Le Journal

Nearly two decades after a $1.15 billion deal privatized Chicago's parking meters, a window has opened to seize the valuable asset back from private investors.Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is at least exploring the idea. But the mere discussion of the multibillion-dollar acquisition raises more questions than it answers.Chief among them is whether a city already saddled with more debt per capita than any big city in the nation should borrow billions more to buy out the 57 years that remain on the parking meter deal that Chicagoans love to hate.“The original deal was a disaster for taxpayers, and we have to make sure that we don’t compound that disaster,” said Ald. Bill Conway (34th), vice-chair of the City Council’s Finance Committee.Conway, a former investment banker who still teaches finance at DePaul University, said the leveraged buyout would use meter revenue as collateral on the loan.Whether or not the “math works” would depend on the interest rate on the borrowing and the annual growth in parking meter revenue. That would come amid a fast-changing landscape for parking demand that factors in self-driving vehicles and robot deliveries and congestion fees that discourage people from driving Downtown.The meters generated roughly $160.9 million in 2024, audits show.“Do we think we could grow that over the next 57 years? If we were to think that we could grow that at, say, 3% a year, what kind of value does that have?" Conway asked. He also wondered whether the city could save money by no longer having to pay "true-up" costs which are due to the investors to keep them whole whenever meters are taken out of service.Based on “previous missteps,” Conway said he has “little trust” that the mayor’s office can “put together a good deal,” let alone “provide the collaboration necessary” to get an acquisition agreement through the City Council on the heels of the budget stalemate.“Look at how hard they tried to get together a city-run grocery store, and they couldn’t seem to pull it off," Conway said. "And now you’re talking about a multibillion-dollar deal." Related Parking meter deal keeps on giving — for private investors, not Chicago taxpayers $15.5M parking meter settlement called ‘first win in a series of losses’ for Chicago Chicago Parking Meters LLC accused of violating city’s minority participation requirements Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) cast one of only five “no” votes against the parking meter deal in 2008.Waguespack said he has known since last summer that Morgan Stanley, Allianz Capital Partners and the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Abu Dhabi were looking to unload Chicago parking meters and inviting potential bids.Waguespack said he has serious questions about the city's ability to enter the competition.“Do we have $2.5 billion or $3 billion that we could put together to purchase the meters? Yeah, we probably could, but think about the interest on that,” Waguespack said. "It would be astronomical.“And I’d be very concerned about the administration doing this, because you’re not gonna have [departing Chief Financial Officer] Jill Jaworski at the table. A lot of the people who have worked on this before are out the door. And there’s a lack of transparency in the way they’ve done everything from the budget to procurement.”Citing non-disclosure agreements, senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee was tight-lipped about the possibility of taking back the parking meters.Lee would only say that the mayor would speak with the City Council “at the right time.”“I don’t know if you have a choice as a mayor but to look at stuff that comes across the desk. It doesn’t mean you do anything. But, you’ve got to look at everything. You can’t just say, `I’m not gonna look,’ because you never know,” Lee told the Sun-Times.Chicago Parking Meters LLC refused to comment.Steve Koch served as deputy mayor under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who managed to tweak the fine print in the parking meter deal by reducing the city’s liability and by…

Mere minutes after the Bears’ season ended Sunday night, someone asked Cole Kmet about the team being well-positioned for the future.The tight end wasn’t ready to go there. To do so would be to disrespect the opportunity the Bears had just tried — and failed — to grasp in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams at Soldier Field.“The work we put in is for this year,” Kmet said. “Not for next year.”The Bears came within inches of reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 15 years — 72 inches, in fact, had they decided to go for the two-point conversion to win the game rather than kick a tying extra point at the end of regulation. Quarterback Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown pass to Kmet forced overtime, but his interception in the extra period led to the Rams’ game-winning field goal. Kmet wasn’t ready to overlook any of what happened — good or bad — in the name of feeling optimistic for the future.“You can’t take for granted the opportunities you get in this league, to get to this chance to have an opportunity to go to the NFC championship, and then who knows from there?” he said. “To just think it’s just gonna happen again, it’s very wishful thinking. Very wishful.”Guard Jonah Jackson said he once had a coach who reminded his players “this might be your only shot.” Sitting at his locker Monday at Halas Hall, Jackson admitted that Sunday might have been that one chance. There’s never a way to know for sure.“You don’t ever think that, but that could be the truth,” he said. “We’re going to attack next year with even more edge, hunger, to get back to where we just were and go even forward.”And that’s why the Bears need to be aggressive this offseason — not in spite of their bright future but because of it.They need an edge rusher to pair with — and possibly outshine — Montez Sweat. They need a long-term answer at left tackle, particularly if rookie Ozzy Trapilo’s knee injury lingers into the start of next season. And they need stability at safety, with both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker on the verge of free agency.A team that has been synonymous with tough defense can’t simply count on leading the NFL in takeaways again in 2026. The offense can’t rely on a healthy Caleb Williams playing every meaningful snap for a third consecutive season.The Bears won the NFC North, but they also went a combined 2-4 against the Lions, Vikings and Packers. One of those wins came when the Packers couldn’t corral an onside kick.Those teams, Kmet said, are going to come back hungry next year.“That’s why it hurts when you have the opportunity now and you just come up a little short,” he said.Williams rallied for seven comebacks in the fourth quarter this season, a number that is as unsustainable as it is unparalleled. Those comebacks helped the Bears go from worst to first in their division, making them the 20th team to do so in the last 23 years.The NFL is structured to encourage that sort of movement in both directions. After playing a last-place schedule in 2025, the Bears will play a first-place slate in 2026. They’ll draft in the 25th spot in April, the latest they have picked in the first round since 2011, not counting years when they didn’t have a first-round pick.For every team that rises, another must fall. The Commanders, who played for the NFC title last year, went 5-12 this season. The 49ers went 6-11 in 2024 after playing for the conference title the year before.And then, of course, there are the 2019 Bears. In 2018, first-year head coach Matt Nagy led the Bears to an NFC North title. The next year, after a convention in which many of the franchise’s former greats predicted a Super Bowl berth, they went 8-8 and finished third in the division.The Bears could be a prime candidate for regression — or they could emerge from the offseason even better than before. The point is, there are no guarantees, as Williams was quick to note.“Every year is its own thing,” he said.Each season is climbing a new mountain, one that only gets…

As a kid growing up in Winnipeg, Jonathan Toews decided to pursue a life in hockey not only because of his talent and love for the game but also because he understood its power to unite communities."[When you] go to an NHL game, you just feel that inspiration," Toews said. "It makes you feel some kind of emotion that inspires you to do your best and try to be great at what you do."It's what we love about sports: you never know what's going to happen. To put your heart and soul into something, and be able to have that impact and inspire people in that way, is what makes our sport special."Throughout Toews' 16 years in Chicago, he never lost sight of that power. He cared about forming a bond with Blackhawks fans and Chicagoans as a whole, and form a bond he did.On Monday at the United Center, Toews and Hawks fans got to re-establish that bond, at least for one night.Twice as many fans, many waving "Welcome Back No. 19" signs, watched Jets warmups as watched Hawks warmups. Later, anthem singer Jim Cornelison had to fight back a smile when fans, briefly shown Toews on the video board, began cheering through his rendition of O Canada.And then, at the first TV timeout, came an ovation for Toews that seemed to never end. One laps, then two, then three weren't enough to satiate a sold-out crowd, which kept roaring and roaring until Toews signaled they simply had to get on with the game. An ovation that never ends for Jonathan Toews: pic.twitter.com/8d3OBiDiSj— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 20, 2026 It was a marathon of appreciation, and it didn't matter that Toews wears blue instead of red now — just like it didn't matter how Patrick Kane wore a different shade of red when he returned for the first time as a Red Wing in February 2024. They're both honorary Chicagoans forever."I went to play in the world championship after my last year in college [in 2007], and all the guys there were always like, 'Chicago is such a great sports city. Once the team gets going, it's going to be a great place to play,'" Toews said."Sure enough, that really came true within a couple years of being here. All the things lining up — and being able to take advantage of those opportunities — was all pretty special." Jonathan Toews, seen here in 2009, recalled many fans telling him stories throughout the years.Getty Images file photo Kane was the icon of those Hawks, and Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook were the workhorses. But it was Toews who really built and maintained the bridge between the team and the city.Connor Murphy, one of seven remaining Hawks who overlapped with Toews, got to witness that firsthand."He’s the one teammate I've ever had where you go out with him in public and people won’t just say they’re a 'big fan,'" Murphy said. "They’ll almost give an emotional 'thank you' to him. They’ll literally say, ‘Thank you for making my life better.’"Because of the impact that he made representing as a leader in the community and...putting his heart on his sleeve with how he played, and always being team-first and community-first, that really resonated with people."Toews recalled fans coming up and sharing stories about where they were for Cup wins or other unforgettable moments, and he was always happy and grateful to hear those stories.Plenty more stories were shared over dinner Sunday with some of the alumni who stuck around after their centennial ceremony Saturday to meet up with Toews. He mentioned seeing Kris Versteeg, Andrew Shaw, Marian Hossa, Johnny Oduya and Troy Brouwer; Versteeg and Shaw sounded the horn before puck drop Monday.He and Kane got to face each other for the first time on NHL ice on New Year's Eve in Detroit, too. Toews' assist in that game seemed to spark a mid-season surge for him after he struggled through November and December.

Lou Canellis likely hosted his last Bears postgame show for Fox 32 on Sunday night. The longtime sportscaster is nearing a deal with NBC 5 that could be announced this week, the Sun-Times has learned.Nothing is final, but Canellis is at the end of his contract with Fox 32, and there are strong indications in the industry that he will land at NBC 5. His departure would leave Cassie Carlson and Tina Nguyen as Fox 32’s on-air sports talent.NBC 5 hasn’t named a lead sports anchor since Leila Rahimi left the station in October 2024. She had held the job for almost 2½ years before her mysterious departure. Mike Berman, Jeff Blanzy and Kacy Standohar have shared sports-anchor duties.Canellis has been with Fox 32 since 2009. In addition to anchoring, he has hosted Bears pregame and postgame shows and programs such as “1st & North,” a roundtable discussion about the NFC North, and “Chicago Sports Tonight.” As the home of most Bears games, Fox 32 leans into its relationship with the team, and Canellis has served as the frontman.His move to NBC 5 would be curious because the station doesn’t have that relationship and its local sports programming is limited. It airs the weekly recap show “Sports Sunday,” carries the Chicago Marathon and covers local athletes competing in the Olympics.Canellis would rejoin former Fox 32 executive producer John Schippman, who’s returning to NBC 5 in the same position this week. Schippman was the vice president of sports content at NBC 5 and oversaw NBC Sports Chicago before it shut down in 2024.Canellis rose to stardom in the 1990s as the sideline reporter for Bulls broadcasts on SportsChannel, a predecessor to Chicago Sports Network. Before that, he was an executive producer at NBC 5.