How an Old Strip Mall Becomes a Creative Anchor in Hazel Crest

Adaptive reuse has already reshaped some of the country’s most recognizable spaces. The Tribune Tower in Chicago, now a luxury residential building, was once a newspaper headquarters. The Asher Adams Hotel in Salt Lake City was once a rail depot. And the High Line, a park in New York City, used to be an elevated railroad called the ‘West Side Elevated Line'.

The trend continues in Hazel Crest, where an aging strip mall is turning into a Creative Arts Center. The Southland Development Authority (SDA) is working with Latent, led by President Katherine Darnstadt, on the adaptive reuse of the site.

“This project shows what’s possible when you rethink what you already have,” said Bo Kemp, CEO of the SDA.

The work ties into a Cook County Arts grant that will support Phase 2 construction.

Here’s what that actually means for you and your community.

What the Creative Arts Center Is

The project takes a former strip mall at 170th and Dixie Highway and gives it a new purpose.

Instead of retail, the building will hold artist studios and a small event space. You’ll see gallery openings, performances, and community events.

“It is being repurposed and refurbished to become a creative arts center that will have artist studios for rent as well as a small event space for public event, gallery openings, music, et cetera,” Darnstadt said.

The work doesn’t stop at the building. The adjacent outdoor space has already started to change. The site now supports movie nights, performances, and farmers markets. Landscaping and signage upgrades are already in place.

“It’s not only just building adaptive reuse, but it’s also a site adaptive reuse,” Darnstadt said.

The Concept of Adaptive Reuse Doesn’t Apply to Everything

Not every old building makes sense to reuse. This one does.

The location helps. The site already has parking. There’s open land next to it. And the village wants to build an arts district near the Metra station.

That’s the perfect combo.

“It had its location. It had the adjacent outdoor area. It had existing parking,” Darnstadt said. “And then it had the potential to become this anchor that Hazel Crest was looking for to kickstart their campaign around transit oriented development.”

The Creative Arts Center can support nearby development, including a performing arts center across the street. It also fills a gap. Local artists need affordable studio space. This building can provide it.

What Adaptive Reuse Really Involves

It sounds simple. But… it’s not.

Older buildings come with hidden work. You have to upgrade everything. Electrical systems. Plumbing. Fire protection. Things most people will never see.

“You’re upgrading a building from the 70s to 2026 standards and beyond,” Darnstadt said.

That takes time and money.

And yet…

“It’s still less than a new construction building,” Darnstadt added.

It’s also more efficient.

And it proves something important. Many buildings like this exist across the Southland. If one works, others can too.

Things in America Are Getting Old

Buildings age. Construction costs rise. That doesn’t change.

So you have two choices. Tear down and rebuild. Or reuse what you already have.

Adaptive reuse gives you a practical path forward.

“Your buildings only get older and construction only gets more expensive,” Darnstadt said. “So starting to look at buildings as having adaptive reuse potential is going to be key.”

It reduces costs. It lowers environmental impact. And you avoid the emissions tied to demolition and new materials. A 2024 study showed an 82% reduction in global warming potential by simply reusing old buildings.

And there’s another hidden benefit.

People remember these places.

“As people start to see that transformation, even though it’s the first phase, they start to get excited about it,” Darnstadt said. “They start to share a memory.”

An Idea That Presents a Serious Opportunity

This project is one example. The idea goes much further.

In 2022, about half of architectural work in the U.S. involved renovation or adaptive reuse rather than new construction, according to the American Institute of Architects.

Across the Southland, at least at a glance, that theme might hold in 2026. Because you’ll find similar buildings. Underused. Aging. Overlooked.

They don’t need to stay that way.

Adaptive reuse gives communities a way to act faster and spend less. It also opens the door for smaller developers.

“Adaptive reuse isn’t necessarily a historic renovation,” Darnstadt said. “It’s bringing an old building into new productive use for a more contemporary use.”

The Creative Arts Center is still in progress. Phase 2 construction will move forward with support from Cook County.

At the same time, the site is already active. Events are happening. The space is evolving in real time. And there’s much more where that came from still to come for the Southland as a whole.

As Kemp concluded: “You start with one site, show what’s possible, and it opens the door for more investment across the Southland.”