New Transportation Hub Proposed for Lawndale
A new multi-modal transportation community hub has been proposed for the Lawndale neighborhood in Chicago. The project is part of a broader effort to improve connectivity and quality of life in the city. The proposal highlights ongoing infrastructure development across different parts of Chicago.
- The proposed hub, officially named "The Go Hub," is a $12 million project developed by the nonprofit Equiticity and designed by local architect Odile Compagnon. It will be located at 2107 South Pulaski Avenue on vacant lots near the CTA Pulaski Pink Line station. - The five-story building is designed to be a community and power-building space, featuring a bike workshop, a community center, office spaces for Equiticity, a kitchen, and community hoteling spaces. The exterior will be notable for a rooftop terrace shaded by a sawtooth-patterned solar panel array. - The project is part of the city's broader INVEST South/West initiative, which is directing over $1.4 billion in public and private investment into ten South and West Side communities. - Another significant project in the area is the "Lawndale Redefined" development, a $31.4 million mixed-use project that will create 60 mixed-income apartments, retail space, and a community center, generating 30 permanent and up to 120 construction jobs. It is slated for completion in 2026. - Just recently, construction began on "The Cubes at Roosevelt & Kostner," a $68 million industrial campus and innovation center in North Lawndale that is expected to create 125 construction jobs and 250 permanent positions. The first buildings are scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2026. - The architect for "The Go Hub," Odile Compagnon, is a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a founding member of the Good City Group, which focuses on community-based urban design and placemaking. Her work in Chicago includes projects aimed at improving walkability and creating public art installations in various neighborhoods. - To prepare the site for "The Go Hub," Equiticity received a $50,000 grant to develop the "One Lawndale Movement Plaza" on the vacant lots. This initial phase will activate the space with youth-led programming and a public sculpture while fundraising for the main $12 million hub continues. - The hub will offer practical amenities such as a fleet of loaner e-bikes and e-scooters, shared electric vehicles, a public bike-fix-it station, and 10 EV charging stations. It will also serve as a center for mobility workshops and various community tours.
