Jim Gardiner

Gardiner, who has been accused of withholding ward services from his critics and using foul language to describe women, also faces an FBI investigation.

Candidate Megan Mathias' campaign announcement drew a crowd of more than 100 people. Attendees said they want a leader who will build common ground in the politically divided ward.

In the wake of a series of misconduct allegations against the Northwest Side alderman, several politicians and progressive activists are calling on ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising site, to remove him from its platform.

Ald. Jim Gardiner could face up to a $10,000 fine for running afoul of city ethics rules, officials suggested in a notice issued this week.

Gardiner is facing increasing scrutiny from colleagues and constituents over leaked text messages that reveal he sought to withhold city services to ward critics and demeaned others with misogynistic language.

Supporters hope the long-anticipated project will help revive the prominent Northwest Side intersection and draw in more businesses.

"What he is doing is using the power we have given him as an elected official to carry out personal vendettas and that’s not OK," said one of the rally organizers.

The rally, organized by independent political organization United Northwest Side, will begin at 6 p.m. at 5425 W. Lawrence Ave. Constituents who say they have been harassed by Gardiner will also speak.

The Far Northwest Side alderman tried to withhold services from and get revenge on residents who criticized him and used profanity to describe colleagues, leaked texts show.

When a mom commented about him on Facebook, Gardiner sent city inspectors to her door. When a business owner organized a protest, Gardiner got old police reports about him — and planned to leak them to a neighborhood Facebook group.

The project has been praised for its potential to revive the once-thriving retail district, but the lack of affordable units has drawn criticism.

More than 20 elected officials are calling on Gardiner to publicly apologize after he urged staff not to help constituents who criticized him and called female residents and City Hall staffers “b-tch” and “c-nt.”

Ald. Jim Gardiner called aldermen Tom Tunney and Scott Waguespack to apologize, but he texted Waguespack's chief of staff, who he'd called a "b-tch."

The profanity-laced texts show the alderman ripping people who dared to challenge him — including an alderman and a female chief of staff who he deemed an alderman's "b-tch."

Hudson Construction Services wants to build an 18-unit condo project at 5850 N. Elston Ave. that would replace the United Methodist Church lot, which has been for sale for more than a year.

The development is set to be completed by fall 2022. An Aldi and another retail tenant will be housed in the ground floor.

"We need protected routes on major ways or intermediary routes to bike safely — and we needed it years ago," said a Northwest Side cycling advocate.

Of 209 luxury apartments planned for the vacant Sears building, just six will be affordable, according to the zoning application. It won't be subject to the city's new affordability ordinance, which goes into effect in October.

The firehouse brewery and kitchen are slated to open in summer 2022.