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Located on Chicago’s West Side, Austin is one of the largest parishes in the city – both by population and geography. It houses the popular MacArthur’s “fine Southern Cuisine” restaurant, the old Victorian pink and white house and other historic buildings.
Austin – like many other communities in the south and west of the city – has seen decades of divestment and is feeling the acute effects of gun violence in Chicago. However, many residents, community organizations and local businesses are working to address some of the community’s systemic problems and attract investment to the area.
BUILD Chicago is one of the many organizations operating in Austin. BUILD offers a range of programs ranging from wellness and education to violence intervention and prevention.
BUILD Chicago is one of the many organizations operating in Austin. It offers a range of programs ranging from wellness and education to violence intervention and prevention. (WTTW news)
Mental health services are an important part of BUILD’s work,
said Bradly Johnson, director of foreign affairs. It has a mobile mental health team that travels the community to improve access to behavioral health services.
And development is underway to create a larger facility at the West Harrison Street location.
“At the moment we have 100 children in our building and that is close. Once we open the doors, we can have about 2,000 children in the building at a time, ”said Adam Alonso, CEO of BUILD Chicago. “It’s amazing that there are 2,000 children who want to be in a positive space and do amazing things.”
BUILD Chicago currently offers services for 100 children but has plans to expand and offer services for 2,000. (Courtesy BUILD Chicago)
The new building will be a three story, 51,000 square foot building. Alonso says it will house a technology center, exercise kitchen, sports facility, media room, and woodworking room. The campus is open from 6 a.m. to midnight.
“If we young people tell them to find another outlet instead of getting caught up in violence, you have to give them something in return.
Construction of the facility is scheduled to start in October and completion is scheduled for autumn 2022.
Video: View our full interview with Bradly Johnson
Local businesses investing in Austin
A black-owned food story is afoot in Austin. Forty Acres Fresh Market is a startup grocer that has been running pop-up grocery stores as well as delivery services in Austin since 2018, opening a retail store.
Abunaw says the grocery store will help enable the community to invest economically, hold dollars in Austin, and provide employment opportunities for residents, in addition to providing better access to fresh food in an area some refer to as a food wasteland.
“Access to healthy food is only part of the impact,” Abunaw said. “It’s needed in terms of the jobs it creates, both temporary and permanent. It’s necessary because … I think we’re doing transformative design. It changes the way the streetscape and the corridor look. “
This summer, Forty Acres Fresh Market is hosting a weekly farmers market in Austin Town Hall Park on Thursday afternoons. Abunaw hopes to open the stationary location in the third quarter of 2022.
Video: Check out our full interview with Liz Abunaw
Another small company investing in Austin is Schweet Cheesecake, a store on Chicago Avenue. Co-owner Chamille Weddington helps other entrepreneurs by inviting them to showcase their work in her business.
“We have a program called ‘Ujamma’. It’s an advertising opportunity where business owners can display their goods on our shelves and when people walk in they can see handmade, handcrafted items. There’s one shop that makes candles and another that makes handmade gift boxes, ”said Weddington.
Weddington managed to keep business afloat during the pandemic. She hopes for further economic growth in the neighborhood in which she was born and raised.
“I would love to see storefronts in bloom and it’s not difficult, we have the properties. We just need, I want to say, resources and the right products to add value to a community, ”said Weddington.
Meanwhile, the Austin Chamber of Commerce is working to bring an outdoor dining program to the neighborhood as part of the citywide Alfresco program. The program would be the first of its kind in Austin, say the organizers.
“All I can tell you is that there is no outdoor seating,” said Tina Augustus, executive director of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. “There is seating all over town except the West Side. So this was our opportunity to create outdoor seating while creating outdoor art and culture venues. “
Tina Augustus, Executive Director, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce are working to bring an outdoor dining program to the neighborhood as part of the citywide Alfresco program. (WTTW news)
The Chamber of Commerce is part of a larger initiative called Austin Forward. Together ”, which includes 11 projects in the area, including pop-up basketball courts.
Community report series
Chicago Tonight expands its community coverage. We take to the streets to speak to your neighbors, local businesses, agencies and executives about COVID-19, the economy, racial justice, education and more. See where we’ve been and what we’ve learned using the map below. Or select a community from the drop-down menu. Points in Red represent our series COVID-19 Across Chicago; blue marks our series “Chicago Tonight” in Your Neighborhood.
Choose a community: Albany Park (04/15/20) Albany Park 03/25/21 Archer Heights (01/21/20) Armor Square (Chinatown) 03/23/20) Armor Square (Chinatown) (6th) / 25/20) Armor Square (Chinatown ) (2/11/21) Ashburn (10/22/20) Auburn Gresham (4/28/20) Auburn Gresham (7/2/20) Aurora (4/16/20.)) Aurora (6/1 / 20) new c Austin (4/14/20) Austin (7/30/20) Belmont Cragin (5/11/20) Belmont Cragin (1/7/20) Beverly (3/30.) / 20) Beverly ( 3/11/21) Blue Island (4/20/20) Bridgeport (and Armor Square) (4/8/21) Brighton Park (4/23/20) Chatham (4/6/20) Chatham (3/12/20 ) Chicago Lawn (Marquette Park) 05/27/20) Chicago Police Headquarters (04/08/20) Chicago River / ”Downtown” (10/6/2021) Cicero (04/27) 20) Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities) (05/21/20) Douglas (Bronzeville) (6/15/20) East Garfield Park (4/1/20) Edison Park (5/26/20) Edgewater (Andersonville) (6/22/20) Elgin (6/24/20) Englewood (5/20/20) Englewood (8/13/20) Englewood (4/22/21) Evanston (6/11/20) Evanston (5/6 / 2021) Forest Glen (Sauganash) (17.1 2.20) Gage Park 07/23/20 Gage Park 02/04/2021 Gary, IN (04/30/20) Geneva (11/05/20) Greater Grand Crossing (10/08/20) Hegewisch (04/22/20) Hermosa (07/16/20)) Highwood (04/02/2020) .20) Humboldt Park (05/27/2021) Hyde Park (05/06/20) Jefferson Park (01/28/21) Kankakee (05/14/20) Kenosha, WI (07/4/20) Kenosha, Wisconsin (08/27/20) Kenosha 10/29/20 20) Lake view (Boystown) (04/09/20) Lake view (Wrigleyville) (1/21) Lake view (Northalsted.)) (06/03/2021) Lincoln Square (07/09/20) Lisle (06/17/2021) Logan Square (05/19/2021) ) Logan Square / West Town (Bucktown / Wicker Park) (06/18) 20) Logan Square (05/20/2021) Lower West Side (Pilsen) (10/12/20) Maywood (10/9/20) Milwaukee, WI (08/20/20) McKinley Park (5/13/20)) Montclare (4/21/20) Mount Greenwood (9/17/20) Near South Side (Mercy Hospital) (9/3/20) Near West Side (Greektown) (2/25/2021 ) New City (Back of.) The Yards) (6/10/20) North Lawndale (1:14/20) North Lawndale (1/21) Oak Park (6/24/20) O’Hare (and Rosemont) (29 04.20.)) Portage Park (06.06.20) Pullman / Roseland (05.12.20) River North (03.06.20) Riverdale (13.05.2021) Rogers Park (05.05.20) Rogers Park (25.11.20) Skokie (18.05.2021) 20) South Chicago (6/9/20) South Deering (2/18/21) South Lawndale (small village) 3/26/20) South Lawndale (small village, Crawford power station) (4/13/20) South Lawndale (small village) 9/24/20) South Lawndale (Small Village) 4/15/2021 South Shore 3/25/20) Streeterville (Navy Pier) (6/9/20) Streeterville (Navy Pier) 4/29/2021) St. Joseph, MI 5/28/20) The Loop (6/1 / 20) The Loop / near South Side (South Loop) (8/7/21) Uptown (3/31/20) Waukegan (5/4/20) West Chicago (3/4/2021) West Garfield Park (10/1/20) West Lawn ( 12/11/20) West Ridge (Little India) (3/24/20) West Ridge (8/6/20) Wheaton 10/15/20) WTTW Studios (wrap up) 6/29/20) Forest meadow (6/17/20) Forest ridge (6/24/2021 )
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