Woodlawn Central Breaks Ground on $134M Phase One in Chicago

• Address: Approximately 6309 South Dorchester Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637; the broader Woodlawn Central development is centered around 6320 South Dorchester Avenue.
• Woodlawn Central's first phase has officially broken ground, launching a $134 million mixed-use development in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood.
• Phase One will include 104 residential units, a 160-room hotel, 23,000 square feet of food and beverage retail, 3,500 square feet of commercial space, and 300 parking spaces.
• Designed by Gensler, the project will rise to 14 stories and 160 feet and is expected to be completed in Q2 2028.

What Woodlawn Central Phase One Includes

Construction is getting underway on the first phase of Woodlawn Central, a large-scale redevelopment led by the Apostolic Church of God and J. Byron Brazier on Chicago's South Side. The broader Woodlawn Central plan is envisioned as a new mixed-use district surrounding the church, with future phases expected to bring roughly 870 to 1,000 residential units, along with hotel, retail, office, cultural, performance, urban farming, and green-space components. Phase One is located east of the church on a long, narrow site bounded by East 63rd Street, East 64th Street, South Dorchester Avenue, and the Metra tracks.

 

 

What The Residential And Hotel Towers Will Offer

Gensler designed the first phase around a three-story podium topped by two towers. The towers will each reach approximately 160 feet, with the hotel occupying the northern tower and residential units in the southern tower. The residential tower will contain 104 apartments, including eight studios, 48 one-bedroom units, 40 two-bedroom units, and eight three-bedroom units. Twenty-two apartments will be affordable, with a weighted average affordability level of 60% of area median income. The separate hotel tower will contain 160 rooms across eight floors, with 20 rooms planned on each floor.

 

 

What The Retail And Commercial Space Will Bring

The ground floor is planned to include approximately 23,000 square feet of food and beverage retail space divided among three locations. One of the largest spaces will be a food market positioned at the southern end of the property. The South Dorchester Avenue frontage will also include the hotel lobby, additional food and beverage space, loading access, a 3,500-square-foot commercial space, the residential lobby, and parking access. The layout is intended to give the project an active street presence while adding new retail and services to the surrounding neighborhood.

 

 

What The Parking And Amenities Will Include

The project's three-story podium will contain 300 vehicle parking spaces and 131 bicycle parking spaces. Sixty of the car spaces will be reserved for residents, while the remaining spaces will serve other users, including hotel guests and visitors. Above the parking levels, residents will have access to a large amenity deck featuring an outdoor pool. The towers will rise from this podium, creating a combined development that reaches 14 stories.

What The Development Means For Woodlawn

Woodlawn Central is intended to create a larger community-centered mixed-use district rather than simply adding another residential building. The long-term plan calls for housing alongside businesses, cultural spaces, hospitality, offices, green space, and other community-serving uses. The project is also notable because the development is being advanced by the Apostolic Church of God and its affiliated development entities, with J. Byron Brazier serving as project executive and lead developer. The project's official development team describes the initiative as a community-led effort focused on economic opportunity and long-term investment in Woodlawn. With the first phase now breaking ground, the $134 million project is moving from planning into construction. Completion is targeted for Q2 2028.