CANCELLED
Diverse influences, from politics to traffic engineering, have created expressways that divide and define many Chicago neighborhoods. Blurring these barriers can re-knit divided/struggling neighborhoods and knit new/healthier neighborhoods. Motivating the controlling agencies, from Illinois Department of Transportation to Chicago Transit Authority, can lead to dramatic change and creative use of the expressway air-rights.
The objectives of this IPRO project are:
- Develop a viable/sustainable approach for knitting the Illinois Medical District (IMD) to the burgeoning Near West Loop
- Leverage the $3.5B economic engine of the IMD to benefit a larger community
- Serve as a model to other expressway centric areas in Chicago
- Bring much needed connections / open space / development opportunities / public benefits
- Develop neighborhood gateway / icon / identity from the expressway
The approach that the team is expected to take encompasses the following research and development tasks:
- Research:
- Previous Illinois Medical District studies
- Medical district development trends
- Malcolm X College’s revamp focus on medicine / medical training
- Blackhawk Community Training Center
- History of Chicagoland expressways
- Develop:
- Proposal to knit the Illinois Medical District (IMD) to the Near West Side
- Neighborhood gateway / icon / identity from the expressway
- Financial analysis
- Stakeholders’ interest / influence
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