The City of Chicago through the Department of Housing and Economic Development is beginning the process of transferring the vacant lot at 31st and Kedzie to Chicago Southwest Development Corporation (CSDC) for development of Focal Point, a community campus that will bring thousands of jobs and a range of retail, wellness, education, arts and recreation elements to enrich the lives of the more than 400,000 residents in Chicago’s West and Southwest Sides.

The vision for Focal Point was developed by Chicago’s Saint Anthony Hospital and will be brought to life under CSDC, the not-for-profit organization established to develop and maintain the Focal Point property. The negotiated sale of the property was approved during Chicago’s Department of Housing and Economic Development Community Development Commission (CDC) hearing.

Through the campus model, rental income from revenue-generating tenants—such as retail stores and schools, hospitality and day care, a parking garage, an outpatient clinic and Saint Anthony Hospital, which will relocate to serve as a tenant of the campus—will be reinvested into programs and services provided through the campus, such as continuing education and wellness classes, a center for creativity and a park and recreation center. According to estimates released by CSDC during the CDC meeting, the campus will create 2,100 construction jobs through the development and building of the campus, 400 new healthcare jobs (adding to the 1,000 current full-time jobs at Saint Anthony Hospital), 600 new jobs for multiple levels of retail and 400 new jobs in education, recreation, hospitality, childcare and campus operations.

The newly constructed Saint Anthony Hospital, which will reside at Focal Point, will replace its current location on 19th and California. Individuals seeking more information or wanting to make a donation can visit www.FocalPointChicago.org.