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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…

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.

While many Chicagoans avoided the cold temperatures and bitter wind chills by staying inside, others attempted to make the most of the freeze by busting out their skates."There's something really special and unique about being on the pond," said Nathan Zyck, who was playing a game of pickup hockey on the North Pond in Lincoln Park with his brother and some friends. "It's kind of a community thing. Everyone shows up, everyone talks to each other, you meet people."Temperatures in the single digits and gusty wind conditions made for wind chills well below zero degrees in the Chicago area Monday.The high at O'Hare International Airport was 6 degrees but winds blowing at 30 to 40 miles-per-hour created wind chills that dropped to minus-24, according to the National Weather Service. O'Hare reached a low of minus-1 degree, marking the first subzero temperatures at the airport since Dec. 14. A pair of hockey enthusiasts put on their skates as a group of guys embrace the cold weather and play a round of pickup pond hockey at North Pound outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time Around a dozen people glided around the North Pond in Lincoln Park Monday morning. Skaters could see their breath as they enjoyed the frozen pond, which freezes and un-freezes with the temperatures, according to Lincoln Park resident Jan, who brought her 8-year-old daughter Earthy and declined to give her last name."She's trying, she's still learning," Jan said. "Weather-wise, the pond could melt any time when the temperature's up. So we take the opportunity as much as possible."Zyck and his brother grew up playing hockey through high school and have played in rec leagues in the city. They often organize pickup games."I got everyone out here today, I was calling everyone, and then we met these two guys out here," Zyck said. "Just a lot of fun, that's part of pond hockey." A group of hockey enthusiasts embrace the cold weather to play a round of pick up pond hockey at North Pound.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time Two childhood friends Christian Moran and Aaron Vanderlinde, both 28, cleared a patch of the pond from snow to create a makeshift hockey rink. The West Loop residents challenged two other men with sticks and pucks to a game, and the four battled each other to a pickup hockey game, using boots to mark the goals."It gives a nice freeze," Vanderlinde said about the weather, adding that they had been out on the pond over the weekend, too. "You gotta wait until it's cold."Moran and Vanderlinde grew up near each other in the western suburbs and much of their friendship was forged on the rink."I always say the best way to practice is by playing with people who are better than you," Moran said. Despite the cold, skaters had fun playing pond hockey Monday.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time Players have gathered for years at the North Pond, bonding over their love for the sport — and the ability to play it outdoors. Strangers become teammates or friendly competitors and start to look forward to the cold temperatures instead of dread them.But people should take precautions when outside in below-freezing temperatures, health officials warn. The frosty conditions can lead to hypothermia, frostbite in about 30 minutes, frozen pipes and slippery road conditions.The bitter cold was expected to continue into Tuesday morning, where wind chills are expected to be between 5 and 15 degrees below zero, the weather service said. A group of hockey enthusiasts embrace the cold weather to play a round of pick up pond hockey.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time Contributing: Mohammad Samra

Celebrating the holiday that marks Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 97th birthday Monday, political leaders across Chicago gathered to invoke his teachings in the ongoing fight against President Donald Trump’s agenda.The Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organization founded by King protégé the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., held its annual breakfast celebrating King at a downtown hotel Monday. Speakers recited King quotes and called on people to think of the Civil Rights Movement when discouraged by current events, particularly the federal government’s aggressive deportation campaign that blanketed Chicago’s immigrant communities late last year and is now focusing on Minneapolis.Hundreds attended the breakfast, which had a theme of “building a beloved community,” an idea that several speakers referenced in their remarks. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson were among those in attendance.Yusef Jackson, son of Jackson Sr. and chief operating officer of Rainbow PUSH, recognized that his father couldn’t be in attendance. The elder Jackson, 84, was hospitalized late last year, undergoing treatment for a rare neurological condition for nearly two weeks. It was his first time missing the annual breakfast in the 36 years it has been held.“When I saw him this morning, I asked if he could make it,” an emotional Yusef Jackson said. “My mother said, ‘You’re not leaving the house today.’ This is my first time doing this. I tell you, I had an emotional moment. I never thought of being here doing this, being here in person.” Yusef Jackson speaks in place of his father, Jesse Jackson Sr., at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s 36th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 1 of 7 Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul prepares to give his remarks at the Fairmont Chicago in the Loop before a breakfast celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 2 of 7 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson claps during a breakfast celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 3 of 7 The Leo High School Choir performs during a breakfast celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 4 of 7 Journalist Don Lemon speaks at the Fairmont Chicago in the Loop before a breakfast celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 5 of 7 Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton speaks at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 6 of 7 U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is greeted at the Fairmont Chicago in the Loop before a breakfast celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 7 of 7 Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who's running for retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's seat, said she thought of her father Henry, who marched alongside King and Jackson Sr. in the historic 1965 protest marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.“When he was asked why he marched, he simply said, ‘I didn’t like how human beings were being treated.’ Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?” she said. “This is our moment to choose courage over comfort, to choose faith over fear.”Met by whoops and cheers, Johnson pushed for King’s ideals to be considered in laws, not only celebrations and commemorations.“It’s not just to honor and remember his words, it’s about the manifestation of those words being codified in policy,” the mayor said.Johnson also acknowledged Renee Nicole Good, the woman shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this month, and condemned the U.S. military's overnight raid and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.“Because if you can shoot a woman in cold blood and kidnap a sovereign leader in another country in the same week, that’s why remembering Dr. King and celebrating his legacy is not just for a meal or a moment,” the mayor said. “It’s about making sure that we hold onto hope, building the power that’s necessary to fight for what is…