Chicago Public Schools poised to sell three long-vacant school buildings to developers proposing housing, affordable senior options
Chicago could see three shuttered school buildings repurposed as housing after recent bids and community engagement, signaling a potential shift for vacant CPS properties. The Chicago Board of Education is considering proposals for the former Bontemps Elementary in Englewood, the Henson Elementary, and a third unnamed school, perhaps offering a mix of single-family homes, affordable apartments, and senior housing.
The moves come as CPS continues to grapple with declining enrollment and a portfolio of underutilized buildings. At least one other former CPS school,King Elementary in Tri-Taylor,has already been successfully redeveloped into 30 single-family homes,completed in 2020 after being purchased by a developer in 2017.
For the Bontemps school, Devereaux Peters, a former WNBA player and now affordable housing developer, has offered $75,000 to demolish the building and construct two new buildings: one with 72 units featuring amenities like a fitness center and coworking space, and another with 60 units specifically designed for seniors looking to downsize within the community. The current structure, according to CPS officials, lacks working plumbing, electric, and mechanical systems. A community meeting was held in October, and local Alderman Stephanie Coleman supports the project.
Past attempts to sell Bontemps have stalled. In 2017,the school board approved a $50,000 bid from IFF,a Chicago-based nonprofit lender and developer,but the sale never finalized.
Another proposal involves Henson Elementary, where MKB offered $25,000, but was outbid by Calling Water LLC at $30,000. The plan from Calling Water LLC had the support of local Alderperson Monique Scott, despite contention during a community meeting.
in 2018, the Board of Education approved a $55,000 bid from the Single Room Housing Assistance Corporation to convert Henson into 80 mini-studio apartments for low-income individuals, including veterans, single mothers, and people with disabilities, but that sale also failed to close.
