An official groundbreaking has been held for the first phase of the upcoming Woodlawn Central development at roughly 6309 South Dorchester Avenue. Initially announced in 2022, the greater multi-lot proposal will gradually replace multiple surface parking lots surrounding the Apostolic Church of God, who owns the property and is behind the project.
Site massing of Woodlawn Central phase one by Gensler
Site massing of Woodlawn Central phase one by Gensler
Said initial phase will occupy a large wedge-shaped lot to the east of the church, spanning an entire block and sliced by the adjacent Metra Electric tracks and 63rd Street station. Architecture firm Gensler is behind the design of the single structure, consisting of a three-story shared podium and two 11-story towers above, capping out at a combined 160 feet in height.
Rendering of Woodlawn Central phase one by Gensler
Inside the podium will be over 26,000 square feet of commercial space split into four separate spots. The largest sits on the southern end of the site and is earmarked for a food market, while a 3,000-square-foot leasable commercial space will sit mid-block, with the remaining space located on the northern end and serving as food and beverage spots for the hotel.
Floor plans of Woodlawn Central phase one by Gensler
With a fully activated streetfront, the upper two levels will hold a 300-space parking garage to be used by residents, visitors, and the church congregation. This will be capped by a large outdoor deck shared by both towers. The north tower will hold 160 hotel rooms and a full amenity floor. Similarly, the south tower will contain 104 residential units and an amenity floor.
Rendering of Woodlawn Central phase one by Gensler
The unit make-up will consist of eight studios, 48 one-bedroom, 40 two-bedroom, and eight three-bedroom layouts. There will be a total of 22 affordable units on-site as well. The combined cost for this phase will be $134 million per the city’s press release; the ceremony kicked off nearly two years of construction, with an anticipated completion date in Q2 of 2028.
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I bet they’ll ask the city to restore the Green Line branch next – you know, the portion they themselves advocated to be torn down.
And? The branch should be restored, that should have happened with the Obama Library construction
I’m not saying it shouldn’t be restored – just pointing out the potential irony.
Agreed it should be. The south and south west sides need a lot more transit. And we also need to make it much easier and quicker for the L and Metra lines to run through downtown, not terminate there. This is what cities like London have been working on for decades now.
The west side has a lot of transit: blue line, green line, frequent bus lines on Madison and Grand.
What the west side really needs is infill and dense development.
So is the housing here for everybody, or are only “the right people” going to be encouraged to live here?