Partial funding has been approved for the upcoming community center at 2653 South Kildare Avenue in Little Village. Earlier this month, the city approved a $5 million development grant for the project, known as Floreciendo: La Villita Erie House Community Center, which was proposed just over a year ago and will replace a vacant lot on the corner with West 27th Avenue.
Rendering of Floreciendo Center by Canopy Architecture
Efforts for the project have been led by non-profit Erie House, which itself dates back to 1870 in West Town. Now, they have partnered with Canopy / architecture + design on plans for the five-story structure, which will serve 8,000 individuals annually, with roughly 35 percent of residents under 18 years of age living below the poverty level in the surrounding area.
Floor plans of Floreciendo Center by Canopy Architecture
The ground floor will hold 10 parking spaces tucked under the building, along with a patio, lobby, kitchen, and multi-use room. With 22,000 square feet of space in total, the rest of the floors will contain additional community rooms, a library, offices, a youth center, a media lab, a mental health clinic, a counseling clinic, and will be capped by a half-court gym and large outdoor patio.
Elevation of Floreciendo Center by Canopy Architecture
Rendering of Floreciendo Center by Canopy Architecture
The building will be clad in a mix of white metal panels and decorative multi-colored panels across the streetfront, with the interiors using warm pastels to create a home-like atmosphere. The project will cost $21.5 million in total, which includes funding for long-term operations. The team will now need to gather the rest of the funding before establishing a construction timeline.
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I actually like this design for a community center. Some might think it’s too busy, but I feel like a community center should be eye-catching and fun.