an urban intervention for east garfield park (upp 460 spring 2011)

J3M Community Partnerships

An Urban Intervention for East Garfield Park

José Alarcón Jessica RobertsMaria HernandezJesse Budlong


JMJJ


JMJJ J3M Community Partnerships

Table of Contents

Executive Summary...........................................................................................................................................1

Research + Analysis.........................................................................................................................................2

Recommendations.............................................................................................................................................8

Opportunities ...................................................................................................................................................9

Table of Contents

www.j3m.com 2011 J3M


JMJJ J3M Community Partnerships Executive Summary

Executive Summary

The East Garfield Park community area on Chicago’s west side has tremendous potential for residential and

commercial growth. The area’s strong transportation resources and rich architectural heritage – boasting such

landmarks as the Golden Dome Fieldhouse and the much-admired Garfield Park Conservatory – make it poised to

provide permanent homes for residents and businesses alike. In a crowded metropolitan area, East Garfield Park

is a region rife with possibilities for new developments as well as revitalization of existing buildings.

The proposed intervention sits at the intersection of Madison Street and Sacramento Boulevard, at the heart of the

community and the center of East Garfield Park’s Madison Street Corridor. The main building rests at the southeast

corner of the intersection, but additional proposed new developments along both sides of West Madison Street

stretch east to California Avenue, revitalizing an important sector of the community.

The amenities of the development respond to needs of the community. The large, multi-use facility will serve as a

community center with adult education resources, youth after school programs, and a variety of services to assist the

growth and development of the area. The neighborhood’s commitment to building a green community is reflected

in the design and use of the building as well, with a green rooftop, solar panels, and greenhouses integrated into

the site.

1www.j3m.com 2011 J3M



Introduction

East Garfield Park, once a thriving community of over 70,000 residents at its peak in the 1950s, has been in decline in recent

decades as jobs in nearby factory corridors have vanished. Now the area is home to only 20,567 residents, according to the

2010 U.S. Census. This community center will respond to the needs of the current residents and attract new families to the

community by providing services and opportunities not currently available. The following sections outline the demographic,

social, and cultural characteristics of the community area in order to reveal its needs and to demonstrate how the community

center responds to those needs.

Research + Analysis


MADISON STREET

JACKSON BLVD

GARFIELDPARK

SITE

Research + Analysis

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Amenities in East Garfield Park, Chicago, IL 2000

0 0.25 0.5 0.75 10.125Miles¯

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Social Service Agencies

#* Grocery Stores

Á CTA Stations

CTA Train Lines

Major Streets

East Garfield ParkCommunity Areas within 1/2 mile of East Garfield Park

Police Stations

Schools

Parks

Source: U.S. Census, 2000; City of Chicago GIS, Bing Maps

Projection: NAD 1983 State Plane Illinois East, FeetMap Created by Maria Hernandez, 4/26/2011

"u Hospitals

& Fire Stations

& Libraries

East Garfield Park contains one hospital, Bethany

Hospital, and one police station. A handful of

grocery stores, restaurants and social service

agencies are situated near and along Madison

Street. There are twelve elementary schools in the

neighborhood and two main public high schools,

Marshall Metro and Manley. The neighborhood

hosts eleven parks, including the East Garfield

Park Conservatory, from which the community

takes its name. Three CTA stations are located

in the community, and local expressways are

easily accessed nearby. The proposed community

center will complement and supplement existing

amenities.Source: U.S. Census, 2000; City of Chicago GIS, Bing Maps Projection: NAD 1983 State Plane Illinois East

Amenities in East Garfield Park, Chicago, Illinois, 2000

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JMJJ J3M Community Partnerships Research + Analysis

Education, Poverty, and Employment

As of 2000, only 13.1% of adults 25 years and older in

East Garfield Park held a degree higher than a high school

diploma, compared to 30.1% in the City of Chicago.

Moreover, out of the nearly 15,000 residents 16 years or

older, 48% percent were in the labor force and 52% were

not. The unemployment rate of those in the labor force was

approximately 23% for this community area.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 6,535

households in East Garfield Park. The median household

income for households was $24,216. About 26% of

households earn less than $10,000 a year, 11% earn from

$10,000 to $14,999 and 14% earn between $15,000 and

$24,999. These lower income categories when combined

account for half of the residents (51%) in East Garfield

Park and show a little over half of residents earn less than

$24,999, compared to a median income in Cook County of

$45,922 (in 1999 dollars). Over 32% of the East Garfield

Park residents were living in poverty in 2000, including

43.1% of the children under the age of 18.


While many factors locally, nationally, and globally have contributed to the high unemployment rate in this area and low

median income, the first step towards a solution is to create a labor force with the skills necessary to compete in the local

job market. Therefore, a key feature of the new center is the adult education center, which provides opportunities for adults

to study for their high school equivalency certificate as well as college entrance exams. Specialized training in computers,

technology, and other job skills will also be made available as resources and community demands arise. Moreover, the

personnel to staff the new facility, including administrative and technical positions, will bring hundreds of needed jobs to the

area.

Percentage of Families in Poverty By Census Tract, 2000

Source: US Census Bureau 2000Summary File 3

3

Population Density in East Garfield Park, 2000

Educational Attainment for Adults 25+ in East Garfield Park, 2000

14.5%

17.8%

48.2%

32.2%

41.0%

0.0%

31.1%

21.4%

47.3%

15.4%

39.8%

33.6%

44.0%

30.2%

17.0% 16.5%

25.7% 27.9%

20.2%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

2701

2702

2703

2704

2705

2706

2707

2708

2709

2710

2711

2712

2713

2714

2715

2716

2717

2718

2719

People per Acre


JMJJ J3M Community Partnerships Research + Analysis

The East Garfield Park Community Center will be a brand new building at the corner of Madison and Sacramento. Its three

floors contain mixed-use spaces designed to meet a variety of needs of the members of the community. For area youth,

whose schools have been forced to cut extracurricular arts programs due to funding deficits, the center boasts space in which

they can find creative outlets through visual arts, music, and dance. Local artists, teachers, and groups can reserve space to

create and display their work. In addition, the youth media center provides a safe, casual, innovative 21st-century learning

space where students can access computers and a variety of media creation tools to engage in activities that promote critical

thinking, creativity, collaboration, and skill-building. It is modeled off the Youmedia center at the Harold Washington Library

in downtown Chicago, which is less easily accessible for local youth. Bringing a similar center to the west side allows more

teenagers the opportunity to “geek out” constructively after school in a safe and engaging environment.

Adults in the area will benefit from a variety of resources as

well. Healthy produce grown in the adjacent greenhouses

and from local farmers can be purchased at reasonable

prices, and periodic healthy cooking classes will offer tips

on preparing balanced meals for a family on a budget.

Additionally, the adult education center and computer lab

provide access to resources necessary to further improve

education and job prospects. Partnerships with commercial

businesses will bring well-paying jobs to the community,

and conference and business spaces will be available for

community use.




Vacant Land

According to the Quality of Life Plan drafted by the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance in 2005, there are 1,750 vacant

land parcels in the 1.93 square miles of land in East Garfield Park. Indeed, if one were to visit the East Garfield Park area this

would be clearly visible, with many stretches of untended land and empty plots scattered throughout the community. While

these plots left vacant would be a detriment to the community, the availability of land in this otherwise extremely crowded

city makes East Garfield Park an ideal community area for new growth and development. It is due to the availability of real

estate in this area the proposed center goes far beyond just the main building. In addition to the structure on the southeast

corner of Madison and Sacramento, the proposed site extends east with greenhouses and a large community garden area,

and across to the north side of the street with a sports complex including state-of-the-art basketball courts and revitalized

buildings for additional commercial developments along the corridor.

Research + Analysis


Source: Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance Quality of Life Plan, 2005


JMJJ J3M Community Partnerships Recommendations


Recommendations

8


JMJJ J3M Community Partnerships Opportunities

www.j3m.com 2011 J3M9

A product of J3M Community Parternships, prepared by José Alarcón, Jesse Budlong, Maria Hernandez + Jessica Roberts for UPP 460-T: Introduction to Visualization and Geospatial

Analysis, Spring 2011

an urban intervention for east garfield park (upp 460 spring 2011)

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