Block Club Chi: Massive Indoor Track Facility Coming To South Side Will Be City’s First

There was a ground breaking for this facility this past Sunday and it will soon be at Gately Park. Via Block Club Chi:

For 35 years, Chicago activist, scholar and former track athlete Dr. Conrad Worrill has worked to bring an indoor track facility to Chicago.

On Sunday, during a groundbreaking ceremony at Gately Park, 744. E. 103rd St., he realized it’s actually happening.

“I’m ecstatic, happy, overjoyed, we’ve been fighting for this for over 35 years and I think it will give an option to Chicago Public Schools student athletes in having accessibility to an indoor track,” Worrill said. “I believe it will put Chicago on the map and it’s an opportunity to put Chicago track and field on the map.”
...
In a statement, Emanuel said the track and field facility will provide Chicago athletes of all ages a place to train year round.

“In partnership with After School Matters and Exelon, we are proud to make Harold Washington’s dream a reality on the South Side,” he said.

Harris, whose ward is home to Gately Park, said the project will cost $55 million and is scheduled to be completed by August 2019.

The new 95th street is coming along

Snapped this shot of the new south of 95th terminal  on Friday. And snapped other shots around the station Friday morning and evening. They took some of the fencing away and perhaps it won't be too long before this new station is open. Of course the original north of 95th station remains open and there is some construction there as well.

Here's a post from ig that includes the above pic and additional shots with some video.

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Apr 6, 2018 at 10:45pm PDT

#Ward09 News

Earlier this week I shared this portion of Ald. Anthony Beale's recent email sharing news for his Ward 9 constituents on The Sixth Ward's ig. This news is for the planned sports facility near 104th & Woodlawn or according to DNA Info 2016 article - 10355 S. Woodlawn Ave (I erroneously referred to the nearby address of 103rd & Doty). When you turn off 103rd street south onto Woodlawn you will go past the facility construction and will lead you to the Pullman Walmart.

All the same I saved this pictures and the portion of the email that talks about the coming sports facility and wanted to share this with you all on this blog. As always click on pic for larger resolution.

 I rarely check out his FB page there's a video of this site on Woodlawn up now. Let's check it out!

Here's the ig post shared at The Sixth Ward

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Apr 3, 2018 at 11:51am PDT

Capitol Fax: Yet another failure

10001 South Woodlawn Ave

This "failure" is located at the south side's Olive Harvey College located east of the Bishop Ford - formerly Calumet Expressway - on 103rd Street. OHC was supposed to be home to a "Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Center". Another job training program provided by the City Colleges of Chicago.

Unfortunately we've learned - especially if you've read this recent post over at CapFax or indeed the Tribune article linked within the post - the program has stalled. The City of Chicago, City Colleges, and also State of Illinois aren't able to come up with funds to finish this project.

Plus when this project was started it was before the transition from Governor Pat Quinn to Governor Bruce Rauner. And if you've been reading CapFax for the past two years we know there has been something of a serious budget stalemate.

A new high school coming to Roseland?

While this DNA Info article mostly concerns the possibility of a new high school in Englewood, it's noted that Chinatown and Roseland are also in the running for a new high school. A few considerations from the article worth noting.

To start location. Where is the land available for a new high school? Of course there are areas where it's possible to build a new school especially with foreclosed homes.

And then what schools would close. Speaking of Englewood, it's unclear if this means an elementary school would close or a high school. Although one candidate for closure would be Robeson High School which is noted for having their issues especially academically.

In the Roseland area there are already Corliss on east 103rd Street & Cottage Grove and then Julian directly west on 103rd & Vincennes. Also there is Fenger at 11220 S Wallace St and then there's Gwendolyn Brooks on 115th & King Drive. If any of those schools have to go which one might that be.

And then one more thing worth noting, what does this new school have to offer that the others don't already. Gwendolyn Brooks is a college prep academy. Harlan has a magnet engineering program and I can't speak for Julian, Corliss and Fenger. 

Whether or not we're talking Chinatown, Englewood or Roseland this school should offer programs of interest for the students. We can't just talk about another neighborhood high school to be built. If CPS is interested in building a new school in any area, what should be invested in it to make it worthwhile?

Red line extension moves forward

Rendering of the 103rd CTA station

I'm somewhat disappointed that the red line extension to Roseland may not open until at least 2026 at the earlier according to what was written by Greg Hinz. Regardless more progress is being made in the future progress to bring the CTA L system further south from 95th street. This project is expected to cost about $2.3 billion.

As CTA continues to move forward we will see a draft environmental impact statement which will be seen on this project's website. In addition as hopefully construction would begin at 2022 at the earliest another step is to purchase those properties within the footprint of the route whether or not the CTA goes with the two options for their preferred routing.

DNA Info: Roseland Teens Help Fix Up Abandoned Homes To Rent

Something you may have seen on our ig

I think this is what we'd all like to see more of in our communities. No more stories about the youth causing trouble in our neighborhoods more about them deciding to help build it back up. That's what the young men in this story are doing.

Simeon Career Academy senior Hakeem Day would rather be working with his hands than in the streets.

“I’ve been interested in construction since I was a little kid and this gives me the opportunity to practice for the future because I plan on doing this in the future,” said the 18-year-old Roseland resident.

He is getting that opportunity through a new youth and trades After School Matters program.

Aaron Mallory, 28, of Roseland started the program through his nonprofit God Restoring Order, or G.R.O. He’s working with a group of high school teens from schools including Simeon, Morgan Park and the Noble charter schools

The goal is to improve the community one block at a time by rehabbing the abandoned homes, and Mallory is doing just that with the help of local teens. They’re finishing up work on their first home near 109th Street and Wentworth Avenue.

The reporter for this story Andrea Watson has a poll up asking "Should our teens learn the trades?" My answer would be yes, we need carpenters, mechanics, pipe fitters, plumbers, etc. Trades in addition to helping our young people get into college. Different programs and different options.

At that learn a trade and be a value to our community and earn some community service credits. I forgot about getting valuable job experience.

Read the whole thing.