A Catalyst for Community Revitalization

Early Work

LCDC has achieved significant gains through community organizing. Through a very competitive process, LCDC received the City of Chicago's Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan Award in 1996, which brought more than $9 million in infrastructure improvements and $12 million for the renovation of four public schools. The SNAP proposal that LCDC presented to the City was based on an intensive series of one-on-one meetings with local residents that identified critical needs for the community.

LCDC organized around the redevelopment of the Douglas Branch of the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line as part of the Blue Line Transit Task Force, a coalition of organizations from the communities affected by the redevelopment project (predominantly Lawndale, Little Village and Pilsen). We organized around the full restoration of Blue Line services and the inclusion of community residents in economic opportunities created by the project. We are pleased to report that the Chicago Transit Authority restored weekend service effective January 1, 2005. We believe that the considerable organizing initiatives of the BLTTF had a direct impact on this decision. We will continue to organize around transit-oriented economic development issues through upcoming New Communities Program initiatives.

Current Focus

The opening ceremony at Little Village High School (LVHS) was not only the celebration of a new school, but also of the power of community, hard work, and sacrifice. LVHS is the manifestation of a seven-year dream for many residents of Little Village, who became extremely proactive in ensuring that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) kept their word about placing a new school in the area. After approving the creation of the multiplex high school, CPS mandated that up to 30% of LVHS students come from Lawndale.

A trusted ally in the Lawndale community, LCDC was invited to be the primary organization responsible for mobilizing Lawndale's involvement in the process. As a result, LCDC joined the efforts of LVCDC and became a founding member of the advisory board that facilitated much of the school’s development. The organization fostered leadership development within many Lawndale residents and agencies, and had a direct hand in recruiting North Lawndale students. LCDC student, Brandon Moore, was among these recruited students, and spoke very highly about being a part of such a historical and pioneering experience. He also thought that the school represented a “good mix” of students. “The mix” of which Moore speaks is the result of the collaboration of the two culturally distinct communities, and is evident in the population of the students. It could also be clearly identified at the opening ceremony, which consisted of presentations representing both Little Village’s Hispanic culture, as well as Lawndale’s African American culture.

The new $63 million structure is the most expensive Chicago Public School to date. It houses four independently themed schools, and contains amenities that include a swimming pool, distance-learning lab, and small day care.