Uptown Food Exchange awarded $2 million in city funding

The City of Chicago has awarded the Uptown Food Exchange a Community Development Grant. Located at 4833 N. Broadway, the project is set to reuse an existing two-story structure. 

Designed by Future Firm, the Uptown Food Exchange project stands as a transformative initiative poised to rejuvenate the Uptown neighborhood while honoring the authentic culinary heritage of the Asian community.  The project’s core focus revolves around establishing a vibrant food market, showcasing an array of food stalls representing diverse Asian countries and heritages including Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, Laotian. 

The development will serve as a crucial bridge, strategically connecting Uptown’s Asia on Argyle corridor with the Uptown Entertainment district, aligning with the vision of community leaders and fulfilling a longstanding need of a more connected Uptown. The proposed design reinvigorates a vacant two-story commercial building situated at the heart of the Uptown Entertainment District. The distinct architectural approach not only pays homage to its Asian heritage but also serves as a cultural bridge connecting the Uptown Entertainment District and Asia on Argyle.

The Community Development Grant provides the project with $1.98 million in funds to push the project forward. No permits have been issued for the proposal and a timeline for potential construction is currently unknown.