- Credibility:
ROSELAND — An expanded Roseland Community Hospital and more medical services are coming to the Far South Side as part of the Roseland Medical District Master Plan.
Speakers at a Saturday community breakfast told neighbors and stakeholders about the plan — which was adopted by the Plan Commission in November — and what they should expect once it’s realized: an outpatient campus and more medical facilities, among other things.
The changes aim to help address health care inequities by bringing high-quality medical services to Roseland and surrounding neighborhoods, speakers said. The lineup included Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), who said he’ll be aggressive about pursuing developments for the district, and Rep. Justin Slaughter.
Credit: Maia McDonald/Block Club ChicagoThe district has existed since 2011 — but the master plan for how it will be built was only finalized last year.
Leaders of the Roseland Medical District Master Plan now have $25 million in seed funding to begin implementing it, said Abraham Lacy, president of the Far South Community Development Corporation and interim director of the Roseland Medical District.
“We hope that this plan has and will continue to bring excitement and investment to the community that has been intentionally disinvested for many decades,” Lacy told attendees Saturday.
The upgraded district will serve more than 300,000 residents in 12 community areas, Lacy said. It could generate millions for Roseland, he said.
Credit: Roseland Medical District Master Plan
Credit: Roseland Medical District Master PlanRoseland Community Hospital, 45 W. 111th St., will remain the centerpiece of the district, which covers Stewart Avenue to Michigan Avenue and 110th Street to 112th Street.
The plan calls for creating a mixed-used campus around the hospital with 400,000 square feet of developments that will focus on “high-quality preventative, outpatient and immediate care services, community facilities, supportive housing and other longstanding needs.”
That campus will feature a center where residents can get preventative health care “to change health outcomes through healthy living,” according to the plan. Organizers will also partner with the community on housing and “human investment” initiatives, according to the plan.
The developments will be made in three phases, speakers said.
Phase one will focus on 111th Street to 111th Place, where organizers will work on putting in 150,000 square feet of medical facilities and 50,000 square feet of parking, according to the plan.
Phase two — covering the block of 111th Place to 112th Street — will focus on creating 65,000 square feet of medical facilities, 80,000 square feet of fitness and learning facilities, 55,000 square feet of community services facilities and a 10,500-square-foot plaza.
That phase’s developments could include a “family fitness complex and community center,” according to the plan.
Phase three will cover 112th Street to 112th Place and will have 75,000 square feet of medical facilities, 55,000 square feet of community service facilities and 50,000 square feet of mixed-use parking.
Building up the medical district will take years: The first three years will focus on preparing the land and finding projects and developers, while years four to 10 will focus on actually building and managing the district, according to the plan.
“Things go through a process. It may not be as fast as we would all like, but, we can rest assured that this is a step in the right direction, that we’re progressing this forward,” Lacy said.
“We know that the Medical District is going to be the economic engine and anchor for the greater Roseland area that’s going to ultimately change the trajectory both in terms of medical needs, health care needs, as well as the human investment side in terms of addressing some of the longstanding challenges in the neighborhood.”
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast”:
