A couple of weeks ago we mentioned that construction was starting on phase two of the Lexington Square development in Bridgeport. Recently we found ourselves in the neighborhood* and stopped by to check on the progress.
In a nutshell, things are going gangbusters. Dozens of new homes are halfway done being built and the land is being prepped for even more.
When this second phase of the project is finished, it will have the critical mass to turn an outpost if urban pioneers into a nice little neighborhood. Many of the homes face Donovan Playground Park across South Sangamon Street. Heck, people were already decorating for Halloween!
This project is important because its taking some of the city’s most abused brownfields and turning them into a desirable place to live. People who have been priced out of the South Loop and Near West Side can still buy a home that’s super close to downtown.
But there is a bad side. The day we were there the wind was kicking up and the air reeked of factories and Bubbly Creek. But with the decommissioning of the nearby Fisk power station, the area is getting cleaner. And having more voices with a stake in the neighborhood will only make the cries for remediation louder.
Maybe the city will finally clean up its century-old environmental embarrassment and Bubbly Creek can be renamed something less awful.
