Introduction to Vacant Woodlawn Schools
Vacant schools in Woodlawn can foster stability in the neighborhood by hosting new amenities, activities, and housing, residents said this week as they got a head start on planning for the sites’ reuse. Neighbors met Tuesday at Harris Park, 6200 S. Drexel Ave., to brainstorm ideas for three vacant Chicago Public Schools properties in Woodlawn: the former Wadsworth and Fiske elementary schools, as well as Emmett Till Elementary School’s unused annex.
Background on the Vacant Schools
CPS put the former Wadsworth, 6420 S. University Ave., and Fiske, 6145 S. Ingleside Ave., up for sale earlier this year. They’re two of 20 closed school properties — mostly on the South and West sides — for which CPS will accept bids until 4 p.m. May 30. Bids on Wadsworth start at $3 million, while bids for Fiske open at $750,000. The Emmett Till annex, 6511 S. Champlain Ave., is not for sale, though Till Principal Raven Talley has shown interest in its reuse, district officials said.
Community Involvement and Planning
Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th) wants residents to develop plans for all vacant “assets” in her ward, so developers can know what they need and expect from new projects, she said. “We have the benefit from being up the street from the Obama Presidential Center,” Taylor said. “People want to develop in our community, so they’ve got to talk to us about our community.” Between 75 to 100 attendees discussed their desires for the properties’ future on Tuesday, from youth development and recreation to senior housing, performance venues, nightlife, and health care.
Ideas for Repurposing the Schools
Some neighbors pointed to the redevelopment of the nearby Washington Park Bank building — which is set to be the new home for the Bessie Coleman branch library — as a model for the kind of “multi-use” buildings needed in Woodlawn. Input from this week’s meeting will be summarized and presented to CPS officials and potential developers, said Tyra Owens, Taylor’s director of community planning and economic development. “Woodlawn blew us away [with turnout to] our first meeting,” Owens said. “I’m glad for that, because that means we’re going to have a lot of feedback, a lot of information to dig into as we get through the rest of our listening sessions.”
The Schools’ History and Current State
The former Wadsworth Elementary School in Woodlawn on March 17, 2024, as the city phased out its temporary migrant shelter at the building. Wadsworth moved to 6650 S. Ellis Ave. in 2013 as it merged with Dumas Elementary School. The 120,000-square-foot building on University Avenue that Wadsworth left behind is zoned for low-density, multi-unit homes. The old Wadsworth building has not hosted a school since the University of Chicago’s charter school moved out in 2017, though it was renovated to serve as a migrant shelter from February 2023 until spring 2024. Fiske combined with Sexton Elementary in 2013 and took over Sexton’s building at 6020 S. Langley Ave. The 73,930-square-foot building on Ingleside Avenue, zoned for medium- to high-density apartment buildings, has been “stripped and vandalized and will need major renovations,” CPS property manager Jason Powell said.
What’s Next for the Vacant Schools
CPS’ ongoing bidding process is the district’s “first attempt in many years to put this many schools out for bid at once,” real estate director Stephen Stults said Tuesday. District officials don’t expect bids to be placed on all available buildings, he said. Once this round of bidding ends, district leaders will meet with local alderpeople, then host community meetings to discuss the developers’ proposals. The Board of Education would then review the top bids for each property individually, a process which Stults estimated could take up to six months after the bidding period ends. The Public Building Commission or City Council would then need to grant final approval for the sales, he said.
Conclusion
The vacant schools in Woodlawn present an opportunity for the community to come together and decide on their future. With the input from residents, the city can ensure that the redevelopment of these properties benefits the community and provides much-needed amenities and services. The involvement of Ald. Jeanette Taylor and the community in the planning process is crucial in making sure that the voices of the residents are heard and their needs are met.
FAQs
- Q: What are the vacant schools in Woodlawn that are up for sale?
A: The former Wadsworth and Fiske elementary schools are up for sale. - Q: What is the bidding process for the vacant schools?
A: CPS will accept bids until 4 p.m. May 30, and the Board of Education will review the top bids for each property individually. - Q: Can the vacant schools be repurposed for K-12 schools?
A: For now, the properties cannot be repurposed for any K-12 school, but CPS may change that restriction to only ban charter schools from the sites. - Q: What is the next step in the redevelopment process?
A: Once the bidding period ends, district leaders will meet with local alderpeople, then host community meetings to discuss the developers’ proposals.
