Arts & Entertainment Event highlights of the week!
SportsWise
The SportsWise Team discusses how the Cubs compare to their strongest competitors.
Cover Story: Suicide Prevention Month
Walk in Purpose is a Soul Survivors program where Rafiah Maxie-Cole gifts the shoes of those who have died by suicide to people affected by the suicide crisis.
from the Streets
Illinois ranks 18th in overall child well-being, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), launches four free naloxone (Narcan®) newsstands in Uptown.
“Jazzin’ to Feed,” will benefit St. James Food Pantry in Bronzeville.
The Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has selected six minority-led development teams to construct 30 multi-unit buildings to replace 30 vacant City-owned lots in Chatham, South Chicago and Morgan Park for the second phase of its Missing Middle Housing initiative.
The Playground
THIS PAGE: A photo of Jamal Clay on his memorial board created by his mother Rafiah Maxie-Cole. DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.
Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher dhamilton@streetwise.org
Julie Youngquist, Executive director jyoungquist@streetwise.org
Ph: 773-334-6600
Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Compiled by Dave Hamilton
Short Films in the Spotlight!
Aladerri International Film Festival
Aladerri International Film Festival (AIFF) is dedicated to the celebration of "Short Films" with a multi-day event supporting filmmakers and giving them an opportunity to showcase their work in an effort to bring the most inspiring and impactful voices forward. AIFF has been created to showcase both national and international works by emerging and established artists who are passionate about storytelling via the art of filmmaking. It aims to share great stories with the audience, while supporting independent filmmakers across the world and will screen all films accepted into “Official Selection” in front of a live audience. There will be an opportunity for Q&A sessions with filmmakers on-site. September 26 - 28 at Facets Cinema, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. For a full schedule and tickets, visit aladerrifilmfestival.com
ALyric Farewell!
‘Beyond the Years’
This is the final recital in soprano Karen Slack’s 2024/25 series as Lyric Unlimited Artist-in-Residence, “Beyond the Years” — a stirring celebration of groundbreaking composer Florence Price and her enduring ties to Chicago’s musical legacy. Inspired by Slack’s Grammy Award–winning album, this moving program includes rarely heard art songs by Price, alongside works by Schubert and Ravel. Following the performance, Slack will participate in a conversation exploring the emotional and historical impact of Price’s music. Saturday, September 27, 3:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington St. Tickets are $20 at www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2024-25/beyond-the-years
Trying to Stay Together!
‘Wish You Were Here’ It’s 1978 and protests are breaking out all across Iran, encroaching on this suburb where a tight-knit circle of girlfriends plans weddings, trades dirty jokes and tries to hang onto a sense of normalcy. But as the revolution escalates, each woman is forced to join the wave of emigration or face an equally uncertain future at home. With breathtaking humanity and cutting wit, “Wish You Were Here” chronicles a decade of life during war, as best friends forever become friends long lost, scattered and searching for home. Playing now through October 19 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$55 at remybumppo.org
Artist Collaborating!
‘Shakkei: Work by Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust’ Lake and Faust are mutually inspired by the Japanese principle of Shakkei (“borrowed scenery”), a design philosophy that incorporates organic features and architectural designs. The artists’ kaleidoscopic works create immersive optical experiences, addressing the intersection of the patterns of everyday life and cultural and social histories. The exhibition will feature recent large-scale artworks by Lake and Faust in separate galleries, as well as a collaborative new work combining their design languages. On view at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst, though Jan. 4, 2026.
Move Over, Lucy!
'The First Lady of Television' In 1950, Gertrude Berg was the popular creator and star of America’s first family sit-com, “The Goldbergs.” In James Sherman’s “The First Lady of Television,” when co-star Philip Loeb is accused of communism, she must make an enormous decision: fire him to keep the sponsors at bay, or defend him and risk the show being cancelled. Based on a true story, the onstage comedy balances the offstage intersection of art, religion and politics in a shockingly relevant story for today. Playing through October 5 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; tickets start at $50 at northlight.org or 847.673.6300.
Celebrating Culture!
Musika SamaSama Filipino Festival 2025
On September 27, at Eugene Field Park, 5100 N. Ridgeway Ave., from noon-4 p.m., experience Chicago’s only Filipino cultural festival presented by the Chicago Park District. Bring the whole family to savor mouthwatering Filipino food, explore artisanal crafts, and enjoy an evening of live music and storytelling. Headlining the festival is Chicago’s premier Filipino folk fusion band, SamaSama Project (pictured), alongside amazing local talent. Feel free to bring blankets or chairs for seating in the park. Admission is FREE, but RSVP is recommended at musikasamasama2025.eventbrite.com
Shop 'til You Drop!
Driehaus Fall Market
Kick off the season with Driehaus Museum’s Fall Market, a one-day shopping event in the historic Murphy Auditorium. Browse vintage jewelry, handcrafted goods, and other local treasures and get a head-start on holiday shopping. At the Driehaus Museum, 50 E. Erie St., Saturday, September 27, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. FREE admission.
A Visit From the Past!
‘Veal’
Following a violent coup, a young woman named Chelsea becomes Queen of North America. Into her new palace walk three friends from middle school — Franny, Lulu and Noa — with whom she hasn’t spoken in years. They’ve come to ask Chelsea for a big favor, but before she grants it, she’s going to make them revisit their shared friendship — and its terrible end. Playing September 25 - October 3 in previews, and October 5 – November 2 regular run at A Red Orchid Theater, 1531 N. Wells St. Previews are $33-$44, regular run is $55 at aredorchidtheatre.org
‘Gangsta Baby’
A Story of the Streets!
Junior is a queer sex worker in Hastings suffering from PTSD. His life is plunged into further turmoil during a booking with a new client when his homophobic gangster father, “Senior,” returns home. Why has his father returned? W hat does he want from his son? And why now? From writer and performer Cameron Raasdal-Munro, and director Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE, GANGSTA BABY explores themes of class, environmental issues, and how being shunned by a parent for being LGBTQIA+ can develop into internalized homophobia. Playing through October 5 at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave. Tickets are $30 at openspacearts.com
Your New Favorite Vocalist!
‘New Faces Sing Broadway 1960’
“New Faces Sing Broadway 1960,” hosted by McKenzie Miller, introduces the audience to the next generation of Chicago music theater artists while taking them on a musical journey from the start to finish of 1960’s entire Broadway season in 90 minutes. The concert features hit songs from “Bye, Bye Birdie,” “Camelot,” “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” “West Side Story” and others as well as sing-alongs, a trivia contest with prizes and more. Tuesday, September 30, 7:30 p.m. at The Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave. Tickets are $65 at RhapsodyTheater.com
how do the cubs stack up?
John: The Major League Baseball playoffs are around the corner, and we believe the Cubs ARE going to be in. The question is, how do they stack up with the Milwaukee Brewers; the LA Dodgers, the defending World Series champs; or the Philadelphia Phillies? Or even in the American League, should they get that far, the Toronto Blue Jays or the New York Yankees?
Bob: They stack up really good against the Milwaukee Brewers, considering they just took 3 out of 5 in this latest series, which included a doubleheader. The Milwaukee Brewers do have the best record in baseball. The Phillies have the second-best record, but the third-best longs to the Cubs. I think they will go deep into the playoffs.
John: So, how far do you think they’ll go? The World Series?
Bob: They’ll have to get through the NLCS and that could come down to the Cubs and the Brewers. I am looking forward to a great postseason.
Russell: They are going to the playoffs, that’s for sure. They might be a wild card, but hey! Wild card beats no card! They played the Brewers real tough; 3 out of 5 is a playoff right there. If the Cubs were in the Dodgers’ division, they’d be in first place.
Allen: They are currently projected to a 97-65 record and
hold the top NL wild card spot. I am standing behind the Cubs.
John: Milwaukee went on a 28-5 tear from the Fourth of July to mid-August.
Bob: They had an 11-game winning streak, lost a game, then a 14-game winning streak.
John: They swept the Dodgers not once, but twice. The Cubs can handle it if their bullpen holds up but -- can the Milwaukee Brewers repeat the feat in October? When the playoffs come, they turn into pumpkins. The Dodgers are still the World Series champions. In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays are the team to beat.
Bob: The Yankees are a wild card at best.
John: Detroit, and Kansas City, is starting to become
sneaky-good again. Seattle is underrated. I think it will be Phillies in the National League and in the American, Houston.
Bob: Everybody knows this, but I will say it anyway: the playoffs are a reset button. Everybody starts at zero. My preliminary bet is, it doesn’t matter who in the National League goes to the World Series, the National League is going to win it. The American League, I don’t see any dynasties. Not the Yankees. The Blue Jays have the best chance.
Russell: The team that bothers me the most is the Detroit Tigers. No one expected them to be there. You got Toronto, and the Astros, who always seem to find a way. The National League, I am thinking the Phillies, like John; they are consistent. Like Bob said, it’s zero-zero at the playoffs.
Allen: Other teams to watch are the Phillies, who have been in contention for top seed; and the Dodgers, who have one of the best offenses in the league. I am still rooting for the Cubs.
John: If you are in it, you can win it. Like the Texas Rangers, or the Arizona Diamondbacks two years ago. That’s why I say the Phillies; they have the best pitching. The Dodgers have one of the best batting lineups, but their pitching has issues. And Shohei Ohtani got hurt the other day. If he’s hurting, the Dodgers are in trouble.
Bob: Oh, yeah, because he’s their biggest hitter. As the old saying goes, good pitching always shuts down good hitting.
Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com
Vendors John Hagan, Russell Adams, Bob Laine and A. Allen chat about the world of sports.
A MOM TURNS GRIEF INTO A FIGHT FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
by Stella Kapetan
Jamal Clay loved to volunteer at senior centers and the March of Dimes as president of the south suburban chapter of Top Teens of America. He hung the Jefferson Award for Public Service they gave him on his bedroom wall next to the award from Thornton Township for his good works in the community. And he often went early to school to help set up chairs and desks for the day.
“He loved being teachers’ pet, and they loved it too,” his mother, Rafiah Maxie-Cole said from her Olympia Fields home. After Jamal died by suicide at 19 on May 27, 2020,
she started Soul Survivors of Chicago, a non-profit dedicated to suicide prevention and the promotion of mental health in Black neighborhoods, which have been impacted by a large number of suicides.
Walk in Purpose is a Soul Survivors program where Rafiah gifts the shoes of those who have died by suicide to people affected by the suicide crisis. “After all the cards, flowers and calls stopped, I went and sat on his bed,” Rafiah said. “I thought ‘what am I going to do?’ I saw his shoe. I said it would be great if I could put Jamal’s name in his shoe and give it to somebody with the understanding that you will walk in my son’s shoes, walk in purpose.”
Rafiah said the shoes serve as a protective factor “because they were once owned and loved by someone who is no longer here. The hope is that when they are going through a difficult time they are looking at the shoe as their next step, to carry someone’s spirit with me who doesn’t have the oppor-
tunity to do it. It’s kind of a kryptonite. 'I’m getting my first job and wearing the shoes of someone who didn’t get the chance.' The shoe you have on is not just a shoe you walk in, but someone is walking with you.”
Rafiah receives shoes donated from people, mostly parents of young adults, who lost a loved one to suicide. She recalled a hand-written note she received from a mother to the person who would receive the shoes she donated. “These are the shoes of my son Anthony, who decided to take his own life. Please walk in purpose. My son Anthony was the star wrestler of his high school team until he decided to no longer live. When you walk in his shoes remember Anthony and all the things that he had done.”
Each shoe is imprinted inside with the name of the original owner. Rafiah includes their photo and life story with each gift. “The child who receives the shoes gets very emotional,” she said. “Sometimes it’s not necessarily what they say back. It’s more about the feeling behind it.” A teen during a recent gift presentation brushed aside tears as he rested his head on Rafiah’s shoulder with his arm around her. The latest pair was gifted to a 17-year-old who was battling depression and anxiety after the suicide of his 11-year-old sister. “He later said to his mother, ‘Mom, I’m wearing the shoes today, I’m walking in purpose.’” Rafiah said.
While most of the shoes are gifted to adolescents, some are adults. Malik was about 30 and incarcerated when his daughter was having suicidal ideation. ”He was stressed
and having a hard time,” Rafiah said. After his release she gave him a pair of shoes for himself. Malik told Rafiah that her work in the community is important because the only things out there for guys like him are bad trouble and incarceration.
Rafiah, a licensed clinical social worker, takes her message of mental health awareness to barber shops, laundromats, liquor stores and other places where people come together in the Black neighborhoods where she said conventional solutions do not apply. “They don’t address complexities in South Side communities. Transportation is challenging. Mental health clinics are a distance from persons who are in crisis and need to be touched immediately.” She discusses and passes out information including what mental health is, location of clinics, how to get a criminal record expunged and posts signs with QR codes to that information.
She is invited to speak at mental health awareness forums and workshops where she stresses the importance of silencing the stigma behind suicide. “We must understand that we have to normalize the conversation about that it is OK not to be OK. For Black men it’s very hard. We are now just getting to a road where we are opening circles and conversations and spaces for that to happen. Therapists are in high demand because people now want to seek support. Years ago it was about praying about itgo to the church. You can man up and can be OK. That’s not how it works.”
And Jamal was experiencing social isolation while home from his first semester at Lincoln University in Missouri after COVID 19 stopped in-person classes.
She said that the George Floyd murder and Black Lives Matter movement have helped start these conversations. And the incarceration and deaths of celebrities have helped adolescents see the “totality of life” and seek help. “They are not waiting until 20 or 30 to talk about it.”
Rafiah said that several social forces contributed to her son’s suicide. Foremost was the bullying he was subjected to in school for body image that led to a suicide attempt at age 12. “I think my son died at 12 and existed until 19,” Rafiah said. “I don’t believe that he was alive after that experience because it carried so heavily. And we could see sometimes that he had something to say but couldn’t say it. But at the same time he was such a good kid you would have been supportive to anything he needed.”
She urges teachers and school counselors to pay attention to the quiet, well behaved students who often get overlooked. Students like her son. “He was the one who took chairs and prepared them for students,” Rafiah said. “He was not the one who got the spotlight. He followed the rules but still was suffering, still depressed and had ideations. He was the one who got bullied.”
There was also the racial profiling. Police had pulled over Jamal many times for things that Rafiah thinks were unnecessary. For example, he received a warning ticket for having an air freshener hanging in the car that police told him obstructed his view.
Also, George Floyd was murdered two days before Jamal died. “It was so chaotic,” Rafiah said. “It was hard to understand what had happened.” The Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ analysis of Gallup feelings during the COVID 19 epidemic found that during the week after the murder, more than 1 in 3 people in the US reported an increase in sadness. For Blacks, the increase was nearly half.
Rafiah said it is hard to determine all the reasons a person dies by suicide. “He left with all the answers. That’s what happens when you die of suicide. They leave with the answers. We come up with many strategies on how to prevent it, but the answers with him ended with death in a cemetery at 117th and Kedzie.”
Rafiah does all this is in honor of her son, who loved comic books and LEGO Sets, had fun playing drums in a band with his friends around town for no money and had a gentle heart. “You could just see the love,” Rafiah said. “If that boy wasn’t my son I would have loved him just the same. Jamal would look you in the eye and shake your hand and had such mannerism. He was a child I never had to reprimand. But the message behind that is that with having his needs and many of his wants met, doesn’t take away from the fact that it doesn’t matter when you are in pain.”
To contact Rafiah Maxie-Cole, email her at ssofchicago@ gmail.com
If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and their mental health professionals.
PAGE 7: A portrait of Rafiah MaxieCole posing with her son Jamal Clay (courtesy image).
PAGE 8: Rafiah holding Jamal's Jefferson Award for Public Service from Top Teens of America / South Suburban Chicago Chapter
PAGE 9 LEFT: A photo of Jamal Clay winning the Top Teen of America Award.
(Stella Kapetan photos)
PAGE 9 RIGHT: Jamal as a child (courtesy photo).
2025 Kids Count® Data book reveals the well-being of children in Illinois
by Suzanne Hanney
Illinois ranks 18th in overall child well-being, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation that analyzes how children are faring in post-pandemic America. While Illinois performs well in education and insurance coverage, trends in child and teen death rates and early learning enrollment reveal urgent areas for investment and reform, according to advocates.
Illinois’s highest ranking was in the percentage of children with health insurance, 3rd nationwide, with only 3% of children uninsured in 2023. The state also placed 7th in education, with notable success in math proficiency and preschool enrollment. However, the state’s child and teen death rate increased by 30% between 2019 and 2023, and nearly half of 3- and 4-year-olds in Illinois were not attending preschool during that time, both signals of deepening challenges.
“This data tells a clear story; while Illinois has made strides in certain areas like reducing the number of uninsured children and lowering teen births, we are falling short where it matters most, like keeping our children safe and preparing them for lifelong learning,” said Loukisha Pennix, Chief Youth & Potential Services Officer at YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, Illinois’s member of the Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT network. “A 30% rise in child and teen deaths is a red flag that demands immediate, coordinated community and policy action.
“We know what kids need to grow up healthy and connected so they can thrive as adults: Stable homes, strong schools, nutritious food, meaningful relationships and opportunities to learn, play and grow,” Pennix said. “Programs that meet these needs are smart investments, fostering long-term gains like employment and economic growth.”
Each year, the “Data Book” presents national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — and ranks the states according to how children are faring overall.
Illinois also ranked 23rd in health and 26th in family and community. However, advocates for children are urging immediate investments in strong schools and programs that support stable homes to address rising child deaths and keep Illinois youth safe.
Nationwide since 2019, bright spots among the 16 key indicators include:
• reductions in child poverty and the number of children living in high-poverty areas;
• fewer teen births;
• more children with health insurance;
• increases in secure parental employment and parental education; and
• a rise in on-time high school graduation.
Some of these trends reflect years of progress. Others highlight the resilience of children and families after the COVID-19 pandemic and the success of strong policies that provided support during that time.
However, 3 out of 4 education indicators worsened nationwide since 2019:
• Preschool participation hasn’t yet returned to
pandemic levels.
• Reading and math scores declined.
• Chronic absenteeism has become a major challenge.
And in terms of the Family and Community domain also shows promise:
• Teen birth rates declined.
• More children lived in households where the head had at least a high school diploma.
ILLINOIS
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
• Fewer children lived in communities of concentrated poverty. However, serious challenges remain as 16% of children still live in poverty, and nearly 1 in 3 children live in households struggling with high housing costs.
Where a child lives continues to matter deeply, with stark geographic disparities shaped by local and state policies, economic conditions, community investment and infrastructure.
This year's Data Book highlights these patterns clearly:
• States facing the biggest challenges are largely in the South and Southwest — Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia.
• These gaps aren’t just between states, however: They show up between neighborhoods and ZIP codes.
In its 36th year of publication, the KIDS COUNT® Data Book provides reliable statewide numbers to help leaders see where progress is being made, where greater support is needed and which strategies are making a difference. YWCA Metropolitan Chicago encourages lawmakers and officials in Illinois to use this detailed information to unite across party lines and respond with initiatives that invest in young people. By offering a local road map, the Data Book equips policymakers, advocates and communities with the information they need to make decisions that help kids and young people thrive.
• In contrast, many Northeast and Midwest states rank near the top — Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota and Vermont. Utah also stands out as a strong performer.
Narcan distribution boxes in uptown 'Jazzin' to feed' benefits food pantry
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), in collaboration with the 46th Ward, launched four naloxone (Narcan®) newsstands in Uptown August 27 to distribute the life-saving medication. The stands will be hosted by four community-based organizations: Nourishing Hope (3945 N. Sheridan Road), Cornerstone Community Outreach (4628 N. Clifton), Institute of Cultural Affairs (4750 N. Sheridan Road), and the Chicago Department of Family and Supportive Services, (845 W. Wilson Ave.).
The newsstands are an expansion of CDPH’s harm reduction distribution plan. Narcan® is a safe, legal medication that reverses an opioid overdose, and low-barrier access is crucial to its usage.
In Chicago, opioid-related emergency medical responses rose from roughly 3,000 annually in 2015 to over 13,000 in 2020. Since 2020, this number has declined, with a 20% decrease from 2023 to 2024. There was also a 24% decrease in opioidrelated EMS responses in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
“Using newsstands to enable easy, no-cost access to this lifesaving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses is one of the many innovative approaches that CDPH and the 46th Ward employ to save lives,” said CDPH Commissioner Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige, MD, MS, MPH.
Added Ald. Angela Clay (46th ward), “I'm extremely thankful for the partnership with CDPH, DFSS, and our local 46th ward businesses to bring access to harm reduction tools directly to our community,…we're extremely proud to be on the forefront of bridging the gap.”
“Jazzin’ to Feed,” which has hosted some of Chicago’s most noted jazz talent to benefit St. James Food Pantry in Bronzeville, will have a Paris theme with the Anne Pansard Ensemble this year. Kevin and Lainey Weinstein will also be honored.
The Saturday, October 18 celebration at Vandercook College of Music, 3125 S. Federal St., will run 5-10 p.m. (VIP from 5-7). Admission includes food, all you can drink beer, wine, and soda, and entertainment.
Born and raised in France in a musical family, Pansard moved to London at 18 to study law, spent time in Paris and moved to New York City to become an attorney. For more than a decade, she worked long hours as a lawyer, and started to feel like she was losing herself. Musicians like Gros Ngolle Pokossi, a successful German-Cameroonian bass player who has previously played at “Jazzin,” revived the joy, passion and balance she craved –and encouraged her to sing. Their quartet will bring a variety of classic and modern French tunes to "Jazzin," including Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Georges Brassens, Serge Gainsbourg and many more.
Artists who have previously performed at “Jazzin” include Joanne Collaso, John Moulder, Ari Brown, Maggie Brown, Frieda Lee, Chris Greene, and Angel D’ Cuba.
Tickets to Jazzin are $100+, with discounts before October 12 at jazzintofeed.com
Founded in 1972, St. James Food Pantry at 2907 S. Wabash Ave. serves an average of 1,500 households monthly, particularly families and seniors living in nearby Chicago Housing Authority buildings. Among its most vulnerable clients are homebound seniors, homeless individuals and in the past, migrants being dropped off at nearby police stations. Their demand for food assistance is increasing.
The Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has selected six minority-led development teams to construct 30 multi-unit buildings to replace 30 vacant City-owned lots in Chatham, South Chicago and Morgan Park for the second phase of its Missing Middle Housing initiative. The buildings will contain 108 market-rate, forsale units, valued at $39.4 million.
Four of the six development projects are in Morgan Park, clustered roughly a quarter mile from the Major Taylor Trail, and approximately one mile from the 103rd, 107th and 111th Street Metra stations:
• Far South CDC will build four six-flats at 10726-34 S. Loomis & 10826 S. Bishop St. valued at $7.8 million
• Famor will build six three-flats and two four-flats in the 1300 and 1400 blocks of West 109th, 110th and 111th Streets, ($8.8 million);
• Superior Source Capital LLC will build six three-flats at 1320-38 W. 109th Place and 1425-29 W. 109th St., ($6 million);
• Toro Construction will build three three-flats and two four-flats at 1158-1240 W. 110th Place and 1235 W. 110th St., ($7.1 million)
One project each was awarded in West Chatham and South Chicago.
Project Simeon 2000 will build four three-flats valued at $3.7 million at 504-14 W. 81st in West Chatham, a focus area that is generally located less than a quarter-mile from the new Auburn Park Metra station, less than one mile from the CTA’s 79th Street Red Line station, and recent public investments around 79th and Halsted.
NHS Redevelopment Corp. will build four two-flats and five townhomes valued at $6 million at 2957-3025 E. 80th Place in South Chicago. This focus area is roughly a quarter-mile from the Cheltenham/79th Street Metra station and major area improvements, such as Thrive Exchange, Advocate Trinity Hospital and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP).
Chicago has lost the equivalent population of Boston in the last 50 years, DPD Commissioner Ciere Boatright told the Business Leadership Council in a June roundtable,
and the Missing Middle Initiative is intended to aggressively attract people back to the city (StreetWise July 30-August 5). The City will sell each lot for $1 and provide up to $150,000 per unit for site preparation and construction assistance, which will also lower the price of new homes, according to DPD application guidelines.
The new family housing is intended to enable people of diverse ethnicities and income to take advantage of transit-oriented development and to generally make communities more vibrant – especially near commercial corridors. The units must be affordable to people making up to 140% of median income, or $117,600 for a single person, $134,400 for a two-person household.
“Missing Middle” refers not only to gaps in street patterns from the loss of medium-density housing, but middle-class families who once occupied homes that were eventually demolished. Chicago has lost 250,000 Blacks since 2000, and as of last spring, the City of Chicago has 7,000 residential lots on its hands, many in neighborhoods whose population is half that of the 1960s.
Missing Middle’s pilot round was launched in October 2024, with 100 units on 36 parcels in North Lawndale. Expansion to other South and West Side neighborhoods is expected to result in 250 to 400 buildings with up to 750 residential units by 2028. The $75 million allocated for the Missing Middle comes from the $1.25 billion housing and economic development bond issued by the city, partly from expiring tax increment finance districts.
A rendering of a proposed building by Famor, LLC for the Morgan Park neighborhood (Famor, LLC image).
