CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Bronzeville and Chinatown residents united Thursday at City Hall, where they requested a meeting with Chicago’s two mayoral candidates about a planned South Loop high school.
This coalition of residents and low-income housing advocates was formed in opposition to the Lightfoot Administration’s plan to use public housing land at 24th and State Streets to build the new high school.
Affordable housing advocate Roderick Wilson said the coalition now hopes that former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson will be more willing than Mayor Lori Lightfoot to take into consideration input from the affected communities.
“Community engagement with Mayor Lightfoot is, ‘This is what I’m going to do; who agrees with me?’” said Wilson.
Representatives and residents of Chinatown have long said they want and need a new high school, but resident Tracy Kwan said that should not come at the expense of South Loop residents expecting affordable housing.
“They need the same level of respect and care as what is given to the Chinese community,” Kwan said.
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Members of the coalition said they believe both goals can be achieved.
“We want [the] Chinatown community to have their school, we just don't want them to have it at the expense of public housing,” said Earlean Braggs, with Bronzeville’s Lugenia Burns Hope Center.
The land at 24th and State Streets once held over 1,000 affordable housing units, and Braggs said it should again be used for low-income housing.
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“They can have their school in a different location, other than 24th and State Street,” Braggs said.
The coalition has sent joint letters to Johnson and Vallas. In response to WBBM Newsradio, the Vallas campaign wrote that “Mr. Vallas would be willing to meet with community groups regarding the proposed new high school.”
“He will seek and consider input from community residents as to future plans for the school,” Vallas’ campaign officials wrote.
Johnson has yet to respond to a request for comment.
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