The Chicago Math and Science Academy Charter School in Rogers Park and Henry Ford Academy Power House Charter High School in North Lawndale plan to relocate before September to larger facilities to accommodate students who are on charter school wait lists.

CPS Office of New Schools coordinator Elisa Botello said the increase will allow students on the wait list to enroll sooner than they would without the relocation. Illinois law allows for 30 charter schools to operate in Chicago, and approximately 13,000 Chicago public school children were on the waiting list, as of August 2008, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.

Botello said the relocations are recommended so these schools will have more space for curricular and extracurricular activities.

The Office of New School’s Renaissance 2010 program, launched by Mayor Richard Daley in 2004, was created to open 100 new schools in Chicago by 2010. As of fall 2008, CPS had opened 76 new schools.

Henry Ford Academy will move to 931 S. Homan Ave. in September. The new location in North Lawndale will be a Sears facility that closed in 1988.

Last year was the first year that Henry Ford Academy was open and it had  a freshman class of 112 students. While construction was underway for the future site, Henry Ford Academy rented the third floor from Holy Family Lutheran School located across the street.

“We got off the ground, which was the plan. The work that we’ve been doing from the beginning and through the summer will be to prepare for year two,” said Chris Reynolds, executive director of network development for Henry Ford Academy.

Reynolds said this coming school year will now include freshman and sophomore classes of close to 250 students, and in three years it will have a full high school of close to 450 students,  including last year’s freshman, which will be the first graduating class in the 2011-2012 school year.

Chicago Math and Science Academy, which opened in 2004, plans to relocate to a larger facility at  7202 N. Clark St. The middle and high school is currently located at 1709 W. Lunt Ave., four blocks  from the future site.

Last year, the teacher’s lounge was used as a classroom because of lack of space, said Botello.

The new building will allow Chicago Math and Science Academy to increase student enrollment from 525 students to 599 students. It will also include a music room, three new computer labs, a science lab and playground.

Students in the new schools have an 89.9 percent graduation rate compared with 73.4 percent at district schools. Attendance rates are higher too.  High school students at new schools have a 93.3 percent attendance rate compared with 86 percent at district high schools for the 2005-2006 school year, according to the Renaissance 2010’s Web site.

By Jeffrey Biertzer

July 15, 2009 – Real estate developers will present changes to a Bronzeville redevelopment project at a July 15 meeting of the Chicago Plan Commission.

Metropolis 39th and State LLC wants to turn a vacant lot at 39th and State into a community shopping center.

The original plan for housing and retail development was modified because of a slow economy, said Matt Braun, an analyst for Capri Capital Partners LLC.  Braun added the new community shopping center would cost less than the original plan but declined to comment by how much.

“We wanted to make sure we saw this through. We made necessary adjustments to the plan to make this a viable option,” said Braun in reference to the project’s downsizing.

The Metropolis, located along Pershing Road between State and Federal streets and blocks away from the Dan Ryan Expressway, plans to develop retail and grocery store space in eight separate buildings.

So far, the only retailer to commit is Roundy’s, a Wisconsin-based chain of grocery stores. The 60,000 square-foot, full-service supermarket is scheduled to open in fall 2010.

“It’s a great retailer for this neighborhood,” said Bronzeville Community Club House President John A. Cook. “(Roundy’s) would be successful because there is no other retailer here. There’s nothing but upside in this community.”

“When a private sector company makes an investment like (Roundy’s), it helps attract other investors and retailers to the (community),” said Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd).

Bronzeville currently has few retailers and no grocery stores in the neighborhood.

“We have limited shopping options,” said Ald. Dowell. “We are in desperate need for a full-scale store to provide basic staples without leaving the community.”

The shopping center will bring money and jobs to a community where 38 percent of households were below the poverty level in 2000, according to the U.S. Census.

Quad Communities Development Corp. spokeswoman Lynn Kardasz said besides creating jobs and keeping money in the community, local retailers are better for the environment, increase home value and build a stronger community.

“It’s a very holistic approach to how we can get things done,” said Kardasz.

“(Redevelopment) creates a safer and denser environment where folks do not have to travel so far to get what they need,” said Kardasz. “As the community grows, they will know their neighbors better and create a better quality of life all the way around.”

In 2006, the population of the 39th and State Streets area was close to 220,000 residents, a 2.1 percent decline since 2000, according to national real estate researcher CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc.

“There is a lot of opportunity for the community to grow,” said Cook. “I think that will happen with proper placement of retailers.”

Metropolis 39th and State LLC wants to turn a vacant lot at 39th and State into a community shopping center.

The original plan for housing and retail development was modified because of a slow economy, said Matt Braun, an analyst for Capri Capital Partners LLC.  Braun added the new community shopping center would cost less than the original plan but declined to comment by how much.

“We wanted to make sure we saw this through. We made necessary adjustments to the plan to make this a viable option,” said Braun in reference to the project’s downsizing.

The Metropolis, located along Pershing Road between State and Federal streets and blocks away from the Dan Ryan Expressway, plans to develop retail and grocery store space in eight separate buildings.

So far, the only retailer to commit is Roundy’s, a Wisconsin-based chain of grocery stores. The 60,000 square-foot, full-service supermarket is scheduled to open in fall 2010.

“It’s a great retailer for this neighborhood,” said Bronzeville Community Club House President John A. Cook. “(Roundy’s) would be successful because there is no other retailer here. There’s nothing but upside in this community.”

“When a private sector company makes an investment like (Roundy’s), it helps attract other investors and retailers to the (community),” said Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd).

Bronzeville currently has few retailers and no grocery stores in the neighborhood.

“We have limited shopping options,” said Ald. Dowell. “We are in desperate need for a full-scale store to provide basic staples without leaving the community.”

The shopping center will bring money and jobs to a community where 38 percent of households were below the poverty level in 2000, according to the U.S. Census.

Quad Communities Development Corp. spokeswoman Lynn Kardasz said besides creating jobs and keeping money in the community, local retailers are better for the environment, increase home value and build a stronger community.

“It’s a very holistic approach to how we can get things done,” said Kardasz.

“(Redevelopment) creates a safer and denser environment where folks do not have to travel so far to get what they need,” said Kardasz. “As the community grows, they will know their neighbors better and create a better quality of life all the way around.”

In 2006, the population of the 39th and State Streets area was close to 220,000 residents, a 2.1 percent decline since 2000, according to national real estate researcher CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc.

“There is a lot of opportunity for the community to grow,” said Cook. “I think that will happen with proper placement of retailers.”