<p>Four years after introducing plans for Woodlawn Central — a sprawling neighborhood campus dedicated to <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/1/9/22852028/south-side-woodlawn-apostolic-church-byron-brazier-obama-center-affordable-housing" >celebrating Black culture</a> — developers will be breaking ground Saturday on the project's first phase.</p><p>The <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2022/8/22/23313439/apostolic-church-of-god-woodlawn-redevelopment-displacement-improvement-dorchester" >Apostolic Church of God</a> aims for the roughly 8-acre project to become an economic catalyst for the South Side neighborhood, centering residents, Black-owned businesses and cultural institutions. It comes on the heels of the <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/06/02/museum-tower-obama-presidential-center-maligned-signature-building-worthy-consideration" >Obama Presidential Center</a> opening in nearby Jackson Park.</p><p>Phase one of the $580 million megadevelopment will have a 14-story, 104-unit apartment building and a hotel of the same height with 160 rooms, along with commercial and retail spaces and a pocket park. It's also expected to create 100 temporary jobs and 700 permanent jobs, according to development plans.</p><p>More housing will be added across the other phases, along with more retail that will house makerspaces, business incubators and co-working hubs.</p><p>When complete, <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2026/01/23/woodlawn-apostolic-church-brazier-groundbreaking-cultural-hub-housing-retail" >Woodlawn Central</a> will also include senior housing, a theater, office space, an urban farm and green spaces to promote wellness and recreation. </p><p>In total, there’s expected to be roughly 870 homes — a mix of workforce, market-rate, luxury and senior units. The development will include 20% affordable housing, as required under the city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance, but it's aiming for 30% of the homes to be affordable. Units will span from one- to three-bedrooms, with some supporting multigenerational living, according to the project's website.</p><p>The first phase is expected to take 18 months and cost about $134 million, according to plans submitted to the city. Its two towers — one for the hotel and another for housing — will sit above a large retail and parking podium.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
<div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop="">
<figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-640000" name="image-640000"></a>
<picture data-crop="medium">
<source type="image/webp" width="490"
height="275"
data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4468ee0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2391×1342+155+0/resize/490×275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3d%2F41%2Ff2149de6412db1768078ba176c32%2Fwoodlawn-central-2.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6290eb4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2391×1342+155+0/resize/980×550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3d%2F41%2Ff2149de6412db1768078ba176c32%2Fwoodlawn-central-2.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4="
/>
<source width="490"
height="275"
data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/674fc3b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2391×1342+155+0/resize/490×275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3d%2F41%2Ff2149de6412db1768078ba176c32%2Fwoodlawn-central-2.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4="
/>
<img class="Image" alt="Rendering of Woodlawn Central's first phase, with two towers." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/674fc3b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2391×1342+155+0/resize/490×275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3d%2F41%2Ff2149de6412db1768078ba176c32%2Fwoodlawn-central-2.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d08d97e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2391×1342+155+0/resize/980×550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3d%2F41%2Ff2149de6412db1768078ba176c32%2Fwoodlawn-central-2.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/674fc3b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2391×1342+155+0/resize/490×275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3d%2F41%2Ff2149de6412db1768078ba176c32%2Fwoodlawn-central-2.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4="
>
</picture>
<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Rendering of Woodlawn Central’s first phase.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided by Gensler</p></div></div>
</figure>
</div>
</div><p>"Woodlawn Central continues the legacy of bringing together housing, economic opportunity, businesses, jobs, hospitality, and community spaces in a development designed to serve both the people who are here today and the generations who will follow," Bishop Byron Brazier, pastor of the Apostolic Church of God, said in a news release.</p><p>Woodlawn Central is being built on land clustered around 63rd Street and Dorchester Avenue that was previously used by the church for parking. The church owns the land, and developer J. Byron Brazier — son of the church’s pastor — is leading the project.</p><p>Brazier and a representative for the Apostolic Church didn't respond to a request for comment. </p><p>The vision for Woodlawn Central is to create a thriving, self-sustaining community by celebrating Black heritage and fostering innovation, according to the project’s brochure. More than 80% of Woodlawn’s population is Black, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. </p><p>Many longtime residents have expressed concerns about <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/06/16/obama-center-housing-costs-displacement-gentrification-jackson-park-woodlawn-south-shore" >gentrification and displacement</a>, especially as a result of the Obama Presidential Center. Also top of mind for residents has been Aquinnah Investment Trust’s proposal for a 26-story hotel next door to Island Terrace, an affordable housing development on Stony Island Avenue. In April 2025, residents <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2025/04/29/south-shore-woodlawn-residents-protest-26-story-hotel-aquinnah-obama-presidential-center" >held a protest</a> against the proposed hotel, warning it could lead to higher rents. The Chicago Plan Commission <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2025/08/21/aquinnah-hotel-obama-presidential-center-plan-commission-approval" target="_blank" >approved</a> the project in August 2025.</p><p>Woodlawn Central's development team believes there can be a path to long-term prosperity for residents without pushing them out by offering a mix of affordable, market-rate and senior housing, along with new job and economic growth opportunities, according to its brochure.</p><p>The project will create construction-related jobs, increase investment in the area and present new opportunities for local businesses, the church said in a news release. It also expects to attract visitors, host community events and contribute to the long-term vitality of the neighborhood.</p><p>Brazier previously told the Sun-Times that Woodlawn Central wants to be a good neighbor. But he’s cognizant of how the area will be impacted by the Obama Presidential Center’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/06/18/obama-presidential-center-opening-jackson-park" >opening</a>.</p><p>“With the Obama Center coming up, we know that there’s going to be [a] need for lodging; there’s going to be [a] need for other cultural aspects,” Brazier said. “We’re looking at trying to have some semblance of connectivity, but letting the Obama center and its opening breathe and having its time. I think part of the stewardship of being good friends and neighbors is not trying to overshadow or trying to do too much at one time.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
<div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div>
<ul class="RelatedList-items">
<li class="RelatedList-items-item">
<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2026/01/23/woodlawn-apostolic-church-brazier-groundbreaking-cultural-hub-housing-retail" >Woodlawn church expects summer groundbreaking on cultural hub offering housing, retail</a>
</li>
<li class="RelatedList-items-item">
<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/06/02/museum-tower-obama-presidential-center-maligned-signature-building-worthy-consideration" >No tower of glower: Obama Center and its maligned signature building are worthy of consideration</a>
</li>
<li class="RelatedList-items-item">
<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/03/05/obama-presidential-center-impact-woodlawn-barack-gentrification" >Tenants near Obama Presidential Center battling to stay in building as sale nears</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p></p>
Woodlawn Central project, a hub for Black life on the South Side, plans groundbreaking 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-08-28 22:34:58
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
