New Hope for Bronzeville
By Staff in Miscellaneous on Mar 28, 2010 7:00PM
The late January fire that crisped up the 47th Street Marketplace was a shot in the gut for Bronzeville residents. For many, the building at 47th and Martin Luther King Drive had come to symbolize the slow rebirth of Chicago’s oldest and most prominent black neighborhood. The blaze was not only a symbolic hit, but it also robbed the area of its only upscale restaurant in Blu 47, a burgeoning art gallery, and the oddly oft-closed Spoken Word Café (not to mention a double hit to Jamaicans with the loss of that country’s consulate and the prospect of another Uncle Joe’s Jerk Chicken restaurant that was due to open soon after the fire).
Though the building remains boarded up and looks untouched from the street, there is hope of a quick return for many of the businesses inside. According to building owners East Lake Management, repair work has been progressing quickly outside of public view. The roof, which was destroyed in the fire, has been repaired. Flooring and interior design efforts have also been moving quickly. Tenants are expected back in three-to-four months and Joe’s should be up and running before the end of the summer.
A recent Tribune article detailed nervous reactions from nearby residents concerned about the slowdown of neighborhood redevelopment, which had been moving at a steady clip until the housing collapse. For Bronzeville residents stepping off the 47th Street L platform, it will surely be a relief to see one of the area’s iconic developments bustling once again. Hopefully the rest of the area can follow.
Post by: Josh Mogerman