2018 Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards Winners Announced

Written By Editor on April 5, 2018

There are thousands of people who work every day to make Chicago what it is, and shape its future.  Some of these individuals were honored today at the annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards.

This is the 24th year for the awards. Meghan Harte, LISC Chicago Executive Director said, “For more than two decades the Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design have celebrated Chicago’s neighborhoods by honoring and recognizing the outstanding achievements in neighborhood real estate development, community engagement and neighborhood planning.”

Here are the winners:

Community Development Awards

• The Chicago Community Trust Outstanding Community Plan Award
  Winner: Preservation of Affordable Housing Chicago for Woodlawn, A Choice Neighborhood
  Recognizes the development and successful implementation of a community plan or strategy within Cook County that improves quality-of-life or addresses a specific need, opportunity or issue through a comprehensive planning and implementation model.
• The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for Outstanding Non-Profit Neighborhood Real Estate Project Award
  Winner: UCAN for UCAN’s Drost-Harding Campus
  
  

  Drost-Harding Campus (Courtesy of LISC Chicago)

  Recognizes a community development corporation for a specific real estate project that has contributed significantly to the enhancement of the community.

• The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Rental Housing Preservation Award
  Winner: Ansonia Properties, LLC for Lake Village East
  
  

  Lake Village East (Courtesy of LISC Chicago)

  Recognizes a for-profit or non-profit developer for a real estate project that has preserved affordable rental housing at risk because of expired subsidy contracts or physical deterioration.

• The Outstanding For-Profit Neighborhood Real Estate Project Award
  Winner: Rosenwald Courts Developer, LLC for Rosenwald Courts
  
  

  Rosenwald Courts (Courtesy of LISC Chicago)

  Recognizes a for-profit developer for a specific real estate project that has contributed significantly to the enhancement of a community.

• The Woods Fund Chicago Power of Community Award
  Winner: Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Chicago; ICIRR; and PASO for Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois
  Recognizes the value of community organizing, community engagement, and advocacy as important and effective ways to transform neighborhoods or empower communities that have experienced significant social or economic inequities.
• The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Healthy Community Award
  Winner: Healthy Schools Campaign for Space to Grow – Greening Chicago Schoolyards
  Recognizes a successful community-based effort to address the health of a low-to-moderate income neighborhood in the Chicago metropolitan area through creative and collaborative strategies.

Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design

Recognizes best practices in community design, landscape design and architecture. The Richard H. Driehaus Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design are given to architects who have created outstanding designs in housing, retail or institutional settings that are sustainable, architecturally significant and that match form to function to meet community needs. Projects are located in or predominantly serve low- to-moderate income communities in Cook County. All projects have been completed within the last five years.

• 1st Place – DesignBridge Ltd. for Casa Querétaro
  
  

  Casa Querétaro (Courtesy of LISC Chicago)

• 2nd Place – Landon Bone Baker Architects for Chicago Center for Arts and Technology
  
  

  Chicago Center for Arts and Technology (Courtesy of LISC Chicago)

• 3rd Place – Eckenhoff Saunders Architects for Michael and Karyn Lutz Center
  
  

  The Michael and Karyn Lutz Center (Courtesy of LISC Chicago)

Awards were also given to Juan Salgado and Rodney J. Walker for their contributions in service and leadership in Chicago. Walker, who is a best-selling author for his 2016 educational memoir A New Day One: Trauma, Grace, and a Young Man’s Journey from Foster Care to Yale, was honored as an emerging leader with the CIBC Norman Bobins Leadership Award. Salgado, recently appointed City Colleges Chancellor, was recognized for lifetime achievement in community leadership and service with the Richard M. Daley Friend of the Neighborhoods Award.