AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2026 QUARTER 1
April 22, 2026
THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) IN 2018. THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.
The Central Avenue plan has brought major momentum to Austin
Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.
Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life in the Austin community. Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve four impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets.
OF DIRECTORS
Officers
CHAIR
Larry Williams
Broker, State Farm Insurance
VICE CHAIRMAN
Bradly Johnson
CEO, BUILD Inc.
SECRETARY
Jerrod Williams
Law Clerk, Illinois Appellate Court
Leadership
Darnell Shields
Executive Director
Research & Evaluation
Andrew Born*
Senior Director of Community Impact
Mia Almond Research Associate
TREASURER
LaDarius Curtis
Director of Community Engagement, Greater Chicago Food Depository
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Darnell Shields
Austin Coming Together
Directors
Sharon Morgan
Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools
Reverend Reginald E. Bachus
Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church
Naysha Alcala
Data & Systems Analyst
Operations
Deirdre Bates Director of Operations
Dearra Williams Executive Liaison
Londen Mance Office Administrator
Alfred Jackson Community Liaison/ receptionist
Marsha Williams Office Clerk
Strategic Initiatives
Sandra Diaz*
Service Delivery Enhancement Manager, Hub @Aspire Center
Emone Moore Engagement Specialist
A House in Austin
Academy of Scholastic Achievement
Austin Childcare
Providers Network
Austin Community Family
Center
Austin Weekly News
Be Strong Families
Beat the Streets Chicago
Bethel New Life
Beyond Hunger
BUILD Inc.
By The Hand Club For Kids
Cara
Catholic Charities
Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures
Chicago Community Loan Fund
City of Refuge
Defy Ventures Illinois
Erikson Institute
Friends of the Children
Friendship Community Development Corp. of
Austin
Greater West Town
Community Development
Project
Housing Forward i.c. stars
IFF
Institute for Nonviolence
Chicago
Jane Addams Resource
Tenisha Jones
Executive Management Professional
Reginald Little
Business Development Specialist, Great Lakes Credit Union
Deborah Williams-Thurmond
Founder & CEO, D.W. Provision Consulting Services
Ruth Kimble
Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers Network
Dollie Sherman Engagement Specialist
Ethan Ramsay* Planning and Investment Manager, Austin Forward Together
Grace Cooper Lead Organizer
Natalie Goodin
Special Projects Manager
Arewa EKUA Community Organizer
Corporation
Kids First Chicago
KRA Westside American
Job Center
Learning Edge Tutoring (fka Cluster Tutoring)
Legal Aid Chicago (fka LAF)
Manufacturing
Renaissance
Mary Shyrese Daycare
Maryville Academy
Mercy Housing Lakefront
New Moms
Max Komnenich
Associate Principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative In Memoriam
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jack Macnamara
1937–2020
FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR
Mildred Wiley 1955–2019
La’Shawna Bundy
Community Land Trust Coordinator
Mary White Community Resource Coordinator
Krystal Cano Community Resource Coordinator
Ariel Bland Community Resource Coordinator
OAI, Inc.
Oak Park Regional Housing Center
Open Books
PCC Community Wellness Center
Project Exploration
Renaissance Social Services, Inc.
Sarah’s Inn
South Austin
Neighborhood Association
St. Joseph Services
St. Leonard’s Ministries
Marketing & Development
Robbie Gorman* Director of Development
Jon Widell
Marketing and Development Specialist
Sydni Hatley
Marketing and Development Specialist
Stone Community Development Corporation
The Catalyst Schools
The Journey Forward
The North Avenue
District, Inc.
Towers of Excellence
UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work
VOCEL
Westside Health Authority
West Side Forward
Worldvision
*Also part of the ACT Leadership Team
Youth Guidance
District, Inc.
Towers of Excellence
UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work
VOCEL
Westside Health Authority
West Side Forward
Worldvision
Youth Guidance
By Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together
As we move further into 2026, we have been reflecting on both the progress Austin has made and the work still ahead. The Central Avenue Action Plan offers great inspiration for what this corridor could become. It sees Central Avenue as a main corridor connecting transit, schools, parks, business areas, and other important neighborhood spaces. It also outlines the partners and pathways for safer streets, stronger quality of life, and more investment in a communityled development. Below are a few examples of how that vision is already starting to take shape.
One of the clearest signs of progress is the growing strength of the corridor’s physical and cultural anchors. Kehrein Center for the Arts continues to be an important gathering place for performances, events, and community connection. Other nearby investments, including the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, PCC Wellness expansion, Habitat Housing, the Green Line renovation, and Frank Lloyd Wright Walser House.
Recent investments in public art from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and others are intended to help the corridor feel more welcoming while celebrating local culture. These efforts reflect the plan’s focus on strengthening key assets, highlighting Austin’s culture, and making Central a place where opportunity and identity grow side by side.
The plan also makes clear that a stronger corridor depends on a safer and more inviting public realm. The Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, part of the SC2 initiative, is a key partner in that work through community violence intervention and efforts to address the root causes of violence in Chicago. Their work helps create the conditions for residents to gather, for community events like farmers markets to grow, and for investment to take hold along the corridor.
The Soul City Corridor expansion to a District spanning north to south from Division St. to Madison St. is another strong example of how the broader vision is taking shape. . Led by Austin African
American Business Networking Association, whose Executive Director Malcolm Crawford, was awarded the Mildred Wiley Community Fire Award at the 2025 ACT Membership Awards, has been a crucial partner in developing this. It has been designed to bring hope and investment in local businesses, with the initiative acting as a gateway to Chicago and expanded exposure highlighting black culture, art, food and music. This plan incorporates safety through design, aiming to reduce crime along the corridor around Central Avenue.
The plan also recognizes that progress will depend on more than physical projects alone. It will take public investment, strong partnerships, and leadership that can help move community priorities forward. With the anticipated changes in political
representation resulting from the recent election for IL State Rep and US Congress, their offices will need to appropriately support districts where development is a major focal point, specifically addressing prosperity on the Westside, looking to align with investments in infrastructure and community safety, there is room for even more progress and growth in the community.
Additionally, a recent bill was passed, signed into law in December 2025, that requires the CTA to rebuild the Blue Line station at Central Avenue, which has been abandoned since 1973, as part of a $1.5 billion transit reform package that will add another viable public transit option in the community. There are already signs of progress along Central Avenue. The work is still unfolding, but these developments reflect several of the priorities laid out in the Central Avenue Action Plan.. n
Organizing a plan for Central Avenue has not only created a renewed energy in the community, it’s influence has attracted real investment to reignite the corridor..
Breaking ground in 2023, and opening its doors to the community in June 2025, this transformative development project, in partnership with Austin Coming Together and Westside Health Authority, has been a major milestone in the transformation of the Central Avenue corridor. This redevelopment of the former Emmet Elementary (a school closed in 2013) sits on the corner on Madison and Central is a workforce development hub for Austin with a manufacturing training center, bank branch, legal services, and community space. The Anchor Tenants in the building are: Austin Coming Together, Westside Health Authority, Jane Addams Resource Corporation, and BMO..
$44 MILLION
PCC Wellness took what used to be five vacant lots in Austin and turned it into what is now the over 30,000 sq ft PCC Community Wellness Center’s Family Health Center. A state-of-the-art health facility that offers affordable primary care, and expands PCC’s behavioral health and substance use treatment options. The expansion has a particular focus around diabetes and nutrition education, and a growing behavioral team aimed at comprehensive care they can now offer to thousands more community residents. The expansion includes partnerships with Thresholds Health and Windy City Harvest.
$20 MILLION
When we make a commitment to a neighborhood, it’s not just the start. It’s where we are going to go for the distance…we’re going to be here for years and years to come.
JENNIFER PARKS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CHICAGO
In April of 2025, Habitat for Humanity broke ground on a multi-year project to spur the development of more a ordable housing in Austin. Their e orts will result in seven new homes in Central Austin. Habitat’s work with Austin Coming Together began in 2023 when they began seeking out working with organizations in the community invested in seeking to bring a ordable housing to the neighborhood.
This project, started in 2025, has aimed at improving accessibility at the Green Line’s Austin station. The station which originally opened in 1899, has not been upgraded since 1962. The renovation Includes a new elevator, escalator, and ramp, in addition to a platform extension and reconstruction of the stairs.
$2.8 MILLION $25 MILLION
With the release of the AFT Highlighted Agenda, ACT is going “on the road!” Our team will be on tour and available to co-host discussions about the new phase of Austin’s AFT quality-of-life plan and its vision and strategy, with block clubs, churches, community organizations, coalitions, etc. Other ways we’ll ensure to update the community on the progress of implementing the Highlighted Agenda are through newspaper sections like this, emails, and social media.
Community
Narrative
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Kenneth Varner
Healthy Schools Campaign
Dearra Williams
Austin Coming Together
Reesheda Nicole Berry
The Kindred Civic Arts Forum
STRATEGY LEADS
Cindy Gray Schneider
Spaces-n-Places
Maria Sorrell
Community Resident
Megan Hinchy
Ann & Robert H. Lurie
Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Andraya Yousfi
By the Hand Club for Kids
Jai Jones United Way and Community Resident
Adrienne Otkins Community Resident
Michael Romain The Culture
Keli Stewart Front Porch Arts Center
Imani Lewis Civic Researcher
Kenn Cook Westside Historical Collective
Economic Development
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Roxanne Charles West Side Forward
STRATEGY LEADS
Emily Peters Jane Addams Resource Corporation
Tina Augustus Community Resident
Melissa O’Dell Defy Ventures
Fanya Buford-Berry Community Resident
Baxter Swilley Community Stakeholder
Ed Coleman Austin Chamber of Commerce
Nikea Banks
Community Resident
Education
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Charles Anderson
Michele Clark High School
STRATEGY LEADS
Pam Price Director of Parent University
Ruth Kimble
Austin Childcare Providers Network
Cata Truss Community Resident
Housing
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Athena Williams Oak Park Regional Housing Center
Allison McGowan Community Resident
STRATEGY LEADS
Shirley Fields Community Resident
Rosie Dawson Westside Health Authority
Public Safety
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Langston Harris Project Exploration
Deondre Rutues
Rutues Center for Business & People Development
STRATEGY LEADS
Edwina Hamilton BUILD Inc.
Jose Abonce The Policing Project
Ruby Taylor Taproots, Inc.
Youth Empowerment
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Kenya Hawkins Community Stakeholder
STRATEGY LEADS
Aisha Oliver Root2Fruit
Helen Slade Territory NFP
Dollie Sherman Austin Coming Together
Chris Thomas YourPassion1st
Civic Engagement
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Deborah Williams-Thurmond
D.W. Provision Consulting Services
By Jonathan Widell Marketing & Development Specialist, Austin Coming Together
Since the release of Austin’s Central Avenue Action Plan in late 2024, there has been meaningful progress along the corridor. The plan laid out a vision for Central as the spine of the community, connecting business districts, transit, schools, parks and major neighborhood assets.
At Madison and Central, the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation has become one of the early anchors of that vision, bringing new activity and attention to a key corner. The center’s grand opening on Juneteenth (6/19) was one of the clearest examples. The day included a ribbon cutting, tours, food trucks, wellness activities and a community celebration that drew hundreds of residents, families and partners to the Aspire Center.
In the months that followed, the corner continued to see activity through events tied to Aspire’s partners, including grand opening and community focused events. Together,
those events brought a steadier flow of people to Madison and Central and offered an early sense of how Aspire can contribute to the corridor beyond the services provided inside.
At the same time, ACT and its partners have been working to better understand what that activity may mean over time. Through corporate and philanthropic partnerships, Aspire is part of a broader effort to study how projects like this interact with nearby economic activity. Using privacy-protected spending data, the partnership is helping surface more timely and nuanced information about how activity shifts around major investments.
The plan provides a framework for guiding investment, partnership and long-term growth. As development continues to take shape, ACT remains focused on stewarding both the plan and the momentum already beginning to build around it. Looking ahead, the work is to keep building from what is here: supporting new businesses, strengthening partnerships and helping new relationships take root along the corridor.
By leveraging the Central Avenue Action plan and the opening of the Aspire Center, we have an opportunity to champion our local economy by inspiring more people to shop local and continue supporting the amazing small businesses around Madison and Central.
ETHAN RAMSAY, CENTRAL AVENUE
