Malcolm X College West Campus expansion breaks ground

City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), Malcolm X College, the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC), elected officials, community leaders and special guests and friends recently held a ground-breaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction for a new Community Center for Teaching and Learning at Malcolm X College West Campus, located at 4624 W. Madison.

The Community Center for Teaching and Learning will include recreational and meeting spaces for students and the community. The approximately 3,000 square foot dividable multi-purpose space is also available to rent as an event location for the community, businesses and other organizations and can serve as instructional space.

“As a resident of Austin, I know our community is rich in history and culture,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “The strong spirit of pride here permeates our community, and the new $17 million Community Center for Teaching and Learning will provide an incredible opportunity for that spirit to flourish. This expansion offers new spaces for community members from the West Side to connect, create, and thrive, and I look forward to seeing the incredible impact this new center will have on our residents for years to come.”

With Bailey Edward in charge of the design, the Chicago Public Building Commission is overseeing the construction project. The equity focused project development and construction process placed a special emphasis on employing people of color and women throughout the development process and altogether will create 40 full time equivalent construction and 10 non-construction jobs.

The approximately $17 million project is the second phase of City Colleges’ continued investment in the Malcolm X College West campus, which was formerly known as the West Side Learning Center. This phase follows a first phase renovation that created new biology laboratories.