Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Acting Chicago Housing Authority CEO Eugene Jones today announced that the CHA and the City of Chicago are seeking proposals for the first phase of redevelopment of the remaining 65 acres of vacant land in the historic Cabrini-Green area.

“Just as the old Cabrini-Green contributed greatly to the City’s history, its continued transformation will contribute greatly to the City’s future,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Like the residents of this historic neighborhood, who helped the CHA forge the redevelopment plan, I am excited by the changes that are bringing new housing and opportunity to the Near North Side.”

“With a strengthened economy, a strong partnership between the City and the CHA, and the full confidence and engagement of the community we are excited to move forward with this latest phase of redevelopment for the former Cabrini-Green,” said Eugene Jones, Acting CHA CEO. “The new homes, stores that will emerge during this phase, will add to the increasing vibrancy of this great Chicago neighborhood.”

Part of an overall community plan developed by the CHA, the city of Chicago and the Near North Working Group, composed of former Cabrini-Green residents, the Request for Proposals (RFP) calls for the development of approximately 900 units of housing in a mixed-income residential community on approximately 17 acres of land at three separate sites. The RFP requires between one-third and 40 percent of the housing be reserved for public housing residents with both rental and home-ownership opportunities. In addition, the RFP calls for proposals for retail and commercial developments on designated sites that meet community needs for amenities and employment.

The RFP is part of the larger Development Zone Plan, which when completed is expected to create a total of approximately 2,830 housing units, of which at least one-third will be reserved for public housing residents.

Site 1 is eight acres bounded by Clybourn Avenue, the former Blackhawk right-of-way to the north, Larrabee Avenue to the east and the Clybourn Medical Center to the south. Site 2 is approximately seven acres and bounded by Halsted Street on the west, the former Scott Street right-of-way on the north, a Target store on the east and Division Street on the south. Site 3 is approximately 1.6 acres and bounded by Larrabee Street to the west, Oak Street to the north and Cambridge Avenue to the east and residential buildings to the south.

Housing Advocates, former residents and the area’s alderman joined with the city in praising the announcement. “While it’s been a long-time coming, we’re excited about this phase of development,” Cabrini-Green LAC President Carol Steele said. The years we’ve spent planning have been worth it as we have a plan that both protects public housing residents while providing them with new opportunities both for better housing but also for the amenities and employment that all sustainable communities offer.”

Alderman Walter Burnett, who grew up in Cabrini-Green and who has been an integral part of the planning process for the past 15 years, says that the latest RFP is an extension of a process that has worked well for all. “Many feared that the take-down of the old high-rises would be bad for the community, but the opposite has occurred,” Alderman Burnett said. “Our community has changed for the better. We’ve maintained or found housing for long-term community members while adding opportunities and services. Thanks to the vigilance of the community, we’ve seen new housing, schools and stores built by and employing neighborhood residents. The Near North Side has become a place where people of different incomes and backgrounds live and work side-by-side – we are what every Chicago neighborhood should be.”

Built from 1942-62, Cabrini-Green was one of the first large-scale efforts between local and federal government to provide housing to low-income families and the growing number of industrial workers in the area pre-war, made up of four separate developments: Francis Cabrini Homes, Extension North, Extension South and the William Green Homes. The four developments contained 23 multi-story buildings and row houses and a total of more than 3,600 units. At the beginning of the Plan for Transformation (October 1, 1999), only 1,748 units at Cabrini were occupied. CHA started demolition of the buildings in 1995 and continued through 2011. Only the Frances Cabrini Row-houses comprised of 586 units remain: 146 were renovated in 2009 and the other 440 units are vacant.

To date, 434 public housing units have been built and occupied and 62 public housing units are under construction at mixed-income sites in the Cabrini-Green area. In addition, 153 affordable units have been built and occupied and 53 affordable units are under construction.

Responses to the RFP are due April 29, 2016 at 1 p.m. CST and respondents may submit for one site or multiple sites, although each site requires an independent proposal. Extra points will be awarded in the scoring of proposals with financially-sound deals that provide the maximum number of public housing units.