Lightfoot bids a tearful farewell throughout Metropolis Corridor send-off

Lori Lightfoot made her remaining journey down from the fifth ground of Metropolis Corridor as Chicago’s mayor on Friday, greeted by confetti cannons and the cheers of a whole lot of supporters.

Lightfoot and her spouse Amy Eshleman, each teary-eyed, shook arms and hugged the supporters who crammed the Metropolis Corridor foyer and spilled out onto LaSalle Avenue.

The Shannon Rovers performed their bagpipes as she walked out and members of her workers, carrying matching “Fairness is our North Star” t-shirts, fired off confetti cannons and shook hand clappers.

Lightfoot and Eshleman have been taken away from Metropolis Corridor in type — driving at the back of a maroon classic Nineteen Forties Cadillac convertible.

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“It’s unhappy, there’s a lot unfinished enterprise she may have achieved throughout a second time period,” stated Tina Hone, who had served as chief of group engagement in Lightfoot’s administration. “The folks of Chicago will finally understand simply how a lot good she did for town.”

Lightfoot gave a farewell handle Monday, telling an adoring crowd she is optimistic for town’s future due to the work of her administration.

“We should proceed to hold the baton ahead. To all of you, do proceed serving our metropolis and dealing towards fairness, inclusion, security, equity and vibrancy in each neighborhood,” Lightfoot stated throughout that handle. “I shall be right here as non-public citizen Lightfoot frequently rooting for you and each resident of our metropolis. My work is just not carried out. I’ll roll up my sleeves in one other kind and style.”

Earlier Friday, Lightfoot went on a farewell bus tour, visiting numerous city-funded initiatives she oversaw, together with Bronzeville Vineyard.

“It’s been an excellent morning,” Lightfoot stated on the vineyard. “Noticed the restoration of a bridge that hadn’t seen any work carried out to it because the 60s, $24 million at Webster [Avenue] crossing over the river, after which went to quite a lot of totally different Make investments South/West websites,” Lightfoot stated. “Smart way for me to spend a few of my final moments because the mayor of town — touring the issues that we’ve got carried out to the touch folks’s lives.”

At Bronzeville Vineyard, she was requested if she had any regrets from her time in workplace. Lightfoot stated she didn’t, and took concern with the query.

“I’m not going to, in my remaining days as mayor, give in to the narrative that I feel is frankly pejorative and offensive that Mayor Lightfoot was imply and too powerful,” Lightfoot stated. “The notion that I’m harder, extra combative than Wealthy Daley or Rahm Emanuel is a joke. If I used to be a person, if I used to be a white man, we wouldn’t be having these discussions.”

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Lightfoot is the primary elected Chicago mayor in 40 years to be denied a second time period. The final was Jane Byrne, Chicago’s solely different feminine mayor.

Colm Ronan, a tour information, stopped at Metropolis Corridor throughout the sendoff Friday afternoon, joined by Sergio Fagundo, a vacationer from Miami.

Neither knew the sendoff was taking place, Ronan stated. He was taking Fagundo on a daylong tour of town, and had stopped by Metropolis Corridor to point out off the structure.

As an alternative, they obtained caught up within the pleasure of the afternoon.

“That is historical past,” Fagundo stated. “I’m right here witnessing historical past — how cool is that?”