Church-led development will bring new housing, hospitality, retail, cultural space, and economic opportunity to the 63rd St. corridor.
Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson joined the Apostolic Church of God, J. Byron Brazier, community leaders, elected officials, and development partners to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking of Woodlawn Central, a $580 million, church-led mixed-use development that will transform approximately eight acres surrounding the Apostolic Church of God into a walkable residential and cultural district along the 63rd Street corridor.
“This is an important moment for Woodlawn and the entire South Side,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Woodlawn knows what it means to be overlooked and to experience disinvestment, but today we are writing a different chapter defined by opportunity, stability, dignity, and hope. Woodlawn Central is a powerful example of development that can revitalize a neighborhood without displacing the people who have called it home for generations while honoring the history, culture and institutions that make Woodlawn what it is.”
Once fully complete, Woodlawn Central is expected to encompass approximately 870 to 1,000 residential units, a hotel, retail and office space, cultural and performance space, an urban farm and green space. The development will bring new housing, businesses, jobs, and amenities to the 63rd St. corridor while building on the longstanding presence and leadership of the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn.
“Woodlawn Central continues the legacy of bringing together housing, economic opportunity, businesses, jobs, hospitality, and community spaces in a development designed to serve both the people who are here today and the generations who will follow,” said Bishop Byron T. Brazier, Pastor of the Apostolic Church of God.
The first phase represents an approximately $134 million investment and will include approximately 104 residential units, including approximately 22 affordable homes, an approximately 160-room boutique hotel, retail space, approximately 300 parking spaces and bicycle parking, and two approximately 14-story towers connected by a shared podium.
Woodlawn Central builds on the legacy of the late Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, a civil rights leader, longtime pastor and longtime advocate for Woodlawn who devoted decades to strengthening the community through organizing, economic development and neighborhood investment. The Apostolic Church of God has continued that commitment through its longstanding presence and community leadership.
Located in close proximity to the Obama Presidential Center, the development will connect residents and visitors to one of Chicago’s most important emerging cultural destinations while supporting continued economic and cultural growth throughout the surrounding area. Its transit-oriented design opens up residents to jobs, services and opportunities across Chicago.
Woodlawn Central comes at an important moment of growth and investment on the South Side, bringing new housing, including affordable units, as well as jobs, commercial activity, and community amenities to the 63rd St. corridor.
