Residents Want To See Progress On Roseland/West Pullman Redevelopment
A rendering of Morgan Park Commons, proposed housing located at 115th and Halsted. This affordable housing is just one part of a vision to redevelop West Pullman and Roseland. Image provided by Abraham Lacy
By Tia Carol Jones
The Far South Community Development Corporation has a vision of what the far south side of the city of Chicago could look like. There are proposals Far South CDC is looking for the city of Chicago to assist with. Both the 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale and the 34th Ward Alderman Carrie Austin are championing these proposals.
Abraham Lacy is the president of the Far South Community Development Corporation, which covers the Roseland and the West Pullman, as well as parts of the South Suburbs.
The proposals include 50 acres of a vacant industrial site, located at 119th and Morgan. The development corporation has been trying to get the city to acquire the site. Several developers have wanted to build industrial distribution facilities at the site.
There has not been any movement from the City or the Department of Planning and Development on the industrial development of the vacant site. The Far South CDC also attempted to go through the Cook County Land Bank but were told to go through the City.
“If that ever came to play, it would bring anywhere from 150 to 200 jobs at that location. It would be an anchor to what’s already been developed, which is right across the street from the new fire station that was opened back in March,” Lacy said.
There also has been a series of housing developments the Far South CDC has been trying to promote, with a focus on single family homes. That is ideal for what Lacy describes as a bedrock community, that had historically African American homeownership. The community has seen homeownership numbers decline either because the homes need to be upgraded or new homes are needed due to growing family dynamics.
The Red Line extension is coming through the Roseland and West Pullman area. In West Pullman, at the station located at 115th and Michigan, there is a proposal to develop housing and retail adjacent to the station.
Education is another part of the redevelopment of the community. The closing of schools was destabilizing to the community. There has not been a new school built in the Roseland or West Pullman community in years.
“In other parts of the city, they build it, and they hope people will come to it. In many cases they do. In our neighborhood if they get a slight decline in students because of other disinvestment that has been taking place, they shut the school down,” Lacy said. “Now you’ve got to bus all these kids to different locations, and they have to cross neighborhoods, and it’s proven to be dangerous and really unnerving for families.”
Lacy does have hope. Market studies have shown there is room for expansion of housing, which is the route the Far South CDC is going in. Also, there is hope in utilizing the community’s industrial core and taking advantage of the proposed transit line of the Red Line extension.
The New Tax Increments Financing Districts, as well as expanding existing TIF Districts, have resulted in most of West Pullman being under a TIF. The money and resources are available to be leveraged.
“There’s a lot there that can be done. It’s just that I’m not sure if there is a disconnect with City Hall downtown and the West Pullman neighborhood,” Lacy said. “We’re not quite clear on the City Hall’s plan for West Pullman. We’re not sure why if the South and West sides are a priority, as asserted by City Hall, there’s not a clear plan in place or a clear roadmap of what West Pullman can be.”
The Ninth Ward Alderman Anthony Beale’s vision for redevelopment is very broad. The next part of redevelopment of the area is the medical district and Roseland Hospital. The Medical District runs from 110th Place and Michigan and would be extended to 115th and Michigan.
“If we’re able to, expand the Medical District, expand the hospital, which we know now from COVID, we have a health desert in our community,” Beale said.
Beale is also trying to get a grocery store on 115th and Michigan. The idea is to work on the Medical District on 111th and the grocery store on 115th, then work inward to the rest of the community. The community is trying to get the city on board with its vision for the community.
“We just really need the City to put the resources behind it, like they’re doing every place else, they need to put the same resources out here,” Beale said. “If we get the attention and the resources. We already have the vision and the plan. I’m going to continue to push forward and I’m confident we’ll get it at the end of the day.”
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