The North Side public housing development Cabrini-Green currently has one building remaining, which is slated to close by Jan. 15.
The North Side public housing development Cabrini-Green currently has one building remaining, which is slated to close by Jan. 15. Two of the development’s mid-rises –– knows as the Cabrini Extensions –– were closed last month after occupancy dramatically dwindled in recent weeks. The capacity in each building was 64 families but as few as four families were left in each dwelling, posing a safety risk, according to the Chicago Housing Authority. In the remaining building, 1230 N. Burling St., 39 families remain, down from 134 families at its peak. Cabrini-Green was built on Chicago’s North Side starting in the 1940s. The complex was once home to thousands of people. Built in 1958, the 15-building Cabrini Homes Extensions were known for their trademark red-colored brick and had more than 1,900 units. The buildings weren’t well-maintained and crime and drugs soon became rampant. Under CHA’s $1.6 billion “Plan for Transformation,” several public housing sites have been torn down to make way for mixed-income development. The agency says families can elect to return to the Cabrini area once the property is redeveloped. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender (Defender/Kathy Chaney)
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