Chicago Construction News staff writer
Leaders from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Stone Community Development Corporation joined city officials and community partners this week to celebrate a major construction milestone for the Austin HOPE Center, a new health and wellness facility designed to expand pediatric and behavioral health services in the Austin neighborhood.
The beam-raising ceremony marked a symbolic step forward for the project, which is expected to open next summer and is among the first developments funded through Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $1.25-billion Housing and Economic Development (HED) Bond. UJAMAA Construction, a Black-owned firm, is serving as the general contractor and is leading construction of the facility.
“This is an obligation we have to families across our city who’ve for too long been left without access to essential care,” Johnson said. “Investments like this repair historic injustices while ensuring neighborhoods like Austin have ready access to healthcare and other essential needs. The Austin HOPE Center will provide critical relief for families while ensuring the children of Austin receive the care they need—building a healthier, more resilient West Side.”
The project brings together investors, health-care providers, community groups and local leaders to address longstanding disparities on the West Side. Years of disinvestment have left Chicago’s Austin neighborhood with limited access to medical and mental-health services—gaps the new center aims to close.
When complete, the Austin HOPE Center will provide pediatric primary care and treatment for chronic conditions such as asthma and sickle cell disease, along with mental-health support, substance-use services and behavioral care for local children. The building will also include community wellness areas that offer on-site family support programs.
The City of Chicago supported the project through a $5-million allocation from the Department of Planning and Development, funded by the HED Bond. The center is rising along a section of Chicago Avenue targeted for revitalization through ongoing investments in infrastructure and streetscape improvements.
Organizers say the HOPE Center represents a long-term commitment to health equity on the West Side—and a model for how collaboration between medical providers, civic organizations, community leaders, and contractors like UJAMAA Construction can reshape local access to care.
