Wicker Park Goes Green and Goes Up: Earth Week Draws Hundreds as a $38M Residential Tower Gets the Green Light

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Wicker Park · April 13, 2026

It was a big weekend for Wicker Park — one that captured both the neighborhood's community spirit and its momentum as one of Chicago's most dynamic addresses.

First, the ground level: on Saturday, April 11, hundreds of neighbors turned out for a two-part Earth Week celebration. Armed with litter grabbers, garden tools, and gloves, volunteers spent the morning cleaning up Wicker Park and surrounding parks and playgrounds before transitioning into the afternoon's Green Fest — a sustainability-focused marketplace featuring local vendors and hands-on activities. The event was a collaboration between the Wicker Park Advisory Council, the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, SSA #33, and Wicker Park-based nonprofit Garbage Gals, whose founder Sophie Rallo has grown her litter-pickup crew from a one-woman flyer campaign in 2023 into a community of around 20 regular volunteers. Together, the coalition collected approximately 115 bags of trash from around the neighborhood. Chicago Park District CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa personally thanked volunteers, noting Wicker Park was one of 180 citywide cleanup projects held that week.

Meanwhile, up on Division Street, a major development just got its official green light. The City of Chicago issued a construction permit on April 9 for Vision II, a 13-story, 121-unit residential tower at 1628 W. Division Street from developer RDM Companies. Designed by Kennedy Mann and built by general contractor Norcon, the $38 million project will replace a surface parking lot adjacent to RDM's existing Vision I building, and will offer a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units ranging from 405 to 1,160 square feet — with 25 units designated as affordable housing. It's a half-block from the Milwaukee Blue Line station, putting transit-friendly city living front and center.

From clean streets to new skyline additions, Wicker Park is building its future one block at a time. Want to get involved? Visit wickerparkbucktown.com or wickerpark.org to stay connected with what's happening in your neighborhood.

Sources:
1. https://www.aol.com/articles/hundreds-gather-wicker-park-day-215600442.html
2. https://chicagoyimby.com/2026/04/permit-issued-to-build-121-unit-vision-ii-at-1628-west-division-in-wicker-park.html
3. https://business.wickerparkbucktown.com/chamber-events/Details/wicker-park-green-fest-1668855