A final framework plan has been compiled for the redevelopment of 43 acres across the former Cabrini Green sites on the Near North Side. The city has been working on said plan for multiple years, having formally presented it to the community back in 2024. Since then, various input meetings have led to some refinement included in this last iteration, dubbed ‘Cabrini Now’.
Similar to other framework plans, its purpose is to help guide the redevelopment of the lots and allocate many of the outstanding affordable housing responsibilities created when Cabrini Green was demolished. The plan also sets up a basis from which the city can begin to issue RFPs to private developers who will be in charge of building out all future properties.
Framework plan for Cabrini Now via CHA
Framework plan for Cabrini Now via CHA
The overall plan encompasses 16 total sites, along with multiple areas which will deliver roughly 9.1 acres of new green space. The combined sites will deliver around 4,100 residential units, along with added commercial space, new roads, added infrastructure, and more. The projects will need to include affordable, market-rate, and a few public housing options.
The plan is split into four separate site clusters:
Framework plan for Rowhome sites via CHA
Rowhomes Sites
This site currently holds a large portion of the remaining Cabrini Green Rowhomes, of which a handful will remain and be renovated. The plan calls for a realignment of Locust Street and the creation of a new street just north of Chicago Avenue. With an improved grid, the plan expects roughly 1,100 new units and 400 parking spaces across townhomes, low-, mid-, and high-rises.
Framework plan for Cabrini Now via CHA
Higher-density structures would sit closer to Chicago Avenue to match the existing landscape, with low-rises and the townhomes sitting to the north. The street realignment would also help create 1.8 acres of new green space. This would be in addition to a large extension of Durso Park up to Seward Park, creating a unified seven-acre park.
Framework plan for Sedgwick sites via CHA
Sedgwick Sites
Located across from the extended Durso Park to the east, this next set of sites will cluster around an extension of Sedgwick Street and Walton Street, partially restoring the street grid. This area includes four large sites earmarked for mid- to high-rises. These would hold around 650 units, along with one of the potential relocation sites for the area’s existing Urban Farm.
Framework plan for Division sites via CHA
Division Sites
Bound by Division Street to the south, this multi-block-long vacant lot sits directly next to the existing Target and would also have its street grid rebuilt with an extension of Crosby Street and a new side street. This would break the lot into three new sectors with five development sites. Additionally, the space behind the Target serves as another potential relocation site for the farm.
These sites would be predominantly high-density, as they sit along Halsted Street as well. Aside from a few townhomes, the plan calls for mostly mid- and high-rises, with a total of around 1,000 units. There would also be around an acre of new public open space scattered throughout to complement the existing Stanton Park to the north.
Framework plan for Larrabee sites via CHA
Larrabee Sites
The final collection of sites sits around the intersection of Larrabee Street and Clybourn Avenue. These would largely border the massive wedge-shaped lot at 1450 North Larrabee, which is set to be redeveloped into over 500 homes through a separate plan, which we last covered in late 2025 after a new developer and design team took over.
For Cabrini Now, these sites would mostly contain low- to mid-rises, with a few multi-flat buildings to the north. The six sites would bring around 1,200 units and one acre of added green space. This would be centered around a preserved Strangers Home Church building, giving it a front entrance as Evergreen Avenue is rerouted and extended to Clybourn.
Framework plan for Cabrini Now via CHA
Next Steps
With the framework plan finalized, the city hopes to get ahead of costs and red tape by working on rezoning/upzoning all of the sites together as a Planned Development in order to make them more appealing to developers. Additionally, they plan on kicking off conversations with other departments like CDOT and the Park District to begin working through their portions.
The next steps after that would be to issue the first batch of RFPs to developers, with the hope of beginning to receive proposals soon after. At the moment, no concrete timeline has been revealed.
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Why has this land sat empty for so long?
Lawsuits.
By who against who? Who owns it?
CHA owns the sites, there is a consent decree that was the outcome of the lawsuit by former Cabrini residents against CHA.
4100 units plus the 500 at the other site, I hope they have a good amount of retail in there. Not just salons but stores and restaurants, places to go things to do. Like how Wells St is between Division and North.
I like that the parks are connected into one park. That was one of the problems with earlier versions of Cabrini-Green, where it was these isolated mini parks that got neglected and sketchy. It is much more useful to have a larger connected park where people can actually hang out, play games, etc.
Big mistake to reuse the name Cabrini in any urban planning. It’s synonymous with failure.
Agree very poor branding
Chill out guys, like the rest of the redevelopment of Cabrini, none of the new buildings will be named Cabrini. This is the name of a resident focused planning process, where the target audience are former CHA residents, who still have some affinity for the Cabrini name (btw the name of an actually great Italian American who is literally a saint).
I appreciate the attempts to restore the grid. Far too many city planners, when given free reign over large swaths of Chicago land, decide that their project should break the grid apart. These streets will improve connectivity of the whole neighborhood
Amen!
Streets are a necessary good.
I am only worried about the Crosby extension, as a diagonal intersection with Division is less than ideal. Hopefully it’s a through route for pedestrians with a pedestrian refuge island in the middle of Division, but a right turn only access for automobiles to Crosby from Division.
The only way to make it happen is to keep section8 units to a bare minimum. Otherwise no one will build anything for another 20 years. Private developers are not stupid or delusional, unlike City of Chicago administration. Who pretend anyone wants to pay market rate and live in the same building with section8 folks. I lived for a year next to Cabrini leftovers off Chicago ave, left after witnessing 3 shootings out of my windows in one year. It’s so bad they have to keep police cruiser on that street 24/7.
What’s your point? I have lived for 10 years next to a Section 8 building and have experienced zero issues with anyone living there.
Exactly, just a dog whistle. Thye should equal amount or more they know what thy are doing by pushing people out
Go back to the suburbs, Max.
It is way more complex and complicated than most people realize
CHA says they don’t have much $ for development
Federal statutes and regulations apply to most of the sites
So, it hasn’t been built on because CHA owns it but can’t or won’t develop it? Who benefits from CHA just sitting on this land besides CHA itself?
Less planning, more building please. This is like the 10th “plan” I’ve seen on my 21 years living in Chicago. Just set the max density to each lot and build, if you truly care about building housing.
💯
Agree, at some point it becomes something that fits the saying, the perfect becomes the enemy of the good enough.
With all that land they are only putting up tiny buildings. Embarrassing!!
In 1995 the first CTA Cabrini building was demolished that was 31 years ago or 372 months. The empire State building was built in 19 months. We could have built 20 empire State building at Cabrini Green in this time.
Yes, who benefits from this land NOT being built on?
Guess maybe someone who keeps getting private or government money for drawing up plans? Once built no more plans
How does CHA benefit from NOT developing this land? Holding the potentially valuable land gives CHA management power over real estate in that area and in Chicago generally. Other big investors wonder what CHA will do because it’s actions will affect the demand for and value of surrounding property. Once it’s built on and people know the effects on the larger real estate market, CHA loses power. CHA is about power, not housing. There are many other ways to change zoning, finance, and taxes to create vast new numbers of housing units that would decrease prices by increasing supply but powerful interests don’t want that to happen. Increased supply would decrease demand for existing housing upsetting tens of billions in financial deals built on existing valuations.
The CHA should be abolished. It’s an anachronism
The usual no nothing comments from the usual no nothing crowd.
To date 3500 housing unit have been built on the old Cabrini Green site including market rate, CHA and affordable units.
This article is about the more than doubling of the number of units already built (or rehabbed).
Why would you want to interact with such no nothings? Surely, you have better things to do with the people who do know what’s going on.
I like to set the record straight from commenters who come on here just to display their ignorance.
As usual you can’t actually address the crux of what I said which is that 3500 units have actually been built. I assume you can’t so you have to go off in a another direction, one that assuages your burnt ego. Grow up.
Just look at the North East corner of Halsted and Division….that why the frustration in these comments
Why don’t they just sell half the land to private developers and use the proceeds to build the rest? Right now CHA is completely broke and this “plan” is a pipe dream.
Everyone loses when these lots sit empty (as they have for 20+ years and likely will for 20 more).
CHA doesn’t do that because that would giving away it’s source of power in Chicago. The less it controls, the less power it has.
Wonderful news! Hope to see more innovations in green initiatives and climate resilience. Now we can pursue affordable housing across Chicago and communities like Greater Englewoo via scattered site housing
It’s such a disgrace that gas station on the Southeast corner of Division / Halsted was ever allowed to be built. Reflects how much improvement our city planning process needs. Gas stations aren’t easily redeveloped either …
There was a high rise originally planned at SE corner of Halsted and Division. Then with the 2007/08 market crash the gas station was about all that could economically go there. The adjacent ComEd substations are not the best neighbors either.