71st & Racine.
In Spring 2023, Cooperation Racine acquired a vacant, mixed-use building from the Cook County Landbank. Anchored in West Englewood at 1201 W. 71st St & Racine Ave, the 14,637-square-foot building will be the root of our cooperative community with a Fall 2025 opening.
Through collaborative planning, thoughtful design, and responsible construction, 71st & Racine will feature a community gallery, incubator kitchen, darkroom, multimedia studios, and flex spaces for teaching workshops and hosting events. The building will also house live-work apartments and a retail space highlighting independently-owned BIPOC brands.
Site design will include access to green space, including outdoor gardens and co-located mutual aid/community care resources (e.g., Love Fridge, warming station).
Through our art-centered events and retreats, membership-based creative facility use, and studio/event space rentals, we will pave pathways for skill-building and career development for artists on the south and west sides of Chicago.
An architectural rendering of a lively cityscape at 1201 W 71st St. Green street signs indicate the central intersection: "W. 71st St." and "S. Racine Av."
Despite having 7-lanes, the intersection is pedestrian-friendly with dedicated bike space and traffic-calming measures, such as sidewalk planters doubling as bollards. The aerial view shows nearly 30 pedestrians engaged in conversation, sidewalk games, lounging, and entering/exiting an inviting community arts building centered in the image. The building is comprised of three sections, each with roof-mounted solar panels. The middle section is treated with light yellow panels, while a textured red brick facade characterizes the other two sections.
The greenspace surrounding the building is activated with multi-colored party tents. The neighboring houses are single-family Craftsman-styled 2-flats, characteristic of early 1900s Greater Englewood architecture. Though not in the frame, it is clear that the sun is shining on everyone.
Collaboration.
Throughout the design development phase of our work, we seek intentional feedback from our Englewood neighbors, including families in the CPS South Side Parent Advisory Collaborative (SSPAC), neighboring Block Clubs, R.A.G.E Village members (Resident Association of Greater Englewood), and bordering 71st Street churches (e.g., Shiloh Baptist Church, Cleveland Tabernacle Baptist Church).
Additionally, each worker-owner brings relationships from their relative sectors: urban planning, design & fabrication, disability justice, municipal government, post-secondary teaching, museum education, and small-business development.
An architectural floor plan (viewed as an axon image) of a dynamic, multi-use building. The floor plan calls out ten distinct areas (clockwise from top right):
1) Wellness Room 2) Event Space 3) Outdoor Gardens 4) Podcast Studio 5) Gallery Space 6) Front Porch 7) Retail Shopping 8) "MARS" Hub 9) Love Fridge 10) Communal Kitchen.
A short row of accessible parking spaces is in the top left of the image (behind the building). A sidewalk borders the building on two sides, with a fence bordering the greenspace. Not shown in this ground-level image, the building also has a mixed-use lower level and a residential upper level.
Ecosystem.
The Mayor’s Office for Economic and Racial Justice has made a 2-year investment in Community Wealth Building (CWB) and in ℅ is honored to be a grantee and active member in the “Community Wealth Building Ecosystem”.
UIC’s Solidarity Economy Research Policy & Law Project hosts monthly convenings, helping us network and collaborate with other co-ops spanning a range of disciplines.
Support to date includes:
City of Chicago: Community Wealth Building Pre-Development Grant
Terra Foundation for American Art: Art Design Chicago Project Grant
Field Foundation: Technical Assistance
Chicago Community Trust: Pre-Development Fund and Fund for Equitable Business Growth
Crossroads Fund: Technical Assistance
Hyde Park Art Center/Builder’s Initiative/Field Foundation/Terra Foundation: Artists Run Chicago Fund
See our featured video for more:
Jenna Pollack (c) 2023