HOPE & EQUITY: The Obama Presidential Center & Equitable Growth in Woodlawn, Southside, Chicago
The Woodlawn Mosaic is a catalytic mixed-use, mixed-income development in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood – an area shaped by a strong African American cultural legacy, long-term disinvestment, and ongoing redevelopment pressures from the Obama Presidential Center and University of Chicago expansion. With 24,000 residents, 77% Black, and a median income of ~$30K, the project responds to urgent risks of displacement and cultural erasure. Against this backdrop, The Woodlawn Mosaic is designed to safeguard and celebrate Southside’s storied legacy and unlock long-term community value by recentering public space as civic infrastructure to organize Housing, Black-owned Retail, and Community life around courtyards, pedestrian networks, and shared spaces. The project delivers ~1,266 housing units (30% permanently affordable), 250+ jobs, a cultural anchor, local retail, and 5+ acres of activated public realm. Anchored by a Black Chicago Cultural Center, it embeds cultural preservation within redevelopment. By aligning market forces with affordability, public realm investment, and cultural stewardship, The Woodlawn Mosaic offers a scalable model for equitable reinvestment in historically marginalized neighborhoods.