Sterling Bay held a celebration last week that showed off a newly completed sculpture on a long-vacant 5-acre Englewood development site six years after acquiring the property from the city.
Since making the purchase as part of its acquisition of land for its future Lincoln Yards development on Chicago’s North Side, Sterling Bay has kept quiet about what kind of development it plans on the prominent Englewood property in the South Side neighborhood. It commissioned the work of art and held a ceremony with promises of revealing more about a potential project soon, Block Club reported.
Sterling Bay, led by CEO Andy Gloor, unveiled a 25-foot-tall monument meant to pay homage to Englewood’s educational history. The statue, dubbed ASPIRE, is located at 6701 South Wentworth Avenue — the former site of Kennedy King College. Local artist and activist Maxwell Emcays created the piece.
Sterling Bay’s original plan was to build a retail strip on the property, marking its first South Side project. In 2019, the company announced a partnership with Chicago-based DL3 Realty, though that firm is no longer working on the project, Sterling Bay spokeswoman Julie Goudie told the outlet. However, the developers are “close to and hope to be able to share more details on a project,” she said.
While Sterling Bay is no longer working with DL3, it will collaborate with minority- and women-owned businesses and neighbors to “work through the initial stages of a community-forward development plan,” Goudie said. Local residents are also able to submit ideas for future developments on the vacant lot by emailing hello@sterlingbay.com.
The monument’s base holds a time capsule containing artifacts provided by Englewood organizations and local alderpeople. The capsule offers a snapshot of the present and is intended to provide future generations with insight into Englewood’s history and ongoing evolution.
Emcays hopes the monument prompts the city to prioritize community-driven projects, spotlighting underrepresented neighborhoods like Englewood.
— Quinn Donoghue
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