Chicago Community Development News Today

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced plans to move forward with the LaSalle Street Reimagined Initiative Wednesday morning.

More than 50 years after the Kerr-McGee factory shut down in West Chicago, city officials have created a master plan to transform the notorious site into a recreational area. The city envisions the old factory grounds eventually becoming a community park filled with amenities.

Built around the turn of the 20th century, a weathered brick building just north of Wheaton Academy is slated for demolition. But a group is trying to preserve the historic spot, which served as a passenger depot and power substation for the electrically-operated Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railway.

The development is another step in the Chicago Housing Authority’s long journey to replace the infamous high-rises of Cabrini-Green with lower-density housing. 

Jonathan Rose Co. completed its acquisition of Barbara Jean Wright Apartments, a 272-unit affordable housing complex, Tuesday.

Jonathan Rose Cos. said it will keep rents low while making repairs and improvements on the 485 units

The Cascade Drive-in left outdoor movie fans with a lifetime of memories. During those first summer trips to the drive-in, a playground was the place to burn off some energy before the opening credits rolled and you hopped onto the hood of the family car with a carton of popcorn or a foil-wrapped burger.   Many of those kids grew up only to mourn the apparent demise of the Cascade until they were stunned by a plot twist: Last fall, the new owners of the North Avenue landmark teased a return of...