Good morning, Chicago.

Two years ago, something new began taking shape on the site of the abandoned Chicago Spire project.

Developer Related Midwest launched construction of a 72-story apartment tower, filling a 76-foot-deep hole left by the failed Spire. Construction is ongoing, but when leasing started in August, renters eagerly began signing leases for units they won’t see for months.

“In the first six weeks, we leased more than 100 units in the building,” said Curt Bailey, president of Related Midwest. “We’re delighted by it, but not really surprised.”

As downtown Chicago continues its transformation from a business-focused district into a mixed-use neighborhood with grocery stores, parks and coffee shops, there is huge demand for luxury rentals with amenities and proximity to attractions like the lakefront.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Brian J. Rogal.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: what to know about a Trump plan that would remove protections for national forests like Shawnee, the new Ryan Field opens and 10 thoughts on the Bears’ Week 4 bludgeoning.

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Former Illinois House GOP leader Jim Durkin endorses Democrat JB Pritzker over Republican Darren Bailey

Accentuating the schisms that have helped make Republicans the superminority political party in Illinois, former Illinois House GOP leader Jim Durkin said he is endorsing Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker for a third term over Republican nominee Darren Bailey in the Nov. 3 general election.

“His campaign is going nowhere, and he’s on a foolish escapade,” Durkin said of Bailey, adding that the Republican governor nominee has “a delusional egomaniacal view of the world.”

Related:

• Illinois voter guide to the 2026 midterm elections in November

Illinois Senate race: Republican Don Tracy, a onetime Democrat, makes long-shot bid against Juliana Stratton

Addressing supporters at an evening fundraiser off Lake Decatur in July, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Don Tracy offered one reason he thinks he has a shot in the general election, despite Democrats winning every statewide contest for more than a decade.

“I hear this question up and down the state, ‘Don, who is your opponent?’” Tracy said. “I answer that, and I say, ‘Well, my opponent is the lieutenant governor. Do you know his or her name?’ Nobody knows.”

The office is back, but some Chicagoans have already found something better: ‘Co-working is where it’s going to be at’

By the time he’s halfway up a climbing wall, Emerson Boyd is thinking only about which colorful nub might best carry his weight. For a few minutes, he’s beyond the reach of incoming emails — a freedom that’s hard to come by in the middle of a workday.

“Everyone here is doing their own thing, but they’re all working toward some goal that they have,” said the 29-year-old software developer, who co-works from First Ascent in the Loop. “The variety is good.”

Trump plan would remove protections for national forests like Shawnee: ‘We stand to lose our solitude’

For 73-year-old Harold “Cricket” Simons, a major appeal of the Shawnee National Forest is what isn’t there.

No motorized vehicles. No traffic passing on most trails. No horns or engines breaking the quiet.

But that’s at risk as the Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture proposed in August to repeal a 2001 federal rule restricting road construction on national forest lands.

‘Our lofty perch’: Balloonist shares decades in spellbinding hobby

Alan Zielinski is among the longest-running mainstays of hot air ballooning in the Chicago area. Forty-some years ago, the Niles native joined a small group of local pilots as they established the sport in a sliver of McHenry County about an hour outside the city. Now, Zielinkski is one of a handful of the area’s early balloonists who remain airborne.

100 years reborn, Ryan Field opens to wows and a deafening din

As the sun set over Evanston on Friday, a golden glow emanated from the limestone exterior of Ryan Field, which was mobbed for the first time by the Wildcat faithful.

Inside, a montage of moments from Northwestern University’s long path to rebuilding its football stadium played across the video screens. It featured Pat Ryan Sr., the benefactor behind the new stadium, and other Northwestern stalwarts extolling how the “most user-unfriendly” college arena had become the very opposite.

Related:

• Northwestern crushes Penn State 34-13 to christen new Ryan Field
• Northwestern marching band doesn’t play pregame show at inaugural Ryan Field game, drawing concern

Chicago Bears relish their thorough domination: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 4 bludgeoning

For a quarterback whisperer, Ben Johnson sure gets a twinkle in his eye when he talks about running the football.

The Bears steamrolled the New York Jets at Soldier Field on a picturesque yesterday afternoon along the lakefront with the kind of thorough battering that wasn’t necessarily reflected in the 23-12 final.

More on the Bears:

• Tyson Bagent’s ‘full-circle moment’ after an emotional win with the Bears is music to QB’s ears
• Kyle Monangai and the run game ‘grind that meat’ to subdue Jets — and bore Bears defenders

Column: White Sox welcoming Cubs fans to hop on the playoff bandwagon … with a few caveats

The intensity of the Cubs-Sox rivalry fueled a few brawls at both ballparks this season and has been part of the city’s lore for more than a century, writes Paul Sullivan.

But now that the Cubs have bowed out of the postseason and the White Sox are in the American League Division Series and fighting to get to the World Series for the first time since their 2005 title, is it time for detente?

More on the White Sox:

• White Sox win ALDS opener 3-0 behind Munetaka Murakami’s 2-run blast and a bullpen gem
• Anthony Kay will start for White Sox in Game 2: What we learned from Sunday’s ALDS workout

Review: The Chicks tour shows why ‘Taking the Long Way’ is a path still worth taking

In the moments before the Chicks jumped into their comeback anthem “Not Ready to Make Nice,” lead singer Natalie Maines reflected on the track’s impact.

“It’s so personal and specific to our experience,” she recalled. “But it’s since become an anthem for everyone not ready to make nice.”

And she was absolutely right, writes Britt Julious.

Just a few days left to enter the 40th annual Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest

Time is running out, but you can still enter the Tribune’s 40th annual Holiday Cookie Contest. Recipe submissions close at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 9.

Voting will begin next week, and the top recipes will advance to the final judging round. First place wins $250; second place, $150; third place, $50. We’ll announce the winners on Dec. 2.