Property Designated For New Southeast Area High School

An ordinance approved today by the Chicago City Council will allow the Public Building Commission, with the Chicago Public Schools, to proceed with the purchase of land near 87th Street and Burley Avenue for the future development of the new Southeast Area High School.

“Our future is shaped by the decisions we make today, and those decisions call for vision,” said Mayor Daley. “We are investing in our children by providing new and modern facilities across the city. New schools create community anchors and instill community pride, which will serve generations for years to come.”

Preliminary plans call for the new Southeast Area High School to follow a prototype design, bringing to the community a three-story, 200,000 square foot building capable of holding 1,200 students. Besides conventional classrooms, the steel-frame and masonry school would include science and computer laboratories, classrooms for art and music, and athletic facilities.

The school also will feature sustainable design features allowing it to pursue “Silver” level certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

Construction of the new school will be overseen by the Public Building Commission of Chicago.  The PBC manages construction and renovation projects for the City of Chicago and its other sister agencies. Mayor Daley serves as the PBC’s chairman. Additional information about the PBC and its projects is available at the agency’s Web site: www.pbcchicago.com.