CHICAGO (CBS) – Important new resources are emerging in the Auburn Gresham area after years of rejection.
All are located in the new Healthy Living Center at 839 W. 79th St., west of Halsted Road. We've been following the building's development for months, and on Friday, CBS 2's Irika Sargent was on hand for the grand opening.
Sargent and CBS 2's Joe Donlon may have been in the same building in July for a special half-hour report on the response to mass shootings on the south and west sides of the city. We've chosen the Center for Healthy Living as the backdrop for this news release, a beacon of hope for real change that can be made at the community level when investments are made in our communities.
839 W. 79th Street The building at the address was built in 1925. The old furniture store has been vacant for the past 25 years. St. Sangamon St. It is adjacent to Leo High School at 7901 S. Sangamon St. and students had to pass by a closed building on their way to school.
The Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation has begun developing a program that will serve the entire community; a building that will house medical and dental services, a pharmacy, a cafe, a bank and much more.
On Friday they celebrated the realization of this dream. During the grand opening from 4 to 7 p.m., residents walk through the open house to learn about all the resources coming to the Auburn Gresham area. In total, more than 600 guests are expected.
© Contributed by CBS Chicago Inside the Wellness Center Inside the Auburn Gresham Wellness Center New Resources 02:58Carlos Nelson, CEO of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, first came up with the idea for the Healthy Living Center.
"Since 2016, we've been talking about revitalizing this vacant 60,000 square foot building at 79th Street and Halstead, which is the busiest bus route in the city of Chicago," he said.
The Chicago Bears have been major philanthropists, donating over $600,000 to the program.
"When the Chicago Bears heard about the work we've been doing with the Racial Equity Rapid Response Task Force doing the COVID response at Auburn Gresham, they wanted to be a part of what we're doing," Nelson said.
© Contributed by CBS Chicago Inside the Wellness Center Inside the Auburn Gresham Wellness Center New Resources 02:58One of the missions the bear joined was to provide quality medical care. Another demonstrated how food can be used as medicine in the form of a high-tech educational kitchen, Nelson said.
In total, the Auburn Gresham Development Corporation contributed about $20 million to the project. One of the main beneficiaries was the Pritzker Traubert Foundation.
In addition, the facility includes a UI outpatient clinic and an emergency center operated by the University of Illinois Chicago on the second floor, as well as a pharmacy. The emergency center will offer medical, dental and mental health care and is expected to serve 30,000 patients next year alone.
© CBS Chicago Health, career education and other benefits at the healthy living center 02:01On the third floor, residents can connect with the Heartland Alliance, which aims to help people move out of poverty and find jobs, housing and family services. The UIC Neighborhood Center will also have a space that will offer mentoring and workshops for small businesses.
On the first floor there will be a Bank of America and a restaurant and cafe for local blacks.
Sargent spoke with a woman who teaches diabetes education and said the Healthy Living Center is also planning a diabetes education workshop.
Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation Chief Executive Linda Johnson emphasized the need to improve health care in Auburn Gresham.
"Auburn Gresham has suffered from many, many health problems over the years," he said, "and along with the adults in the community, this is a dream come true."
© CBS Chicago Healthy Lifestyle Center Serving the Medical Needs of Auburn Gresham 2:21Johnson noted that the first person to die of COVID-19 in Chicago was a resident of Auburn Gresham. Patricia Frison, 61, died in mid-March 2020.
The new center will add more than 150 jobs to the community with the aim of creating wealth for future generations living in the area.
Another goal of the Healthy Lifestyle Hub is to open a women's health center for prenatal and postnatal care. Plans for the future wellness center include a senior activity center, a fitness center and a food pantry, Nelson said.
Some call it a miracle on 79th street.
Nelson was thrilled to see hundreds of people at Friday night's grand opening.
© CBS Chicago Ambitions by Auburn Gresham Wellness Center, 3:20 p.m."It's very important to me and people ask me how I feel about it. "I was mostly moved by the smiles, the faces and the sparkle in the eyes," he said. "It's really about the community, the community owns the project, its building."
Meanwhile, big news comes in for Auburn Gresham. Auburn Gardens, a $40 million affordable housing development, is being built just outside of downtown.
A $35 million Metra Electric Line station will open down the road in 2024.
© Provided by CBS Healthy Lifestyle Center of Chicago . Miracle on 79th Street 2:57Community leaders say these efforts will not only provide opportunities, but help prevent violence.