HR0753 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0753 LRB101 20670 MST 70333 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Little Italy, sometimes combined with University Village, is one of Chicago's most vibrant communities; and

WHEREAS, The community was once predominantly Italian immigrants but now consists of diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, Other ethnicities have always been present in the area; nonetheless, the neighborhood was given its name due to the strong influence of Italians and Italian culture on the neighborhood throughout the 19th and 20th century; and

WHEREAS, The area's Italian-American heritage is primarily evident in the Italian-American restaurants that once lined Taylor Street; the neighborhood is home to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and the historic Roman Catholic churches Our Lady of Pompeii, Notre Dame de Chicago, and Holy Family; and

WHEREAS, The recent history of the neighborhood is that of urban renewal, starting with the construction of expressways in the 1950s, the development of the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 1960s, the demolition of public housing in the 1990s and 2000s, and the redevelopment of Maxwell Street in the 2000s; and

WHEREAS, Perhaps the largest concentration of Italian businesses and residents in present-day Chicago is located along Harlem Avenue on the Northwest Side and neighboring Elmwood Park; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the City of Chicago to honorarily rename the section of Harlem Avenue from Foster Avenue to Grand Avenue as "Via Italia"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Chicago City Council.