Should Chicago win its bid for the 2016 Olympics, it could mean the end of another South Side public housing development.
Should Chicago win its bid for the 2016 Olympics, it could mean the end of another South Side public housing development. The Harold Ickes Homes, 2326 S. Dearborn, has 522 occupied units and opened in 1958. If the decision is made to close the public housing complex, Chicago Housing Authority officials said residents would be given at least 180 days notice and the option to move to another CHA development. “Right now things are on hold for the Ickes Homes as to what the CHA plans to do with it,” said Sanjiv Jain, director of the Capital Construction Department for CHA. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if the decision is made to close that site should Chicago be awarded the Olympics. Its location makes it a prime target for some kind of redevelopment.” According to CHA, its $1.6 billion Plan for Transformation project calls for approximately 25,000 units of housing to be built or rehabilitated. The unit count represents the number of leaseholders who were living in CHA units at the time the plan began, back in 2000. Approximately 6,100 family units are scheduled to be redeveloped as mixed-income housing; at least 9,500 units will be reserved for seniors; and the remaining 9,400 apartments will be either reconstructed or rehabbed. Also vying to host the games are Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro. A decision on where the 2016 Olympics will be held is expected by October of next year. ______ Copyright 2008 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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