ROSELAND MEDICAL DISTRICT MASTER PLAN GOES TO NEXT STAGE
BY TIA CAROL JONES
The Master Plan for the Roseland Medical District has gone to the next steps in the process. The plan was released by the Department of Planning and Development for public comment until Monday, Nov. 7th After November 7th, no additional public comments could be made.
Roseland Medical District encompasses South Eggleston Avenue to the west, West 110th Street to the north, South Edbrooke Avenue to the east and West 112th Street to the south, and includes 95 acres.
According to Abraham Lacy, President of the Far South Community Development Corporation, the plan the City of Chicago has released includes more community input, city input and renderings of the Roseland Medical District.
The Outpatient Medical Center, which would be located at 111th and State Street, is the focus and the catalyst for the Medical District. The updated Master Plan links the Roseland Medical District to the proposed Red Line Extension Terminal. And, it takes into consideration Roseland Hospital’s
Transformation Plan, which has been funded to create a Behavioral Health center above the Emergency Room.
Once the final plan is approved, the Roseland Medical District will be able to receive the $25 million that the State has appropriated for the District. The hope is that once the plan is accepted, it will lead to the community receiving much needed resources, additional funds for infrastructure improvements and housing and small business needs.
While the city’s input focused on technical points of the design, the community input was focused on what kinds of businesses would be located in the Roseland Medical District and what resources would be available for social services.
“It’s not just that you’re throwing money into building, it’s also what are you providing, as well, and how does this link with other things going on in the neighborhood, and other initiatives going on in the neighborhood,” Lacy said.
Lacy reiterated that the Roseland Medical District is the center of most of the development taking place in the community, with Invest South West. According to the City of Chicago, this month, it intends to issue a Request for Proposals for redevelopment of three sites: 11201-11215 S. Michigan, the site of the former Gately’s Department Store; 11331-11343 S. Michigan, formerly the Roseland Theatre; and 11500-11552 S. Michigan Ave., a city-owned parcel of land.
Lacy believes the Roseland Medical District will change the trajectory of Roseland and the surrounding communities – West Pullman, Washington Heights and East Morgan Park.
“We see the growing healthcare needs that are not being addressed. The Medical District is set to address those needs in areas that have been deprived for decades and in much need for access to healthcare,” he said.
The Roseland Medical District is priority No. 1 for the Far South Community Development Corporation and its partners in the project. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and accelerated the challenges the community has when it comes to healthcare and access to healthcare. One of the
biggest things in the plan was the focus on Maternal Health. According to an Existing Conditions Report, Roseland has the highest rate of premature births, infant mortality and poor health outcomes for mothers because of the lack of Maternal Health services.
“We cannot continue to go on as a community and ask for certain things if we continue to allow this problem to exacerbate … If you don’t address the social determinants of health, that’s where people get the notion that your zip code determines the length of your life,” Lacy said. “This plan is
incredibly important and the implementation of this plan is incredibly important. Not just for the next three to four years, we’re talking about the next three to four generations.”
The hope is that the Roseland Medical District Master Plan will go before the Planning Commission later this month.
To view the Roseland Medical District Master Plan, visit https://tinyurl.com/yuprv522.
