A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for the Sankofa Village Wellness Center at 4301 W Madison Street in West Garfield Park. Located on the corner with S Kildare Avenue, the project has been in the works for multiple years and will replace a vacant lot at the heart of the neighborhood. Work on the development has been led by The Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative.
Site map of Sankofa Wellness Village by Moody Nolan
Rendering of Sankofa Village Wellness Center by Moody Nolan
The development team is made up of The Community Builders, New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, and West Side United, with Moody Nolan serving as the architects. The team is also teaming up with YMCA, Rush Medical Center, Erie Family Health Centers, and Leaders Network to provide the services within the 60,000-square-foot structure.
Floor plan diagram of Sankofa Village Wellness Center by Moody Nolan
Rising four stories tall, the building will include a large affordable medical center for all ages including dentistry that hopes to serve over 6,000 patients a year. There will also be a large fitness center and daycare operated by YMCA, various community spaces, outdoor decks, and a credit union cafe that hopes to assist 10,000 locals open bank accounts.
Rendering of Sankofa Village Wellness Center by Moody Nolan
Elevation diagram of Sankofa Village Wellness Center by Moody Nolan
Clad in precast panels along with a large mural on its side, the projects will create an active street front with a small parking lot along Madison. The $35 million project is being funded through various funds as well as a $6.3 million payment from the Blackhawks expansion of the Fifth Third Arena. Work is now underway by Leopardo Companies and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
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Why are large murals a staple for developments in marginalized neighborhoods?
That may be looking at it backwards. People love public art. If a project is publicly funded and has social benefit focus, it is more likely to include these touches that the public wants.
I think there’s also an element of scale. Murals don’t work as well on taller building or mid-block developments. There are more appropriate sites in disinvested neighborhoods.