Cabrini-Green Target Plans Revealed, Amid Concern From Residents And Neighbors

The Chicago Housing Authority and Target, the big-box retailer, appear to have reached a deal that would allow for a giant new store to be built on the former site of one of the world's most notorious housing projects.

With the demolition of the final building in the Cabrini-Green complex, the company is seeking to undertake a land-swap deal with the government agency to install a 150,000-square-foot store on the site. It would bring 200 jobs and an investment of between $40 and $60 million.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the store is a cornerstone of the Near North Redevelopment Initiative, the ambitious plan that called for the destruction of the projects and the redevelopment of the area. In order to keep public-housing residents in the neighborhood, Target will purchase land of equal size and value around the neighborhood and give it to the CHA in exchange for the land it's using.

It will also hire at least 75 CHA residents, that paper reports, offering a job fair to tell neighbors about the opportunities it is offering.

The plans were first reported over a month ago, with Alderman Walter Burnett, who represents the Cabrini-Green area, enthusing over the prospect. “I’ll take a Target anywhere in my ward,” he said. “We need some economic development because the economy is bad. There’s nothing happening."

Burnett was still excited about the project this week, according to NBC Chicago, but he planned to seek approval from the neighborhood's residents before moving forward. Some of those residents have concerns about the future of affordable housing, as well as the increased noise and congestion a Target could bring.

Comments

[tdjackson]

08:46 PM on 05/22/2011

OK here goes it. Some of you are making a big to do about them putting a Target over here. I moved into the area a few years ago and have seen the change, and for the most part it has been good. The target will bring jobs to the area for the few CHA residents left, they expect to come into a job in most cases with no definable skills and expect they will be placed on a management track?! There was/is a another way to do this but because they listen to the wrong people they will be on the short end of the stick again. Come to the table with some good ideas instead of "You/they owe us/me" and maybe you will get something.

[cla65]

12:10 AM on 05/05/2011

No problem here. The suburban stores can cover all the shrink losses. Just like the working part of the state has to carry the useless bloat called Chicago

[Jacob Black]

11:40 AM on 05/05/2011

Are you serious? Are you really under the impression that the Chicago area does not contribute more to the state coffers than it takes in, or don't you care?

[CaptainVideo]

11:54 AM on 05/05/2011

Chicago is the heart of the entire metropolitan area. If there were no Chicago, there would not be any suburbs.

[Jacob Black]

12:11 PM on 05/05/2011

I hate to jump to conclusions, but I have a strong suspicion that the above poster's problem with Chicago vs. "the working part of the state" has more to do with demographics than economic fact.

[BushBites]

02:17 PM on 05/04/2011

Hope they get CTA vouchers too.

No way they'll be able to afford to live in the neighborhood anymore.

[PTAOfficerforObama]

05:26 PM on 05/03/2011

It kills me that even Cabrini green has a Target and the ENTIRE state of Vermont does not!

[BushBites]

02:18 PM on 05/04/2011

You're not missing much.

Though, admittedly, anything's better than Walmart.

[Comeplayinmyreality]

05:21 PM on 05/04/2011

i would take target over walmart any day.

[KDMac]

03:54 PM on 05/03/2011

Concern about the future of affordable housing is very real. From what I understand, they are no longer giving Section 8 contracts, only tax credit housing, which does not allow for flucuations in rent as income fluctuates.

[spinns17]

03:17 PM on 05/03/2011

i wonder if they are still going to hire them if they are gay?

[njgal4obama]

05:01 PM on 05/04/2011

Target hires and promotes lots of gay people. And same sex domestic partners are entitled to all of the same employee benefits that a spouse is entitled to. (An opposite sex live-in partner however, would not be). That ridiculous "Target hates gay people" myth was thoroughly debunked.

Get with the program.

[spinns17]

05:26 PM on 05/04/2011

http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews38_31/mobile/page2.cfm

[LiamS]

11:31 AM on 05/03/2011

Interesting development. I like that they are purchasing and donating additional land for CHA use in the area, and the 75 job reserve is a great nod towards fixing some of the underlying difficulties in the area.

Now if they'll also push for improving education and vocational training, we'll be well on our way.

Way to be socially responsible, Target. Kudos.

[Busterman]

11:21 AM on 05/03/2011

The big question is how long will it be in buisness before shop lifting puts it under

[Jacob Black]

11:53 AM on 05/03/2011

This will be smack in the middle of one of the more affluent areas of the city.

[Chi--townfool]

12:30 PM on 05/03/2011

Apparently you aren't aware of the problem that area has been having with huge mobs of kids (like 70 kids or more) roaming around and looting stores, fighting with other large groups, ambushing innocent by standers, and swarming stores and taking what they want these kids come from out west and take the Chicago ave bus down there and act a fool.

[VegasBabe]

11:16 AM on 05/03/2011

I just wish they were putting a LOT more people to work than a mere 75 but we'll take what we can get.

[TMS3100]

11:26 AM on 05/03/2011

It's going to create 200 jobs.

[crookedcountyillinois]

10:34 AM on 05/03/2011

"In order to keep public-housing residents in the neighborhood..."

Why, in the world, would anyone want to keep public housing residents "in the neighborhood"...? Isn't it better to live in a free society, and allow people to simply go wherever they wish?

[antonymous]

10:54 AM on 05/03/2011

The area around Cabrini is actually a nice neighborhood - it's one of the most expensive in the city - and by living there more opportunities like Target present themselves than in, say, a public housing project surrounded by subsidized Section 8 housing. They'll have to move pretty far away if they start making too much money to qualify for public housing, but it's better than nothing.

[chairman1969]

11:47 AM on 05/03/2011

true i used to live up the street from it on Larrabee and there are multi-million dollar mansions all over, then you cross North and it's projects

[CaptainVideo]

11:58 AM on 05/05/2011

Only the rich can afford to go wherever they wish. For the rest of the people, being legally free to go where they wish is irrelevant.

[David Allison]

10:31 AM on 05/03/2011

CANDYMAN!

[buck feev]

10:15 AM on 05/03/2011

sad and tacky. thanks Chicago for giving me one more reason to move out of this horrible state.

[antonymous]

10:51 AM on 05/03/2011

Bon voyage, and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[chairman1969]

11:48 AM on 05/03/2011

agreed, chicago is a pretty suffocating place. I had to get out once the urban metropolis novelty got old..

[Myshkin57]

12:34 PM on 05/03/2011

I don't mind the big city aspect of Chicago. What I don't like are all these areas striving to be like suburbs, with automobile-centric, parking heavy shopping areas.