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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, Little Italy, sometimes combined with University 
3Village, is one of Chicago's most vibrant communities; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, The community was once predominantly Italian 
5immigrants but now consists  of diverse ethnic and 
6socio-economic backgrounds; and
 
7    WHEREAS,  Other ethnicities have always been present in the 
8area; nonetheless, the neighborhood was given its name due to 
9the strong influence of Italians and Italian culture on the 
10neighborhood throughout the 19th and 20th century; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, The area's Italian-American heritage is primarily 
12evident in the Italian-American restaurants that once lined 
13Taylor Street; the neighborhood is home to the National Italian 
14American Sports Hall of Fame and  the historic Roman Catholic 
15churches Our Lady of Pompeii, Notre Dame de Chicago, and Holy 
16Family; and
  
 
17    WHEREAS, The recent history of the neighborhood is that of 
18urban renewal, starting with the construction of expressways in 
19the 1950s, the development of the University of Illinois at 
20Chicago in the 1960s, the demolition of public housing in the 
211990s and 2000s, and the redevelopment of Maxwell Street in the 
 
 
HR0753- 2 -LRB101 20670 MST 70333 r

12000s; and
  
 
  
2    WHEREAS, Perhaps the largest concentration of Italian 
3businesses and residents in present-day Chicago is located 
4along Harlem Avenue on the Northwest Side and neighboring 
5Elmwood Park; therefore, be it
  
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
7HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
8we urge the City of Chicago to honorarily rename the section of 
9Harlem Avenue from Foster Avenue to Grand Avenue as "Via 
10Italia"; and be it further
  
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
12delivered to the Chicago City Council.