Hope Center

Stone Community

Stone Community Development Corporation and Lurie Children’s Announce Groundbreaking for Austin HOPE Center

On June 10, 2024, the official groundbreaking was celebrated for the Austin HOPE Center, a three-story, 25,000-square-foot facility at 5044 W. Chicago Ave. Expected to open in the fall of 2025, this new center
will offer a welcoming space for youth and families to access community-based services, as well
as pediatric clinical and behavioral health care. The facility, owned by Stone Community Development Corporation, will have Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago as its anchor tenant.

Lurie Children’s Clinical Services

Specialty Pediatric Physical Health Services

High risk asthma and pulmonary
General hematology and sickle cell disease
High blood pressure
Preventative cardiology
Adolescent medicine: Substance use, reproductive health, and disordered eating

Pediatric Behavioral Health Services

Wellness and weight management clinic
GI and fatty liver clinic
Autism care
Psychiatric evaluation
Psychotherapy
Group therapy
Medication management

Austin is one of Chicago’s most historically underserved neighborhoods, lacking essential access to physicians, specialists, and resources needed for children and families to thrive. “As a secondgeneration pastor in Austin, I am proud to bring much-needed high-quality healthcare and services to our community through this project,” said Contrell Jenkins, CEO of Stone Community Development Corporation. “I am thankful to the Austin community for partnering with us at every step of the way, as we developed a plan and designed the building to meet their needs.”

Outputs

Weekly literature circles for 15-25 students
Creative writing 3x/week
Monthly trips to CPL
Public speaking course for 15-24 students
Bi-weekly improv instruction + reading Bi-weekly career panel
Monthly company visits
50 confirmed speakers
At least 2 balanced meals/week
Cooking & exercise classes for families
STEAM supplemental activities
Math drills, grade- appropriate science experiments, field trips

Outcomes

Every child reads at grade level after winter break
Library cards/command of resources by spring 2021
Read 3 books per week
300 new vocabulary words
Career goal setting
Students encouraged to apply for jobs/internships
Better concentration Better food security
Better overall health
Better math and science scores
Greater interest in STEAM subjects
Better career prospects

At the new facility, Lurie Children’s will provide a range of pediatric clinical services, including behavioral health, asthma and lung care, adolescent medicine, substance use treatment, heart disease prevention, weight management, wellness, and treatment for sickle cell disease, kidney disease, and autism. These services, chosen through extensive community engagement and analysis of Lurie Children’s patient data, aim to fill existing healthcare gaps in the area.

In addition to clinical services, Lurie Children’s will also offer evidence-based community health programs focused on food access, violence prevention, and early childhood support for new parents. Workforce development, research, and volunteering opportunities will also be available.

Thresholds’ West Side community-based outreach teams will also be housed in the new building. Thresholds is one of Illinois’ oldest and largest providers of recovery services for mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

We are excited to begin construction on the Austin HOPE Center and to collaborate with Stone CDC and Thresholds to better serve the needs of Chicago’s West Side families,” said Mary Kate Daly, Senior Vice President and Chief of Community Health Partnerships and Transformation, who leads the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities at Lurie Children’s. “This facility will not only expand access to pediatric healthcare but also to services and opportunities that enhance overall health and health equity in our communities.

From the start, community input has been essential to our planning and development process. We wanted Austin residents, especially the youth, to see their needs reflected throughout,” added Daly. Key project team members, including architects Gregory Ramon Design and TnS Studios, as well as construction managers UJAMAA Construction, are local Black-owned firms. They will host a subcontractor fair and a hiring fair this summer to encourage local participation in the project. The Austin HOPE Center, named with input from youth at KIPP Elementary School and other local youths, stands for Healing, Opportunity, Partnerships, and Equity. The center is funded through a combination of philanthropy, new market tax credits, and government support.

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What is your relationship to the Austin community? Please select all that apply.

Q1: What is your relationship to the Austin community? Please select all that apply.

Q2: How do you know Lively Stone / Stone CDC? Please select all that apply.

Q3: How do you know Lurie Children’s Hospital? Please select all that apply.

Q4: Do you think there is a need for this project and these services on Chicago Avenue in Austin?

Q5: Do you think the project should include a café serving the community?

Q6: We'd like to hear what you think should be included if there is an outdoor space. Please let us know how important each of the options are below and share if you have any additional ideas

Café Seating

Playground for Kids

Q7: In your opinion, which of these potential youth clinical services should be included?

Q6: We'd like to hear what you think should be included if there is an outdoor space. Please let us know how important each of the options are below and share if you have any additional ideas.