Is Chicago's food hall era over?
Good morning, Chicago. ✶
???? Below: Despite the abrupt closure of Time Out Market, there's still hope for the food hall concept in Chicago.
????️ Plus: Chicagoans mourn Rev. Jesse Jackson, a list of the GOP candidates vying for Gov. JB Pritzker's seat and more news you need to know.
???? Subscribe: Get this newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.
⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER ????️
Partly sunny with a high near 65.
TODAY’S TOP STORY ????
Despite Time Out Market’s abrupt closure, Chicago’s food hall era may not be over
Reporting by Maggie Hennessy
Food hall heydey: More than a decade ago, food halls — the younger siblings of the chain-heavy suburban food court — roared onto the Chicago food scene as part of a national trend, touting local and chef-driven vendors and artisans. They allow a food-minded public to restaurant-shop — and for restaurateurs, they're a lower-risk entry point to test if a concept has legs.
Pandemic impact: Many in the food industry point to COVID-19. When Time Out Market in Fulton Market closed last month, owners cited the pandemic's impact on office occupancy due to more people working from home. Time Out's vendors reportedly also noted its lack of investment in drawing customers.
Benefits remain: Downtown foot traffic and office tenancy are reportedly creeping back up, and workers want compelling, wallet-friendly lunch options. Such spaces also remain incubators for promising concepts. And they are getting more savvy about marketing themselves to tourists, who appreciate local options close to the sights without the hassle of booking tables.
Still serving: If you're looking to indulge in the concept, among the city's food halls still going strong are Sterling Food Hall, 125 S Clark St.; From Here On Food Hall in Market, 433 W Van Buren St.; and 88 Marketplace, 2105 S. Jefferson St.
REMEMBERING REV. JESSE JACKSON ✶
Chicagoans mourn Rev. Jesse Jackson: ‘He had enough heart to challenge wrong’
By Mohammad Samra, Cindy Hernandez, Violet Miller, Elleiana Green and Mary Norkol
Flowers for Jackson: Many Chicagoans mourned Tuesday, struck by the death of civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson, 84. Flowers, a white balloon and a note to the Jackson family rested Tuesday morning on the pavement near the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the nonprofit Jackson formed in 1970 that has spent decades working toward racial equality.
His legacy: The Sun-Times and WBEZ spoke with community members, former colleagues, supporters, activists and Jackson's neighbors, who all reflected on their memories of the civil rights leader and the impact he made. Regarded as Martin Luther King Jr.'s protege, Jackson worked throughout the Civil Rights movement and after to champion rights for Black people. In the 1980s, Jackson ran the first viable presidential campaign by a Black candidate in the U.S.
Key quote: "He was courageous, and he had enough heart to challenge wrong," Gregory Sain, a community supporter, said of Jackson’s impact. "We have to continue to motivate, inspire and raise up other individuals. Rev. Jackson will be a hero to many people."
More on Rev. Jackson:
- 10 facts about the Rev. Jackson and his connection to Chicago you might not know
- Timeline of Rev. Jackson’s decades of civil rights activism, political efforts
- Rev. Jesse Jackson and Chicago mayors — a tense, fraught relationship
- Lights, camera, Jackson: Civil Rights leader also became a pop culture presence
WATCH: REFLECTIONS ON REV. JACKSON’S LEGACY ▶️
TODAY’S CHICAGO SUN-TIMES ????️
Today’s Chicago Sun-Times print edition. You can find it wherever newspapers are sold, or read the e-edition here.
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN ????
Model shop that provided first draft of many great Chicago buildings closes
Reporting by Lee Bey
Building a legacy: For 35 years, Columbian Model & Exhibit Works has given the city glimpses of the future. The River West company designed and built architectural models for developers and architects that provided an advance look — often with astonishing accuracy and detail — of the buildings, neighborhoods, skyscrapers and places planned for the city. That all came to an end this month when the company shut its doors for good.
End of an era: Columbian Model President Catherine Tinker decided at the beginning of the year to retire. She said her partners didn’t want to continue the company, fearful that technological advancements in creating virtual models would ultimately eat away their business. "They are concerned that because of the digital revolution, there’s not enough work — or physical models anymore," she said.
Key context: In the city of "no little plans," physical architectural models were once a big thing. Over the decades, they were our first look at many well-known projects around town: Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Marina City, Sears Tower, Central Station, the Harold Washington Library entries, Millennium Park and more.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED ????️
- Montgomery finds his roots: James D. Montgomery, the city’s first Black corporation counsel, was presented with his ancestral history by Henry Louis Gates Jr. on Tuesday. The reveal was held as part of a 94th birthday commemoration for Montgomery.
- Base death investigated: The death of Joshua Jones, 19, at Naval Station Great Lakes is under investigation after he was found unresponsive in the barracks Sunday, according to the Lake County coroner’s office.
- Measles downstate: Illinois’ first measles case of the year has been detected in Collinsville, 15 miles east of St. Louis, health officials said.
- IKEA in Gurnee: For its third store in Illinois, the Swedish retail giant plans to open a smaller-format location with a more curated selection.
- 4 stars for ‘The Outsiders’: With grease and grit, this thrilling musical captures the essence of S.E. Hinton’s classic novel about a fatal class war between Tulsa teens, writes Catey Sullivan in a review for the Sun-Times.
ELECTIONS ☑️
What to know about the Illinois Republican primary race for governor
Reporting by Mitchell Armentrout
Who's running: Darren Bailey, Ted Dabrowski, Rick Heidner and James Mendrick are running for the Republican nomination for governor to advance to a general election matchup with Gov. JB Pritzker, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Key context: The Republican nominee will aim to prevent a third term for Pritzker, who is widely considered to have presidential ambitions in 2028. Republicans have been shut out of all statewide offices in Illinois since Pritzker unseated former Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018.
Their backstories: They are a farmer and ex-state legislator, a former leader of a conservative website and the Illinois Policy Institute, a video gambling mogul and real estate entrepreneur, and a two-term DuPage County sheriff.
FROM THE PRESS BOX ⚾????????
- Union boss resigns: MLB Players Association boss Tony Clark abruptly stepped down this week — bad timing, as the collective bargaining agreement expires this year, Cubs players said Tuesday. White Sox players vowed to stay united.
- Dillingham timeline: Rob Dillingham is getting a second chance with the Bulls — but for how long?
- Bears bump ticket prices: The team said they're raising the price of season tickets by an average of 13.5% in 2026.
- Boys basketball: Benet ended its regular season with a statement victory at Marist to win the East Suburban Catholic Conference.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD ????
Today's clue: 1D: Big ___ Park (city recreation area with wetlands and BMX racing courses)
BRIGHT ONE ????
Hundreds of murals grace Oak Park’s Green Line embankment — and more arrive yearly
Reporting by Genevieve Bookwalter
Colorful images of turtles, monsters, parrots, people and more cover the walls supporting the Green Line as it goes through the heart of Oak Park. About 230 are on both sides of the embankment.
Since 2010, the Oak Park Area Arts Council has worked with village officials to commission 20 to 30 murals a year to be painted in the frames of concrete.
They are found on aptly named North Boulevard and South Boulevard — on the north and south sides of the L tracks — from downtown Oak Park to the CTA Green Line Austin station.
"There’s still a lot more to do," says Camille Wilson White, executive director of the Oak Park Area Arts Council. "We are proud of these murals. People love them."
Wilson White said the collection contains murals by dozens of artists who come from Oak Park, the greater Chicago area and across the U.S.
Communities around the country want to learn how they can start their own mural walls, Wilson White said. "It’s a cool thing about being in Oak Park. It’s the art of uncommon community."
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
Yesterday, we asked you: What is your defining memory of Rev. Jesse Jackson?
Here’s some of what you said…
"As a Northwestern University undergraduate, I marched with Jesse Jackson in the streets of Chicago for civil rights. In 1968, we were tear-gassed by Richard J. Daley's cops — illegally. I also marched with him in anti-Vietnam War marches." — Harvey J. Graff
"My husband and his friends frequented the Division Street Baths in the '70s thru the '90s. It was always a special occasion when 'The Reverend' and his entourage came into the steam room. Mr Jackson, like any good politician, would shake hands and introduce himself to everyone sitting on the tiled tiers. His charisma was contagious." — Sandy Doyle
"My special memory of Jesse Jackson happened Super Tuesday — Feb. 5, 2008. I was an Obama volunteer attending the party and broadcast of Barack Obama's speech at the Hyatt. Jesse Jackson was in the bleachers behind me doing live shots with reporters. After the cameras were locked on Barack, I noticed Jesse alone and holding an Obama sign. His mind and heart were elsewhere — perhaps pondering what 'could have been' for himself or one of his children. It was the tenderest moment of a politician, activist, human that I've seen up close and personal." — Doreen Rice
"I had the honor to know and do some work with him, appearing on his radio show, receiving the Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon Johnson award from him, and assisting his organizations where I could. I have spent most of my life defending people facing the death penalty, work which Rev. Jackson supported. My memory is not just [his] amazing work ... It's of him sitting quietly with me at a table at the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers dinner honoring his son, former Congressman Jackson. It's of him taking the time to speak with my then-teenage son, of his kind inquiries regarding my late husband's health, and his concern for humanity in general." — Andrea Lyon
Have your own memories of Rev. Jackson? Share them here.
Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Morning Edition!
Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
The Chicago Sun-Times is a nonprofit supported by readers like you. Become a member to make stories like these free and available to everyone. Learn more at suntimes.com/member.