Developers Plan $42M Athletic and Cultural Complex in Chicago

A long-vacant stretch of Madison Street in East Garfield Park is slated for a major new community anchor, as Chicago moves forward with a $42 million athletic and cultural complex designed to bring sports, education and arts programming to the West Side.

A development team selected by the city will build the Madison Street Athletic & Cultural Complex on city-owned vacant lots in the 2900 block of West Madison Street, according to the Department of Planning and Development. The project, first reported by Block Club Chicago, will combine athletic facilities with academic and cultural uses.

Plans call for sports facilities, an academic learning center and an arts and culture hall, along with a music and media studio, cafe, teaching kitchen, indoor baseball diamond, event space, parking and outdoor areas. The city selected the project through a request for proposals issued last fall aimed at jump-starting new neighborhood amenities and job opportunities on the West Side.

The development team is minority-led and West Side-based, a key criterion for the city’s selection. Black-owned construction firm Bowa Construction will serve as general contractor. The Brim Foundation is partnering with P3 Markets, the local developer of projects like Bronzeville’s 43 Green, to develop the complex.

The development will be built on city-owned parcels that will be sold to the development team for about $996,000 — their appraised value — according to DPD. The project could also receive up to $10 million in city grants, pending Chicago City Council approval, to help close the financing gap, according to the outlet.

City officials framed the complex as part of a broader push to capitalize on momentum along Madison Street and the surrounding neighborhoods. The site sits within the Madison Street Corridor Study area, a three-mile stretch from Hoyne Avenue to Kenton Avenue targeted for long-term public and private investment. It also lies near the $7 billion 1901 Project, which aims to transform land around the United Center with new entertainment venues, retail, hotels, green space and affordable housing.

“The project’s strategic mix of uses and high-quality design will contribute to Madison Street’s ongoing revitalization, while supporting community health and well-being, especially for area youth,” Planning Commissioner Ciere Boatright said in a news release.

Next steps include a community meeting with leaders from the 27th Ward to gather input and refine plans before moving toward final approvals, according to the news release.

— Eric Weilbacher