OAKWOOD SHORES REDEVELOPMENT
Building on the PAST – Creating the FUTURE
The Chicago Housing Authority is working with Gensler to craft a comprehensive urban design strategy for the remaining vacant land at Oakwood Shores, the former Madden Wells public housing site covering approximately 94 acres on Chicago’s South Side Bronzeville neighborhood.
The effort will be focused on creating a community based vision, which will “build on the PAST” to “create a brighter FUTURE” for the neighborhood.
History
Originally constructed in 1941, Ida B. Wells was initially praised as the first African American public housing development in the country for working families, and continued to expand with the Wells Extension (built 1955), Clarence Darrow Homes (built 1961), and Madden Park Homes (built 1970), totaling over 3,200 residential units.
As part of the Chicago Housing Authority Plan for Transformation, a HOPE VI Master Plan was created by McCormick Baron Salazar and Meisrow Stein in 1999. The proposed plan called for approximately 3,000 units of mixed-income housing developed within a network of public parks, schools, community buildings and retail space. Demolition began in 2002 and concluded in the summer 2011. The first phase of new construction for mixed-income housing began in 2003. Led by The Community Builders, 920 units have been planned and constructed thus far, which now requires a new thoughtful approach for the balance of the site and remaining number of units that responds to market conditions and community needs.
Our Approach
Understanding the Neighborhood
Living in the Neighborhood
Latest Community Meeting
Final Community Meeting
The final community meeting for the Oakwood Shores Redevelopment Plan took place on Monday, December 11, 2017 at the Oakwood Center. The Gensler Team gave an overview of the Quality of Life Plan and the supporting activities that led to the formation of the Guiding Principles. These Guiding Principles, along with feedback from the Working Group, the 4th Ward Office and the community were used to craft the conceptual master plan. The conceptual master plan and will serve as a guide for future development, with the guiding principles serving as important themes that will influence the plan and impact the quality of life for current and future residents of the community.
Please download the PDF of the presentation below to know more about the meeting and the future plans.
PDF: Oakwood Shores Final Community Meeting_12112017
3rd Community Meeting
We had the 3rd community meeting at the West Point Missionary Baptist Church on October 18, 2017. Please download the PDF to know more about the meeting.
Build Your Vision
Want to share your vision for Oakwood Shores? Be sure to stop by the Oakwood Shores Community Center to check out the physical model on display of the existing conditions. We’re encouraging all community residents to engage with the physical model and LEGOs to build out your own vision for Oakwood Shores.
Youth of Oakwood Shores
Please Chat N’ Chew with us and share your opinion about your neighborhood and what you are hoping for the future.
Wednesday, July 12 @ 4p.m.
Mandrake Park, 3858 S. Cottage Grove
2nd Community Meeting
We had the 2nd community meeting at West Point Missionary Baptist Church on July 27, 2017. Please download the PDF to know more about the meeting.
Oakwood Shores Master Plan 2nd community meeting
Thursday, July 27, 2017
6:00 – 8:00 pm
West Point Missionary Baptist Church,
Fellowship Hall, 3572 Cottage Grove Ave
1st Community Meeting
At our first Community Meeting on March 29, we hosted over 100 community members in the Fellowship Hall at West Point Missionary Baptist Church. We asked them to show us their relationship with the Oakwood Shores community, the City, and the region beyond. Here’s what we learned.
To know more about the first community meeting, please download the presentation PDF for detail.
Survey
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What is here? What is missing? What is needed?
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What UNITES us as a community?
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What will make this process work for ALL OF US?
Contact
Project Team
