Community Development Grant awarded to After School Matters center at 1065 N. Orleans

The City of Chicago has awarded a $5 million Community Development Grant to the development of a new community center for After School Matters at 1065 N. Orleans. The nonprofit serving high schoolers with programs and opportunities will occupy an old Catholic school building at the corner of N. Orleans St and W. Hill St which most recently served as the home of Architectural Artifacts, an antique dealer who recently moved their operation to Texas.

Designed by Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, the 36,000-square-foot building will be turned into a collaborative space that offers teens a black box theater, gymnasium, state-of-the-art culinary kitchen, art studios, STEM labs, wood shop and outdoor spaces for urban gardening. The nonprofit expects the building to serve approximately 1,500 teens each year.

To fund the $25.9 million renovation, After School Matters is using a combination of private and public dollars, including $2 million in state funding, the $5 million Community Development grant, and a $14 million loan to pay for the renovations.

Permits have been issued and general contractor UJAMAA Construction has already begun the renovation work which is expected to take nine to ten months. An opening is planned for late 2025.