profiling the 15 candidates running in the 7th congressional Democratic and Republican primary. Whoever wins the November election will succeed Rep. Danny
Davis, who is retiring after nearly 30 years in the position. To help constituents decide who to cast their vote for, Chicago’s Westside branch of the NAACP hosted a forum Jan. 27 at The Collins Academy STEAM High School in North Lawndale. Remel Terry — president of the NAACP’s Chicago Westside branch
Contributing Reporter
and of Chicago’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability — moderated the discussion. A dozen candidates attended, including Democrats Richard Boykin, Anthony Driver Jr., Dr. Thomas Fisher, La Shawn Ford, Rory Hoskins,
The community meetings about the proposed redevelopment of the former Mars Wrigley candy factory site in Galewood have been put on hold for now, as Ald. Chris Taliaferro, the Galewood Neighbors community group and developer McCaffery Interests try to figure out the best format to get community feedback. Taliaferro, whose 29th ward includes all of Galewood, held three community meetings last December with another meeting scheduled for Jan. 27. But the day before, Taliaferro announced that the meeting was “postponed.” The three sides agreed that the town hall-style format used for the earlier meetings wasn’t the best way to get feedback “The feeling was, to have another town hall, at least in this format, doesn’t accomplish much, because it caters to the people who want to heckle from the back of the room,” said Steve Green, chair of Galewood Neighbors. The stakeholders are currently considering a workshop
See FORUM on page 5
See MARS SITE on page 4
12 candidates share their legislative priorities at a Jan. 27 forum By JESSICA MORDACQ
Galewood Neighbors, Taliaferro look at new ways to get constructive input
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