January 19, 2012 – Except for a large chunk of real estate in the northeast corner, the 42nd Ward emerged mostly unscathed in Thursday’s redistricting of Chicago’s 50 wards. The city council voted 41 to 8 to approve a new ward map.

In the deep south of the 42nd ward, Alderman Brendan Reilly, who voted in favor of the new boundaries, picks up a few blocks here, loses a few blocks there. Up north, while an area north of Superior Street and east of Michigan Avenue is now in the 43rd ward, Reilly holds onto Michigan Avenue and Rush Street.

What is missing is a large portion of the Gold Coast and about one-third of Streeterville in the northeast corner of the ward, where much of the ward’s population was located, explained Reilly in his weekly newsletter on Monday.

“Dramatic, painful changes to our ward boundaries were inevitable,” wrote Reilly. “I worked very long hours and did my level best to keep as many of our downtown neighborhoods as whole as possible.”

From Lake Shore Drive, the new northern border goes west on Superior Street, north on Michigan Avenue, west on Cedar Street, and south on State Street. It then goes around two blocks, taking Delaware Place east to Wabash Avenue, then south on Wabash to Pearson Street, where it goes one block west to rejoin State Street. Then, three blocks south to Huron Street, west to LaSalle Street, north to Chicago Avenue, and west to the Chicago River.

Every ten years, the city redraws political boundaries according to population counts. With a population of about 80,000, almost 1.5 times the size of most wards, Reilly said last November the 42nd Ward was a candidate for redistricting. The new boundaries will take effect in time for the general election on November 6.

Updated January 23, 2012. Click on image above to view larger map. (Below) The old ward map.