Community center and tech hub planned at 4417 S. State

A $126 million mixed-use campus dubbed the Technology Renewable Energy Command Center Global Campus for Youth & Families is being proposed at 4417 S. State in Bronzeville. Located along S. State St between E. 44th St and E. 45th St, the project site is home to the former McCorkle Elementary School. 

Designed by NORR, the mixed-use campus will have a mutual aid community center, a sports and tech hub, a workforce center, a 111-room hotel, and the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum. 

The project’s first phase would see construction of the museum, the hotel which is expected to be a Home2 Suites, the sports and tech hub, the community center, and the workforce center which is set to serve as a launchpad for those interested in solar industry careers. Basketball and volleyball courts would also be installed.

The second phase would see the addition of a 393-space automated parking garage, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a microgrid system, rooftop solar and wind installation and a commercial solar workforce training site. The proposed auto-parking system would have cars pull into a loading base, then they would be placed on a conveyor system that sends them to an empty parking spot. This system is also intended to offer an opportunity to train workers on how to build and maintain the technology.

According to leaders behind the effort, $89 million in private funding has already been secured. The organization plans to make up the difference for the $126 million project with a combination of loans, tax increment financing and community development grants.

To allow for the scope of the project, the organization has filed applications with DPD for zoning approval. According to a report from Block Club Chicago, if approved, the project could be built in about 18 months with a late 2027 or early 2028 completion.