Details have been revealed for a new training center at 7247 S South Chicago Avenue in Greater Grand Crossing. Located on the intersection with E 73rd Street, the new tech workforce training center will remodel the existing one-story structure on the site. Dubbed ‘Xchange Chicago’ the project is being led by a team formed by the Comer Education Campus, we first covered the development in 2022 when it was a finalist for the Pritzker Foundation prize.
Site context map of 7247 S Chicago Avenue via Google Maps
Rendering of previous plans down the street via Xchange Chicago
The project was originally proposed as a 50,000-square-foot new build down the street at 7301 S South Chicago Avenue with an angular roof. It will now take over the 28,000-square-foot brick structure which most recently held the Food and Paper Supply Company. The programs inside will be run with community partners including Network for Young Adult Success, Ring of Hope, Community Neighborhood Initiatives, CHAMPS Male Mentoring, and P33.
Rendering of 7247 S Chicago Avenue via Xchange Chicago
The building will be repainted, have some new windows and skylights installed, parking lot expanded into the current shipping dock with a new fence, and the inside redesigned. The spaces will include multi-use rooms, space for multiple commercial businesses, a commercial kitchen, and a cafe, hoping to employ 100 people at first and grow to 300 within the first five years.
Current view of 7247 S Chicago Avenue via Google Maps
With a total cost of $20 million, the relocation comes after the Food and Paper Supply Company offered Xchange Chicago to sell them the building after working with them previously. Currently Xchange is nearly fully funded thanks to a $5 million community development grant it received last year among others. Work should begin soon and be completed by the end of 2024.
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The services will be good, but of course the lame box remodel is what the city gets.
Will matching fluorescent light fixtures be added with an already outdated suburban office design?
I’d closer understand $20 million equaling a new construction. How is a remodel fetching the same price? That better include programming.
$84 million for a new tower about to house hundreds and construct new parking and other minor amenities.
For 1/4 that price, they’re REDOING a single story building. The math isn’t mathing.
Hey Drew,
While I did not get a breakdown of the price, there are other factors to consider including;
– The actual purchase price of the building.
– Based on the services provided, they will have to mostly fully furnish the interior.
– Sometimes for projects like this it includes setting up some reserve funds.
– Due to the previous industrial set up and needs for a tech environment, key pieces of infrastructure may need to be updated.
– The cost could also include the money necessary to initially fund their programs.
There are variety of ways they could reach that cost, however this is all informational and not confirmed by the development team. Thanks for reading!
Ian
I know you’re just reporting, but at the current cost + conditions, wouldn’t it be easier to simply start anew?
I love a good adaptive remodel, but there’s basically nothing setting this apart from an office park in Orland Park.
Even the beautiful mural will be covered up with some faux green imagery.
Either the structure has some hazardous materials being kept in place, some unknown (publicly) soils spoilage, structure is compromised, or… this has to be programming. Any idea of any grandfathering of code that’s letting this be an “exception” or get off from needing to adhere to new code stuff?
What grant funded this?
Rham got that amazing library in Irving Park with housing built for $23 million. That’s a real community asset.
Commercial projects are typically more expensive on a per square foot basis than residential.
Drew makes an excellent point .
84 million for a 29 story new construction and 20 million for a 28,000 square foot remodel of a one story remodel far from the Central Business District .
Jack , this would make an excellent discussion topic to enlighten all of us .
No where to eat still!!
Hey Y’all. The street address is actually on 7247 S. South Chicago Ave.
Chicago Ave is an east-west thoroughfare on the north side.