**Chicago Approves $29 Million for New South Side Senior Center**
The Public Building Commission of Chicago has approved a $29 million plan to construct the city’s first regional senior center on the South Side.
A request for proposals will soon be issued to select a design-build firm for the two-story, 25,000-square-foot facility, which will be located at 4711–55 South Calumet Avenue in the Bronzeville neighborhood. The funding package includes $16 million from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and an additional $13 million in tax increment financing from the City of Chicago.
The center will be built on a long-vacant parcel of city-owned land just a block away from the 47th Street Green Line station. The facility will be operated by the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services and will include 38 parking spaces, office and event space, and a fitness room.
The land had previously housed a grocery store but has remained undeveloped for a decade. The new senior center will occupy half of the block, while the remainder will be reserved for a future project that may include housing.
