Chicago Neighborhoods 2015: Assets, Plans and Trends – A project of The Community Trust

SOUTH SIDE New investments paint brighter future for Englewood, neighbors

The heart of Chicago’s South Side is 20 minutes from the Loop, just west of the and the CTA Red Line. About 141,000 people live in the Greater Englewood, Auburn Gresham, and Washington Heights communities, where new public and private construction projects are reversing a long period of disinvestment.

Shaped by nearby transportation and industrial job centers, the South Side planning area once had the second-largest shopping district in the city at 63rd Street and Halsted Avenue, where the new Kennedy- King College now attracts a different kind of traffic.

The college, which opened on the site in 2007, is one of many land-use changes that have taken place in recent years or are underway. A new shopping center anchored by Whole Foods is under construction Source: Calculations by Institute for across from the college campus. Between and 61st Housing Studies at DePaul University using 2010 Decennial Census. Street, Norfolk Southern Railroad is adding an 84-acre intermodal freight facility that will create 400 jobs. Two farms are growing food and training workers in an “urban agriculture zone” north of 59th Street. Farther south at 83rd and the Dan Ryan, a vacant steel mill has been redeveloped as a Walmart-anchored shopping center. And construction has begun on a $240 million rebuild of the CTA Red Line transit hub.

About 700 acres of Englewood and West Englewood are vacant today after years of housing loss and economic decline, but the larger area is still defined by hundreds of blocks lined with brick bungalows, wood-frame houses, two-flats, and small apartment buildings. The housing stock in Washington Heights is 60 percent owner-occupied and in generally good condition; in Auburn Gresham, about 40 percent of homes are owner-occupied and a series of “Model Blocks” include rehabbed bungalows, two-flats, and other housing styles. Englewood and West Englewood are primarily rental communities, with 23 percent and 36 percent of units owner-occupied, respectively.

Turning a corner Today’s South Side neighborhoods have been influenced by 40 SOUTH SIDE AREA OVER TIME 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 years of active neighbors, faith-based organizations, and Population community groups, who laid the groundwork for the changes 257,026 222,735 193,134 171,275 141,395 now underway. Englewood in particular has experienced Share of population in poverty many decades of community revitalization effort, including 15.5% 25.4% 26.7% 27.6% 33.4% the City of Chicago’s 1960s reconfiguration of the 63rd and Percent owner-occupied/renter occupied Halsted commercial district and nearby development of 849 46/54 49/51 52/48 52/48 47/53

units of affordable housing by Antioch Missionary Baptist Sources: Calculations by Institute for Housing Studies Church. Much more has happened in the last 10 years as both at DePaul University using U.S. Census data from US2010 Project at Brown University. Auburn Gresham and Englewood have produced quality-of- life plans and made progress on many of their goals.  Shopping areas: Englewood’s 2005 quality-of-life plan, Making A Difference, called for a new “Englewood Center” around 63rd and Halsted to complement the then-planned Kennedy-King campus. Since then, a new retail strip was built on 63rd Street, ground was broken for the retail center to be anchored by Whole Foods, and two new housing developments became reality: a 99-unit supportive housing building at 63rd and Peoria, built by Mercy Housing Lakefront, and the 73-unit Hope Manor II veteran’s housing complex at 61st and Halsted, built by Volunteers of America.  Education: The Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation and over the last eight years have developed a network of “Gold” schools that provide expanded academic and cultural programming, health services, and neighborhood involvement. The schools have achieved higher immunization and attendance rates and

Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Summary of Assets – South Side – February 2015 – Page 2 stronger paths to college; the work is being expanded thanks to $1.9 million in new support for literacy programs from the Kellogg Foundation. Englewood has two standout high schools, Lindblom College Prep, a Level 1-rated selective enrollment school in West Englewood, and the charter Englewood Urban Prep Academy, whose senior classes have achieved 100 percent acceptance at four-year colleges for the last five years.

 Reuse of vacant land: With far more vacant land than can be absorbed by normal market forces, Englewood and the City of Chicago have actively sought alternate uses. Two small farms have been established by Growing Home, Inc. along the 59th Street viaduct, where a linear park and “urban agriculture zone” are planned. In 2014, the City of Chicago developed the Large Lots program, which resulted in 322 city-owned vacant lots being conveyed to local property owners and non-profits, for $1 each. The non-profit Teamwork Englewood has been a key supporter of both of these programs.  Transportation: The CTA in 2013 spent $425 million to completely rebuild the South Red Line, cutting 10 minutes from the trip to downtown Chicago. In 2014, the Chicago Department of Transportation broke ground on the 95th Street terminal project, which will create a modern station and improved facilities for riders on 1,000 feeder buses each day. In Auburn Gresham, the long-sought development of a new commuter station at 79th Street was announced in October 2014, around which a “transit village” is planned. The 79th Street bus has the second- highest ridership in the city with 27,500 riders per weekday.

Another long-time anchor in Englewood is St. Bernard Hospital, which has developed 70 units of single-family housing near its campus at 64th Street and Harvard Avenue. The hospital in October 2014 broke ground on a three-story ambulatory care center that will face 63rd Street at Stewart Avenue. And on Halsted at 95th Street in Washington Heights, the Woodson Regional Library is receiving a $10 million upgrade, with a new YOUmedia digital space for teens, complete exterior rehab, and new lobby.

Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Summary of Assets – South Side – February 2015 – Page 3 Building blocks Strong historic assets are in place throughout the South Side area, offering opportunities for further development and new investment. As elsewhere in the city, the retail sector is no longer able to fill available spaces along the many arterial streets, but there are nodes of activity on 63rd, 69th, 79th, 87th, and 95th Streets, as well as the north-south , Racine Avenue, and Ashland Avenue. The largest full-service grocery is the Walmart Supercenter at 83rd and Stewart, but there is a new Food 4 Less at 71st and Ashland, a Pete’s Produce at 87th and Loomis in Washington Heights, and an Aldi on 63rd Street near Kennedy King College, east of the planned Whole Foods.

Though much of the housing stock is 80 to 100 years old, there are many strong clusters of brick bungalows, two-flats, and Victorian houses, especially south of 76th Street. Harvard and Yale Avenues in Englewood, near St. Bernard Hospital, include well-preserved wood and brick homes, an active homeowners association, and the landmark Yale Building. Auburn Gresham has designated the area from 76th to 79th Streets and Loomis to Racine as Model Blocks, with a diverse Housing markets in 2013 remained weak in most of mix of housing including larger apartment buildings. Englewood and West Further east, the Winneconna Parkway area just north of Englewood (northern sec ons), but were stronger 79th Street includes a unique series of lagoons connected by in Auburn Gresham and Washington Heights. bridges; it was developed in the late 1800s and today has newer construction as well as vacant areas that could be developed as part of the planned Metra transit village. Washington Heights and the Ashburn area to the west have the most stable housing markets, with higher homeownership rates. Englewood and West Englewood were hardest hit during the foreclosure crisis, forcing hundreds of distressed, low-value sales (brown areas on chart, right), but housing values remained relatively stable in Source: Calculations by Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University using data from Cook County Recorder of most areas to the south. Deeds via Property Insights, Cook County Assessor.

Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Summary of Assets – South Side – February 2015 – Page 4 The City of Chicago Micro-Market Recovery Program targeted areas in Englewood and Auburn Gresham, with partners Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago and Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation. The efforts have re-occupied 190 units of housing in the two clusters.

Community groups Among hundreds of faith-based institutions, including many storefront churches, several have had major impacts on the community. Faith Community of St. Sabina and its longtime leader Rev. Michael Pfleger represent a physical anchor at Racine Avenue at 78th Place, as well as a center of activism around safety, job placement, and community revitalization. Trinity United Church on 95th Street in Washington Heights attracts steady traffic all week and on Sundays with its 8,000-person congregation, is raising $5 million to improve the main church building, and has a “village center” in neighboring Beverly. Trinity’s nonprofit affiliate, Endeleo Institute, is working with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning on a Local Technical Assistance plan for the four-block stretch between the church and the CTA’s 95th Street terminal. On 79th Street in Auburn Gresham, the Nation of Islam operates the Salaam banquet facilities and the Final Call newspaper offices.

Numerous block clubs, social service agencies, and homeowners groups work together through Teamwork Englewood, Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation, the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation, and the Residents Association of Greater Englewood.

Finally, neighborhood activity continues around gardening and environmental activities. Imagine Englewood If has been organizing community gardens and beautification projects since 1997; it is one of a half dozen community gardening operations including the Eat to Live Garden at 70th and Princeton and the two Growing Home farms near 59th and Wood, which use hoophouses to grow produce year-round.

The environmental group Sustainable Englewood Initiatives worked with other organizations to negotiate air-quality and open-space investments by the railroad company Norfolk Southern as it expands its Englewood intermodal yard south across Garfield Boulevard. The controversial project involved the sale of 105 city-owned lots and the purchase by the railroad of all remaining homes on the

Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Summary of Assets – South Side – February 2015 – Page 5 blocks generally south of Garfield Boulevard to 61st Street, and between the rail viaducts near Stewart and Wallace Avenues. In exchange for the city-owned land, the railroad conveyed a three-mile stretch of elevated right-of-way north of 59th Street, which the city plans to convert to a linear park similar to The 606 trail on the North Side. The railroad EMPLOYMENT – SOUTH SIDE also agreed to upgrade diesel equipment to Top six employment sectors (# jobs) 2005 2011 reduce pollution and contribute $1 million to Health Care and Social Assistance 1,889 2,534 Retail Trade 2,362 1,963 neighborhood sustainability projects. Educational Services 975 917 Accommodation and Food Services 663 776 Opportunities and challenges Transportation and Warehousing 363 489 The City of Chicago’s 2013 Green Healthy Manufacturing 708 476 Total # jobs in planning district 8,621 8,756 Neighborhoods plan provides a 10- to 20-year framework for the area’s land use. That plan District Citywide concentrates on Greater Englewood and areas Unemployment rate 2012 28.6% 12.9% Sources: Calculations by Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University to the east, but has applicability as well to the using Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics data (top sectors) and Auburn Gresham and Washington Heights 2012 Five-Year American Community Survey (unemployment). communities in terms of housing, retail, and industrial opportunities.

The entire planning district showed continued population decline between 2000 and 2010, with Englewood and West Englewood losing more than 21 percent of residents while Auburn Gresham and Washington Heights saw drops of 13 percent and 11 percent respectively. The district has a growing share of population living in poverty, at 33 percent overall, with the highest rates in Englewood and the lowest in Washington Heights. All four communities have some higher-income households earning $85,000 per year or more, but the percentage is smaller than most other Chicago planning districts.

These factors will make it challenging to develop new retail stores or housing, which is why all recent plans for the area have encouraged such development to be clustered around existing activity centers or at major intersections. For instance, Kennedy-King College has 14,000 students attending two-year degree programs, culinary school, and technical programs on its 40-acre campus. The Whole Foods- anchored shopping center will likely attract smaller retailers. Over time, this activity center could

Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Summary of Assets – South Side – February 2015 – Page 6 support mixed-use in-fill opportunities nearby, including the southwest corner of 63rd and Halsted, where a building burned down in 2014.

Source: Easy Analytic Software, Inc., updated January 2014, as displayed on Woodstock Institute Data Portal.

Population decline also contributes to relatively low ridership on the CTA Green Line, whose three area stations have shown little growth in recent years. Red Line ridership, fed by buses and walk-in traffic, remains high and is likely to show new growth in 2015 because of faster service since the 2013 renovation. Metra serves only three stations in the area but will add a fourth when the 79th Street station opens in 2016. Metra ridership has declined in recent years. Metra Rock Island Ridership CTA Red Line Ridership (weekday boardings, year-end averages, 2009 and 2012)* (weekday average boardings) Red Line Green Line 95th St. Gresham Brainerd Garfield 63rd 69th 79th 87th 95th Garfield Halsted Ashland Longwood 2009 4,081 3,636 5,688 7,747 5,024 12,936 1,334 846 1,532 2006 537 448 147 2012 3,819 3,463 5,703 7,538 4,861 12,550 1,347 900 1,567 2014 395 322 85 Source: Chicago Transit Authority Annual Ridership Reports. * Red Line South was closed for reconstruction in 2013 so 2012 numbers are used. Source: Metra Commuter Rail System Station Alighting/Boarding Count, Summary Results, Spring 2014. Note: 2014 ridership was counted School performance is generally low, with few Level 1-rated schools beyond the selective enrollment in the spring, versus fall counts in 2006, and thus reflects a roughly 5 percent lower, schools Turner-Drew Magnet, Lenart Gifted, and Lindblom College Prep. Because enrollment has seasonal ridership level. Any greater variance than -5% is likely reflective of changes in declined over the years along with the area’s population, seven elementary schools were closed in 2013 population, employment, usage, and other (see Development Opportunities table, below). This forced thousands of students to shift to other factors. schools and leaves empty buildings along blocks that had previously gained stability from the school’s

Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Summary of Assets – South Side – February 2015 – Page 7 presence. Only the Wentworth and Earle school buildings are considered likely candidates for historic preservation.

Probably the area’s most important challenge is to reverse negative perceptions developed over the years of decline and made worse by media coverage, which tends to emphasize incidents of crime. The Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp. has actively countered those perceptions, declaring the neighborhood one of Chicago’s “best-kept secrets” and sponsoring regular community events including the 79th Street Renaissance Festival, which attracts thousands to the street each September. The Residents Association of Greater Englewood spreads the “good news” about the neighborhood through social media, neighborhood cleanups, and radio and TV appearances.

With the many new investments underway, there is good news to report in the South Side area, which may signal the long-sought turnaround of this section of the city. Continued effort by community organizations, in coordination with public and private investment, will be key to achieving success.

Examples of development opportunities Place Location Status Notes Vacant residential Numerous throughout Large Lot program in 2014 Vacant lots are less common in lots Englewood and West conveyed 332 parcels in Greater Washington Heights and Auburn Englewood Englewood to nearby landowners Gresham, where intact blocks offer infill for use as side yards, gardens, or opportunities. redevelopment. Vacant and Numerous on arterial Vacant storefronts and land Green Healthy Neighborhoods plan underutilized streets available near many high-traffic identifies 69th and State for its long-term commercial spaces commercial nodes. potential for transit-oriented mixed-use development. Garfield Boulevard offers similar opportunities. Winneconna North of 79th Street Multiple infill lots are available and Site is adjacent to planned 79th Street Parkway between Vincennes and vacant or poorly maintained homes Metra station. Fielding Avenues need rehab. Former Kennedy- Wentworth Avenue from Buildings on both sides of No plans have been reported for the 18- King College site Marquette Rd. to 69th Wentworth demolished in 2010 acre site. Street after new campus opened. Bontemp School 1258 W. 58th Street 1.39-acre site next to 59th Street Building is not a priority for historic (closed 2013) railroad viaduct slated for future preservation. trail use; mechanical repairs needed

Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Summary of Assets – South Side – February 2015 – Page 8 Earle School (closed 6121 S. Hermitage Ave. 4.39-acre site; no major repairs Pre-WWII main building is classic Chicago 2013) needed school design but does not meet criteria for historic preservation; in challenged area where reuse could have positive impact. Mays School (closed 838 W. Marquette Rd. 1.98-acre site; needs mechanical Historic preservation deemed “not 2013) repair applicable.” Morgan School 8407 S. Kerfoot Ave. 3.63-acre site; needs building Building is not a priority for historic (closed 2013) envelope repairs preservation. Wentworth School 6950 S. Sangamon St. 4.29-acre site; no repairs needed Includes 31 Progressive-era and three (closed 2013) WPA-era murals; pre-1930s decorative- brick buildings may meet criteria for historic designation. Woods School 6206 S. Racine Ave. 2.71 acre site; needs mechanical Building is not a priority for historic (closed 2013) and building envelope repairs. preservation. Yale School (closed 7025 S. Princeton Ave. 1.66 acre site; needs mechanical Post-WWII building with plain design is 2013) repairs not a priority for historic preservation.

Data note: Demographic and other data is compiled by Chicago Community Area, which may differ slightly from the boundaries of the CN2015 Planning Districts. Community Areas included in this profile are Englewood, West Englewood, Auburn Gresham, and Washington Heights.

Research support for Chicago Neighborhoods 2015: Assets, Plans and Trends was provided by a team convened by The Chicago Community Trust. The summary of assets for this planning district was created by LISC Chicago and Teska Associates with materials from Metropolitan Planning Council, Place Consulting, Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, and many other sources. Author: Patrick Barry.

Learn more about the South Side and Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 at cct.org/CN2015/SouthSide. Learn more about data and sources at cct.org/CN2015/DataSources.

Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Summary of Assets – South Side – February 2015 – Page 9 SOUTH SIDE PLANNING DISTRICT ASSET MAP CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS 2015

See Stockyards Planning District Back of the Yards HS Cornell Square Park Richards HS NEW CITY See Bronzeville South Lakefront Daley Elem Academy 51st Su Casa Princeton ES Planning District Peace & Education Coalition HS Sherman ES Visitation Fulton ES Libby ES Intermodal Freight Facility Catholic Sherman Park School Dewey ES Garfield Sherman Park Hope College Prep HS GARFIELD CICS Basil Holmes ES Bloom

Henderson ES Sherwood ES 63rd Street Corridor Former Bontemps ES Englewood Square Growing Home Farm 94 Urban Prep Academies 59TH Veterans Housing See Midway Teamwork Englewood Copernicus ES St Bernard Hospital Academy of Hope Manor II Team HS Planning District Lindblom Park Nicholson ES St. Benedict J. Carter Hill Comm Garden Reed ES ENGLEWOOD Kennedy King College Lindblom HS Former Earle ES Kelly Englewood Mile Square Hlth Ctr. Former Woods School 63rd Metro. Family Services (CWF) Goodlow ES Clara's House 7TH St. Bernard West Englewood Englewood St. Bernard Ambulatory Care Ashland/ Halsted Children's Home + Aid 63rd Englewood Food Network MMRP Academy of St. Benedict Kershaw ES Harper HS Morgan St Fam. Garden Montessori Englewood Ogden Yale Building O'toole ES Providence Park Bass ES Banneker ES Englewood Canaan Baptist Church MARQUETTE Former Mays School R.A.G.E. 69th Street Corridor Charter Kusanya Cafe Davis ES Amandla Charter HS Englewood HS Englewood Robeson HS Greater Englewood CDC Bank of America Parker ES Health Center 69th Salvation Army Eat to Live Garden

Johns ES Former Wentworth ES N E Perry Mansion Cultural Center 71ST M Former Altgeld ES Bond ES Hinton ES A Former Yale School D FloJo Comm Garden Guggenheim ES Hamilton Park 79th Street Corridor Randolph ES G. Auburn Gresham Dvpt. Corp.

Southside HS ASHLAND Gresham VA Clinic Auburn Gresham Bungalow Stagg ES HALSTED St. Leo Veterans Residence Historic District Thurgood Marshall Harvard ES The Final Call Newspaper

N Dr. MLK Jr. Park & Family Ctr SOS Children's Village YCCS Charter Youth Development

R AUBURN GRESHAM Salaam Restaurant E

T Oglesby ES

Barton ES Winnecona Parkway Employment Resource Ctr. S E Auburn Gresham MMRP

Leo High School W St. Rita HS St. Sabina Academy 6TH Auburn Park Auburn Gresham Mental Hlth Ctr. Greater Southwest BJ's Market Industrial Corridor 79th AFC Center Auburn Park 79th Wrightwood Sr. Apartments Joplin ES Veteran Wrightwood St. Sabina Emp. Resource Ctr (CWF) Westcott ES West Chatham Bungalow CICS Ellison Housing

E Historic District I Perspectives Lenart ES Z ASHBURN Simeon HS

Middle Acad.

D E K CICS Longwood Cook ES (Elev8 School) Three Chefs West Chatham Park Hunter Perkins Charter 83RD Restaurant Magic Johnson Chatham Owen ES Carroll ES Excel Southwest Cuffe ES Chatham Market Ashburn ES Foster Park Former Morgan ES Ashburn Hayes Park Walmart Lowe's See Stony Island Dan Ryan Woods Foster Park ES Former Gresham ES Planning District Hansberry Wrightwood-Ashburn Beverly Country Club 87th Pete's Produce College Prep Gresham Pathways HS Ryder ES 87th St. Ethelreda School Jackson, M ES

Brainerd 94 Brainerd Fort Dearborn ES See Far Southwest Side Hometown 91ST Evangelical Christian School Planning District Trinity Turner-Drew ES Burlins Community Garden United Resurrection Lutheran School Kipling ES Church Oakdale Christian Academy 95th 95th Street Transit Hub Woodson Longwood 95th/Dan Ryan Johnston Charter HS CICS Longwood Endeleo Green ES Evergreen Park Mary Hellen Institute CICS Loomis Community Garden

WASHINGTON Wacker ES Evers ES HEIGHTS 57

See Calumet Planning District

DATE | 01.16.2015 SOUTH SIDE PLANNING DISTRICT WARD/TIF/SSA MAP CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS 2015

See Stockyards Planning District

SSA#13 S

T

ASHLAND RACINE

E

Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council W

A See Bronzeville South Lakefront 47th/Ashland R 51ST T Planning District 20th Ward 3rd Ward 47th/Halsted 55TH

15th Ward

59TH 60th/Western with Amendment 16th Ward

Greater Southwest Development Corp Englewood Mall 63RD

63rd/Ashland Englewood Neighborhood

See Midway Planning District

SSA#14 67th/Wentworth T 6th Ward 69th and Ashland 71S

17th Ward Chicago Greater Southwest Ind. Corridor 75TH 79th Street Corridor SSA#32

79th/Vincennes 79th/Southwest Hwy. Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp.

83RD Greater Ashburn Planning Association

KEDZIE

83rd/Stewart 18th Ward 87TH

See Stony Island 21st Ward Planning District Hometown 91ST

See Far Southwest Side Planning District

Evergreen Park 95TH

34th Ward The Far South CDC Morgan Park/Beverly Hills Association See Calumet Planning District Beverly Area Planning Association

(NBDC) serves this district but main o ce may be located o the map *This planning area is located within the Calumet Industrial Council, the Greater Southwest Chicago Development Corp. and the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (LIRI) DATE | 01.16.2015