Johnson forges compromise to expand outdoor dining in Chicago

Outdoor dining is set up on a stretch of Clark Street in River North last year. Most neighborhood residents support keeping a three-block stretch closed, 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly said. (Outdoor dining is allowed on a stretch of Clark Street in River North through Nov. 18. This picture was taken on Nov. 1, 2022, looking north on Clark from Illinois Street. | Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times)

Mayor Brandon Johnson is breathing new life into Lori Lightfoot’s stalled plan to make permanent an outdoor dining program that was a lifesaver for restaurants and bars during the darkest days of the pandemic — but in a way that preserves input from local City Council members.

Lightfoot’s plan hit a roadblock for two major reasons.