Ryan Smith
The Last Days of Rezkoville’s Purgatory
A long-empty swath of land south of the Loop is the latest site of a planned mega-development
Development
More Than a Church
How the potential sale of St. Adalbert threatens not just the loss of a church, but the loss of a centuries-old anchor for the community
Amy Qin
It’s a few minutes after noon, and families are still trickling in through the large wooden doors of St. Adalbert Church in Pilsen. Young and old are quietly making their way through the pews. A Kimball organ, one of the largest pipe organs in the Midwest, plays its final notes from the upper floor as Father Michael Enright and Deacon Juan Dominguez begin the introductory rites for mass.
What Is the CHA Doing?
Nearly two decades on, the legacy of the agency’s Plan for Transformation haunts Chicago
This year, nearly a quarter-century after the federal government first took over the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), the agency charged with housing the poorest Chicagoans will finally complete the goal it set in the early days after that takeover. The goal, outlined in CHA’s Plan for Transformation, was to build or renovate 25,000 new units of affordable housing.
On the Corner
At the intersection of 63rd & Cottage Grove, developers are shaping Woodlawn’s future by curating its past
Davon Clark
With the Obama Presidential Center proposed for Jackson Park, the University of Chicago’s continuing development along 61st Street, and a myriad of other projects large and small, residents are asking: what will Woodlawn become? This is the third article in a series investigating the past, present, and future of the neighborhood. Read the first here, and the second here.
Tax Breaks for Hilco, Diesel Trucks for Little Village
Aldermen vote to save an industrial developer some $20 million
Eric Allix Rogers
Last Friday, City Council’s Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development voted to recommend that industrial developer Hilco receive a $19.7 million tax break from the Cook County Assessor’s Office for its controversial redevelopment plan for the former Crawford Generating Station in Little Village. The meeting was hastily scheduled—chairman Proco Joe Moreno didn’t file an agenda with the City Clerk’s office until after business hours on Wednesday. (Moreno was ousted by his 1st Ward constituents in last week’s election; his office did not respond to a request for comment about how the meeting was scheduled.)
Touring Jackson Park’s Future
With the Obama Presidential Center incoming, the Jackson Park Advisory Council seeks to ease concerns about a beloved park
Jason Schumer
The planned Obama Presidential Center (OPC) in Jackson Park has drawn praise and criticism from the beginning. Proponents argue it will bring jobs and spark economic development in Woodlawn, with the Obama Foundation estimating that, over ten years, the OPC will generate $2.1 billion in additional income for South Side business owners. But critics of the center, led by the Obama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, argue that a legally binding agreement is needed to ensure that influx goes to supporting residents, rather than displacing them.
A Starbucks is Born
Bridgeport residents protest the forthcoming coffee chain
Seon-Hyung Kim
The December meeting of the community group Bridgeport Alliance ended with a standard group picture. Except instead of saying “Cheese,” members said “Fuck Starbucks!”
The Fight to Remain
A new affordable housing complex at 63rd and Cottage Grove has Woodlawn’s low-income residents wondering about their place in the neighborhood
Woodlawn Station, one of Preservation of Affordable Housing’s new buildings at the corner of 63rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. Daley’s, the city’s oldest restaurant, is set to move into the development from its current location across the street. (Jason Schumer)
With the Obama Presidential Center proposed for Jackson Park, the University of Chicago’s continuing development along 61st Street, and a myriad of other projects large and small, residents are asking: what will Woodlawn become? This is the second article in a series investigating the past, present, and future of the neighborhood. Read the first here.
The Guide for the Zoning Perplexed
A new handbook seeks to empower community members by explaining public land use
milo bosh
Standing between Archer and Wentworth Avenues, the Chinatown Public Library is an architectural marvel—a two-story structure of steel and glass designed in accordance with the principles of Feng Shui. Natural light pours into the all-white atrium, which features a splashy lotus-inspired mural on the second floor. You could be forgiven for thinking it was an art museum.
Where Are You Going, Woodlawn?
At a community celebration, residents and visitors consider the neighborhood’s next chapter
Ireashia Bennett, Ellen Hao
With the Obama Presidential Center proposed for Jackson Park, the University of Chicago’s continuing development along 61st Street, and a myriad of other projects large and small, residents are asking: what will Woodlawn become? This is the first article in a series investigating the past, present, and future of the neighborhood.