Back of the Yards projects aims to revitalize area

CHICAGO - A groundbreaking Tuesday morning in the Back of the Yards neighborhood aims to revitalize the area.

Alderman Jeanette Taylor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and other officials were on hand to kick off the project.

It's called "United Yards".

The development is part of the mayor's Invest South/West Initiative.

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"It's funny to be standing here because as a kid, I grew up shopping here at the old Goldblatt's, and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that we'd have a part in this and that we'd have ownership of this beautiful building. And to do it in he way we're doing it, with community input, with businesses that are from the community, and with businesses that are gonna be hiring locally, paying fair wages," said Jesse Iniguez, founder of Back of the Yards coffee company.

The first phase includes the re-use of a former Goldblatt’s showroom into a 15,000 square foot health center, as well as a mix of retail, including a clothing store, barbershop, bakery and coffee shop.