AG Healthy Lifestyle Hub

 

Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC) is leading the effort to redevelop a long vacant, office building on this key commercial corridor in the Auburn Gresham community.  The redevelopment of 839 West 79th Street is a catalytic development project that will not only spur additional development along the disinvested business district, but will also bring back to life a once prominent commercial building that has stood ominously vacant for twenty years.  The building is situated within the LISC Chicago-led Southwest Corridor Collaborative (SWCC) at the 79th & Halsted development node.

 

The redevelopment project is being implemented as part of the recently completed Auburn Gresham Quality of Life plan which lists several strategies and tasks to improve the quality of life of residents in Auburn Gresham and surrounding communities.  During the 1-1/2 year long planning process, more than one-thousand residents were engaged and took part in monthly discussions and together, divided into separate issue area task force teams, drafted the community’s Quality of Life plan.  The task force teams focused on core areas including: (1) Jobs, Economic and Business Development; (2) Health & Wellness; (3) Education & Youth Development; (4) Senior Services; (5) Housing; and (6) Safety.  When complete, the redevelopment of the vacant building into the Auburn Gresham Healthy Life Style Technology Hub will directly respond to the community’s quality of life plan including workforce development - the creation of 100 living wage jobs within the community – access to health and wellness services “Hub”, technology and educational enhancements, along with community development services supporting youth, seniors, families and disenfranchised serving the greater south side.