Kennedy-King College Opening, Campus Parks Among 2007 Highlights

The opening of the new Kennedy-King College Campus highlighted the year for the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC), which also in 2007 completed five new campus parks and moved forward on several projects now under way across the city.

Hundreds of community residents, students and elected officials were in attendance when Mayor Richard M. Daley cut the ribbon for the new Kennedy-King College in July.

Located in the heart of the Englewood community at 63rd and Halsted streets, the 40-acre campus consists of six buildings with a combined 500,000 square feet of floor space. The campus also features an athletic field and parking for 800 vehicles and, like all new buildings of the City of Chicago and its sister agencies, the new Kennedy-King College was built to high environmental standards.

One month earlier, Mayor Daley joined community residents, students and local officials in a dedication ceremony for the Goudy School Campus Park. Located at 5120 N. Winthrop, the Goudy campus park is one of five such facilities completed by the PBC in 2007.

The other campus parks completed by the PBC are: Mozart Campus Park, 2200 North Hamlin; Rogers Campus Park, 7345 North Washtenaw Avenue; Mount Vernon Campus Park, 10540 South Morgan; and Columbus Campus Park, 1003 North Leavitt Street. Each campus park features landscaping, playground equipment and green space for recreational activities.

In August the PBC celebrated the 40th anniversary of The Picasso sculpture. The 50-foot, 324,000-pound untitled work was designed by Pablo Picasso and served as the catalyst for the City of Chicago’s public art program.

The PBC closed the year with an open house that offered construction industry firms an opportunity to network and obtain information about upcoming projects and learn about changes in the agency’s contracts and procedures.

The Year Ahead

Throughout the year, the PBC saw progress on a variety of construction projects aimed at improving the quality of life in Chicago.

Ground was broken on the new 7th District Police Station at 1400 West 63rd Street and the 9th District Police Station at 3120 South Halsted Street. The PBC also broke ground on three fire houses: Engine Company 70 at 6030 North Clark, Engine Company 18 at 1360 South Blue Island and Engine Company 102 at 7340 North Clark Street.

The two new police stations and four fire houses are all scheduled to open in 2008 and each will include modern, environmentally-friendly design elements, state-of-the-art technology and components that will offer a more comfortable and productive work environment.

Following is a list of other PBC projects scheduled for completion in 2008:

• Gale Community Center, 1610 West Howard Street
• Bennett Campus Park, 10115 South Prairie Avenue
• Graeme Stewart Campus Park, 4525 North Kenmore Avenue
• Ole A. Thorp Campus Park, 6024 West Warwick Avenue
• Wacker Campus Park, 9746 South Morgan Street
• Engine Company 121, 1724 W. 95th Street
• Miles Davis Academy, 6740 South Paulina
• Norwood Park Senior Satellite Center, 5801 N. Natoma
• Warren Park Senior Satellite Center, 6601 N. Western

The PBC manages government-funded construction and renovation projects for the City of Chicago and Cook County. Mayor Daley serves as the PBC’s chairman.>