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Corridor Development Initiative

Site Location

Help us plan the site that is at the corner of Howard and Ashland! This location at 7519-33 N Ashland is at the southeast corner of Howard Street and Ashland Avenue. It is located across from Willye B. White Park and Fieldhouse and just one block away from the Howard Street CTA station. This irregular shaped location is made up of two lots spanning just over 1 acre (roughly the size of 1 football field). The lots are city-owned and currently being utilized by the Peterson Garden Project, which has established a community garden that has been at the site since 2014. The Peterson Garden Project does not own the site, and unfortunately, due to that, can lose the site if a developer seeks to buy the property from the city.

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Download the Corridor Plan.

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View the Report for the Howard/Ashland Community Process

On Tuesday, the 49th Ward office and the Metropolitan Planning Council held a virtual meeting to unveil the final report from the community-driven process for the vacant parcel at Howard and Ashland. 

 

Over 200 Rogers Park community members participated in workshops, surveys, and design kits throughout the process. We received a variety of input on what participants would like to see (and not see) on the site, with an overwhelming number of people emphasizing that they would like any future development to incorporate amenities for the community—including green space, an incubator, workforce development, and/or affordable housing. This initial report has been extremely valuable in identifying community preferences. 

 

A copy of the CDI report can be viewed by clicking here. After you've had a moment to review the report, please take a moment to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the Corridor Development Initiative. 

 

Hard copies of the report will be available to pick up from the 49th Ward office. Please email torrence@49thward.org to arrange a pick up as the ward office remains closed to the public due to COVID. You may also request to have a hard copy mailed to your address by emailing dliu@metroplanning.org. 

 

A copy of the report will also be provided to the city's Department of Planning and Development for review. Please continue to stay engaged, as there will be more opportunities to provide input and feedback as the process evolves.

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Why Now?

Our office has seen multiple proposals come in as it relates to this site. Some of the proposals were discussed long before we even entered office. Due to the site being available for development, we wanted to seek a proactive approach to planning this location. Too many times communities are given late notice on a potential development without any real input. This is a great opportunity to provide an idea to a potential developer on what we want to see from the beginning. This process will result in a document consisting of the community's vision that will solicit proposals to potentially interested buyers of the site. 

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Community Engagement

In partnership with the Metropolitan Planning Council and many other community organizations near the site, our office will be leading a community engagement process that will ensure all voices are heard. Please see below and click the link for details on upcoming meetings and participation opportunities to get involved with. Your voice matters!

 

Session 1: Kick Off

 

Session 2: Design Workshops - choose any option!

 

Session 3: Community Review

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Existing Corridor Studies

There are two existing corridor studies that were published to help guide future development in the Howard area. The first is the Howard and Morse Area Corridor Study. This was completed in 2006 by the Rogers Park Business Alliance. The second is the Howard Area Corridor Study. This was completed in 2020 by Director of Economic Development to Alderwoman Hadden Torrence Gardner.

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