Hazel Crest Creative Arts Center Project Moves Into Next Phase

The Southland Development Authority (SDA) and its partners have continued making significant moves tied to the long-running Hazel Crest Creative Arts Center project. That includes grant compliance. Construction Planning. Redevelopment efforts. It’s all coming together.

The project is funded through LISC and Cook County and centers around turning a former commercial property in Hazel Crest into a creative arts and community space.

SDA CEO Bo Kemp said the project could influence redevelopment efforts beyond Hazel Crest.

The SDA’s Focus on Adaptive Reuse

The SDA is working with Latent, led by President Katherine Darnstadt, on the adaptive reuse of the site. Darnstadt said in March that the Creative Arts Center is designed to turn an existing strip mall building near Dixie Highway and 170th Street into a working arts space for the community.

The adjacent vacant parcel has also been upgraded for outdoor events, including movie nights, performances and farmers markets.

“It’s not just a building adaptive reuse, but it’s also a site adaptive reuse,” she said. “As people see the building transform, they start to get excited about it,” she said.

She added: “They start to buy in a little bit more into the project.”

Harrison Finalizing Construction Planning

The SDA said one of the biggest current priorities is finalizing construction planning. And securing reimbursement funding connected to the project.

Economic Development Specialist Vaughn Harrison said the SDA team is now working through several key deadlines.

“Probably what’s most important is ensuring that all the work is done by August 31, 2026,” Harrison said.

The project also requires arts-related programming to be active by that deadline.

Harrison said the team is currently focused on finalizing construction planning and coordinating with LISC. There’s an ongoing effort to prepare a recovery plan tied to the project’s various timelines. Harrison is also reviewing architectural plans.

The organization expects additional roofing and HVAC-related work which increases costs on part of the project.

“There will likely need to be some structural work,” Harrison said.

The SDA said current roofing-related construction work sits around $189,000, with total available funding for that portion reaching roughly $250,000.

The Area Surrounding the Metra Station

The arts center project connects to broader redevelopment work already happening in Hazel Crest.

Maeve Phelan, who works on regional planning efforts with the SDA, said Hazel Crest is currently moving through an Equitable Transit-Oriented Development planning process funded through an RTA grant.

The work focuses on the area surrounding the village’s Metra station.

“We’ve just been working on recommendations for the area around Hazel Crest Proper,” Phelan said.

The project team includes planning, architecture and landscape design partners working alongside the SDA.

Phelan said the project is currently in its second phase, and that the Village recently hosted a steering committee presentation.

“There was a lot of good community feedback,” she said.

The next step involves incorporating community recommendations before presenting updated plans publicly.

Regional Redevelopment Remains a Major Focus

The Hazel Crest project is only part of a much larger trend across the nation.

According to the National Endowment for the Arts, arts and cultural industries contributed more than $1.1 trillion to the U.S. economy in recent years. Meanwhile, local governments increasingly view arts districts and creative redevelopment projects as tools for economic growth.

Transit-oriented development has also become a major planning priority nationally between 2024 and 2026. Communities often compete for infrastructure. Housing. Commercial investment. And it’s all tied to public transportation access.

The SDA said the Hazel Crest project aligns with those larger goals.

About the Southland Development Authority

The Southland Development Authority, a not-for-profit economic development organization, is committed to driving equitable and sustainable economic growth in the South Suburbs of Chicago. Through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and impactful direct investments, the SDA is building a vibrant, inclusive economy that drives wealth growth for individuals, businesses, and municipalities. Combined with the benefits of the South Suburban Land Bank and the Monarch Fund, the SDA serves as a model for regional development.