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New acting 15th District commander says he’ll be a strong community presence PAGE 4
Vol. 35 No. 37
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September 15, 2021
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austinweeklynews.com
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New West Side collaboration forms Eight organizations established the Westside Collaborative Project through $1.8M state grant from cannabis tax revenue By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Eight West Side nonprofits and civil rights organizations have united to form the Westside Collaborative Project, an initiative designed to provide a wide range of services for West Side youths ages 14 to 24 thanks to a $1.8 million state grant that uses revenues from the tax on cannabis sales. As part of the legalization of recreational cannabis in Illinois, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) is distributing Restore, Reinvest and Renew (R3) grants to organizations located in communities that have experienced economic disinvestment and disproportionate violence and incarceration. Led by the Chicago Westside Branch NAACP, the Westside Collaborative Project includes organizations that offer mental health, career development, violence prevention and other support services. The Collaborative officially kicked off on the morning of Sept. 10. All member organizations have been around for years, if not decades, and they all have a number of programs that serve young people. West Garfield Park-based Saving Our Sons Ministries, Austin-based Jehovah Jireh 1 Outreach Ministry and Violence Interrupters Inc. work to address the trauma caused by violence and See COLLABORATIVE on page 4
A beautiful thing
PASCAL SABINO/Block Club Chicago
Artist Haman Cross at the Drake and Ogden lot where Under The Grid is developing a public art project. Read more on page 3.
Austin redevelopment project poised to get final approval Old White Cap Bottle Company complex ripe for redevelopment after likely City Council zoning approval
By IGOR STUDENKOV Austin Weekly News
The Chicago City Council is set to approve the zoning changes that will clear the way for the redevelopment of the for-
mer White Cap Bottle Company complex at 1819 N. Major Ave. in Austin. The L-shaped complex is made up of the 7-story manufacturing building at 18191833 N. Major Ave., and a warehouse at 1812 N. Central Ave. Miami-based Lion-
S W E N LASH! F
heart Capital, which acquired the property in 2017, is looking to rehab the building and lease it out to multiple industrial and commercial tenants to rent. That required See WHITE CAP on page 5
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