Six development and design teams competing to redevelop City-owned sites in Woodlawn and East Garfield Park will initiate community discussions in early December to determine local goals for each location, Department of Planning and Development (DPD) Commissioner Maurice Cox announced today. 

Selected from more than 40 submissions to two Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) issued by DPD this summer, the teams are each being provided $25,000 grants from the Chicago Community Trust to create multi-story, mixed-use development proposals for each location.  

“This RFQ process reflects a refined approach to the redevelopment of vacant land on the West and South Side,” Commissioner Cox said. “Unlike Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that seek fully baked development projects, the RFQs enable teams to establish their credentials, form partnerships, meet with the community, and then deliver proposals that articulate local goals. 

“RFQs engage the community earlier in the process and create more opportunities for Black, Brown and other emerging design and development professionals to participate in local revitalization efforts,” Cox said. 

Responses to the RFQs were shortlisted by DPD this fall based on company experience, capacity, diversity, and other factors. The shortlisted firms formed teams based on their unique qualifications, with select participants working on both redevelopment sites. 

"It's time to change the narrative of vacant land from liability to opportunity and put resources behind it," said Chris Eagan, program manager for the Chicago Community Trust’s Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment strategy. "Through our partnership with the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, developers of color will play a critical role in the long-overdue resurgence of two storied neighborhoods.  We are pleased to provide resources that allow these design teams to bring community ideas to life."

East Garfield Park 

The East Garfield Park site includes 1.25 acres of vacant City land at multiple locations adjacent to the CTA’s Kedzie Green Line station, where three teams are creating proposals for multi-story, mixed-use, mixed-income buildings that leverage transit access. The selected teams are: 

• Citizens Building a Better Community, JGMA + Botanical City, Productora 
• Evergreen-Imagine, Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects, Harley Ellis Devereaux  
• The Michaels Org. and KMW Communities, Brooks + Scarpa, Studio Dwell 

The East Garfield Park teams will introduce themselves and share tentative design concepts during a virtual community meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6. Registration information is available here. 

Woodlawn 

The Woodlawn site includes 1.65 acres of vacant City land at 63rd Street and Ellis Avenue, where three teams are creating proposals for multi-story, mixed-use, mixed-income buildings that serve as catalysts for other nearby investments. The selected teams are: 

• Evergreen-Imagine, John Ronan Architects, Design Workshop  
• The Michaels Org. and DL3 Realty, Teeple Architects, Canopy/Architecture + Design 
• POAH and KMW, Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Harley Ellis Devereaux  

The Woodlawn teams will introduce themselves and share tentative design concepts during a virtual community meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13. Registration information is available here. 

Neighborhood stakeholders can share development and design suggestions on virtual “idea boards” for East Garfield Park and Woodlawn that will remain live throughout the process. 

Development team proposals for both sites are due to DPD by Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. Upon receipt, DPD will initiate community review processes that include development team presentations, proposal overviews and public discussions. 

Winning project selections for each site are expected to be announced by Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot by spring 2023, with the City’s formal review and approval procedures to follow. Construction could start by fall 2023. 

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