CHICAGO — The anticipation builds as four community leaders took to the stage at the City Club of Chicago on Wednesday, showcasing their visionary projects in a bid for the prestigious 2025 Chicago Prize.
Launched by the Pritzker Traubert Foundation in 2019, the Chicago Prize honors innovative leaders with the potential to enact significant change within their communities. The grand prize, a staggering $10 million, is awarded to one project, while all finalists receive a $650,000 matching grant.
The first Chicago Prize was awarded in 2020 to Always Growing Auburn Gresham, a healthy living center and renewable energy and urban farming initiative. Developed by the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation alongside nonprofits Urban Growers Collective and Green Era Partners, the project has set a precedent for future initiatives.
City officials celebrated a milestone in 2022 when they joined the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation to inaugurate the Healthy Lifestyle Hub, widely dubbed the “Miracle on 79th Street.” This hub has revitalized the South Side, offering essential resources such as restaurants, a medical center, and educational facilities following decades of neglect.
Environmental advocates also applauded the April launch of the Green Era Campus, which features an anaerobic digester designed to divert millions of pounds of food waste.
Penny Pritzker, cofounder and Trustee of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, emphasized the importance of the Chicago Prize during this dynamic period, stating, “The third Chicago Prize continues the momentum of giving great ideas the support they need to become reality. Through this process, we are proud to support so many fantastic community leaders who are working hard to increase economic opportunity for more families across our city.”
The announcement of the winner for the 2025 Chicago Prize is slated for this fall, and the finalists have already made compelling presentations about their transformative projects.
One of the finalists, the Cottage Grove Corridor Collective, is a $23.9 million initiative aimed at revitalizing Bronzeville. It will introduce mixed housing, retail spaces, and cultural opportunities to the area. Central to this development is the Cornerstone Market, a 25,000-square-foot facility at the site of the former South Side Trust and Savings Bank. This market is envisioned to host cultural programs and culinary experiences, while another aspect of the project, The Shops at BridgePointe, will provide seven spaces for local entrepreneurs adjacent to the 43rd Street Pedestrian Bridge.
Rhonda McFarland, executive director of the Quad Communities Development Corporation, noted the project’s emphasis on community ownership. She stated, “We are laser-focused on community ownership. Communities where people live, work, and play are known to thrive. Communities where we own, control the economics, and the assets excel. We want to excel in Bronzeville.”
The Cottage Grove Corridor Collective is spearheaded by Quad Communities Development Corporation NFP and Milhouse Development, collaborating with partners such as Syzygy Cities, Oakland Renovation and Rehab, and Ujamaa Construction.
Another finalist, Energizing An Economic Ecosystem, is a $45.2 million project set to address the economic disparities in North Lawndale. Richard Townsell, executive director of the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, reported that the community experiences an alarming outflow of nearly $124 million annually. The proposed project aims to reverse this trend by providing essential services such as commercial development, healthcare resources, early childhood education, and cultural programming.
Townsell explained their vision: “Our teams have a hypothesis that no one project could revitalize our community. But what we propose is that a series of connected projects could help to overcome significant challenges that have been persistent for decades.” Proposed features include a children’s center, an innovation hub with co-working spaces, and a business hub for entrepreneurs, alongside a new alfresco dining venue.
“Energizing an Economic Ecosystem is going to be a counterweight to the persistent nihilism,” Townsell added, referring to the sense of hopelessness that can permeate when aspirations are deferred. This project is facilitated by the North Lawndale Employment Network, alongside several community development organizations.
Reclaiming Chicago represents another contender for the prize, with a proposed budget of $45 million. This project promises to construct 2,000 new and rehabilitated single-family homes on city-owned and vacant land across neighborhoods such as North Lawndale, Back of the Yards, Chicago Lawn, and Greater Roseland. The Resurrection Project has already seen success, building 79 homes as part of this initiative, with plans for 80 more homes completed by 2025.
“Our communities are hurting, but they are also resilient,” remarked Raul Raymundo, CEO and co-founder of The Resurrection Project. “Change begins in the neighborhood. We are organizing people. We are organizing money with an organized mission. That is what Reclaiming Chicago is all about.”
This project is supported by a diverse group of organizations, including United Power for Action and Justice, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, and the Southwest Organizing Project.
Lastly, the Renaissance 95 project, with a budget of $117.4 million, aims to revitalize the 95th Street corridors in Roseland and Pullman through commercial and retail expansion, healthcare development, and educational enhancements. The plans include building 80 affordable single-family homes and a 36,000-square-foot thin-tech housing manufacturing facility producing energy-efficient homes. A boutique hotel is also part of the transformative vision.
As Otis Moss III, pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ stated, “The greatest tool that we have at our disposal is our imagination. And if we dare decolonize our imagination, we will see the transformation of the South Side of Chicago. We have all of the necessary anchors to see renaissance, not gentrification.”
The Renaissance 95 project is led by Trinity United Church of Christ and includes partners such as Park Row Development, Endeleo Institute, and Advocate Health.
As the City of Chicago anticipates the announcement of the 2025 Chicago Prize winner, these projects reflect the shared commitment to fostering innovation, economic opportunity, and resilience in the city’s communities.
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