By: Ashmar Mandou

The Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC) celebrated the neighborhood’s first community center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday morning, attended by several elected officials. The center will serve as a non-stop shop for the people of Brighton Park, where legal assistance will be provided as well as housing counseling, youth mentorship, and so much more. The new facility will allow BPNC and network partners to support families through youth programming, family services, and other community engagement efforts in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood.

“BPNC is beacon of hope and resilience in the Brighton Park neighborhood. This new facility gives BPNC and dozens of network partners a new home — and an even greater capacity to serve,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The launch of this new service center deepens our commitment to Brighton Park and residents across the Southwest Side.” The State of Illinois provided $3 million in capital grant funding for the new facility.

The center will act as the headquarters of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Network (BPNN), a network of organizations including social service providers, schools, and local businesses. The space will host various public services ranging from youth mentoring and housing counseling to clinical and legal services. The service center will also include a community kitchen and a youth basketball court. BPNC will fully transition to the new space this summer.

“For years our community members have demanded a space that is not only safe, but also inclusive of all people and groups, and the opening of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council Service Center will meet residents’ demands tenfold with a facility supported by, built by and run by other community members,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago).
“I have been a supporter of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council for many years and attended this service center’s groundbreaking ceremony in 2024, so this is a full-circle moment for me,” said State Senator Javier Cervantes (D-Chicago). “Helping people in the communities that I represent, especially working families, is something I strive for every day — and the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council does the same thing.”

“Illinois wins when we support every family in every community, and our capital investment in this new service center is proof we are not backing down from this promise,” said State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez (D-Chicago). “We’ve got more work to do to support working and immigrant families, and I am committed to doing exactly that.”

“Brighton Park is home to hardworking families who don’t want to just get by, but get ahead,” said State Rep. Aaron Ortiz (D-Chicago). “BPNC’s new service center and our investments in truly holistic family-focused services will help further support area families as they build their futures.”

Photo Credit: Brighton Park Neighborhood Council