A construction permit has been greenlit for outdoor upgrades to the Benjamin E. Mays Elementary Academy at 6656 S Normal Boulevard in Englewood. The project, owned by the city, is expected to provide an array of exterior improvements including a new play lot, artificial turf field, stormwater management, and additional landscaping.
The Mayor’s office announced via press release a new affordable housing project located at 1801 S Wabash Avenue in the Near South Side at the corner of S Wabash Avenue and E 18th Street. According to the release, The Department of Housing has approved the $21 million bond for the new project which will reportedly consist of a gut rehab of a Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) building.
The City of Chicago has awarded further funding to both the Albany Terrace Apartments and the Irene McCoy Gaines Apartments. The Albany Terrace Apartments is located at 3030 W 21st Place in the South Lawndale community and yields 350 units in a 17-story tower, including a total of 32 mobility-accessible units and 37 sensory adaptable units in a senior living complex that was originally built in 1974. The 17-story Irene McCoy Gaines Apartments were constructed in 1964 and named in honor of the first African American woman to run for a seat in the Illinois Legislature. The senior living property is located at 3700 W Congress Parkway in East Garfield Park and is composed of 151 studio and one-bedroom apartments including 30 ADA-accessible units. According to the decision, both buildings are receiving the funding to contribute towards critical systems upgrades garnered by way of a financial proposal that was approved by City Council on Friday of last week.
On Tuesday, the Mayor’s Office released a statement following the groundbreaking of the much anticipated Englewood Connect, a $13.9 million culinary food hub located at 6204 S Green Street in Englewood. Plans include restoring and repurposing the landmark Engine Co. 84 firehouse as a commercial kitchen and event space in the heart of the Englewood neighborhood to create a centralized gathering hub for community members. Englewood Connect is part of the broader INVEST South/West project which aims to revitalize 10 West and South side community areas. Mayor Lightfoot is leveraging nearly $2 billion in public and private investment commitments to fund these projects.
The City of Chicago has announced the first seven winners of the first round of the Chicago Works Community Challenge across the city. In a press event at Rainbow Beach Park led by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the winners of a combined $1.5 million grant were declared part of the larger $10 million initiative which began in 2021 and garnered roughly 500 submissions from locals across the seven target regions.
