By: Ashmar Mandou

A new community space is coming to the Humboldt Park community, designed to bring wellness and wellness through violence prevention programs. City officials partnered with Blocks Together to break ground earlier this week on the new Blocks Together Community Plaza.

“This groundbreaking represents the power of community organizing and what happens when residents invest in their own neighborhood,” said Carolina Gaete, executive director of Blocks Together. “The Community Plaza is a symbol of hope, healing, and long-term community ownership on the West Side of Chicago.”  Blocks Together Community Plaza, a permanent community space which will seek to build community wellness and healing through violence prevention efforts, youth and arts programming, cultural celebrations, food justice initiatives, and resident-led organizing and engagement.

The vacant parcels at 3713-17 W. Chicago Ave sit adjacent to Block Together’s existing office spaces. In recent years the organization has used the space to host organizing food distributions, youth celebrations, violence prevention programming, and additional healing-centered efforts. Once completed, the project will empower the Blocks Together to extend their reach and increase the impact of their mutual aid services. Blocks Together is a community organization dedicated to social justice and organizing on the West Side, focusing on violence prevention, youth programming, and resident-led organizing. The Community Plaza will complement nearby developments along the Chicago Avenue corridor in West Humboldt Park while providing wraparound services to support residents and nearby communities.

“While many real estate interests are investing for profit on Chicago Avenue, this plaza will serve as an example of community-controlled development that invests in the collective well-being of our neighbors,” said Antonio Ward, organizing director at Blocks Together.  The organization applied through the City’s ChiBlockBuilder Open Space Program, which allows eligible non-profits and individuals to purchase City-owned vacant land at 10 percent of assessed market value. The $7.1k sale received City Council authorization in January.  The project also received funding support through Chicago Public School’s Sustainable Community Schools program. The groundbreaking ceremony included music, refreshments, and opportunities for community members to learn more about the vision for the plaza.

“Today’s groundbreaking demonstrates of what community power looks like,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “West Humboldt Park is rising, from affordable housing to streetscape improvements to this plaza, change is happening here because community members have come together and organized to make it real.”