New Austin HOPE Center to offer children’s specialty care on Chicago's West Side by next summer

New children's health center moves closer to opening on Chicago's West Side

A new health center for children on Chicago’s West Side is one step closer to opening.

CHICAGO - By this time next year, families on the West Side will have access to specialty healthcare for their children — without needing to travel downtown.

The Austin HOPE Center is now one step closer to opening. 

What we know:

The facility, anchored by Lurie Children’s Hospital, reached a major construction milestone Monday with a topping-off ceremony at the site, which is located at Chicago and Lawler avenues.

Community members and project partners watched as crews installed the final steel beam, which participants signed before it was lifted into place — a symbolic gesture ensuring a piece of them will remain in the structure.

The Austin HOPE Center is designed to prioritize equal access to pediatric specialty care — both physical and behavioral — for children in Austin and surrounding neighborhoods, allowing them to see specialists close to home instead of traveling across the city.

Thresholds, a nonprofit that supports unhoused residents and individuals with mental health and substance-use conditions, will also occupy space in the facility.

"We have to get to the point where the zip code is not the more important determinant of your health and well-being," said Dr. Tom Shanley, president & CEO of Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. 

Department of Cultural Affairs and Specialty Events Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt said the event marked more than just progress on a building.

"We aren't just celebrating a new building. We are celebrating a promise kept to the people of the West Side," said Merritt.

The Austin HOPE Center is a joint effort between Lurie Children’s Hospital, Stone Community Development Corporation, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, and others.

Ahking Garrett is a sophomore at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep School and a Model UN student. He and other area teens were asked to provide input on the project during the planning phase — as it was designed with youth in mind.

"What it means to me to be a part of this project is, it makes me feel significant, it makes me feel like my voice matters," Garrett said.

Pastor Contrell Jenkins of Lively Stone Missionary Baptist Church said the project represents hope and transformation for the community.

"This is, the name of the building, the HOPE Center. It is hope for the community, for the Austin community, for the families, children, youth, to bring quality healthcare, to bring access to it, and bring it right here in the neighborhood. It's transformational," said Pastor Jenkins.

What's next:

Stone CDC is still working to raise $4.8 million to pay off its final loan for the project.

The Austin HOPE Center is expected to open next summer.