Blocks Together Breaks Ground on Community-Owned Plaza in West Humboldt Park — and a New Affordable Building Just Opened Its Doors
By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Humboldt Park ·
West Humboldt Park is laying down new roots — literally. Mayor Brandon Johnson joined community organizers at Blocks Together this spring to break ground on a new Community Plaza at 3713–17 W. Chicago Ave., a transformative project that will turn long-vacant City-owned parcels into a vibrant neighborhood hub offering wraparound services for residents. Blocks Together secured the land through Chicago's ChiBlockBuilder Open Space Program, which lets eligible nonprofits purchase City-owned land at just 10% of assessed market value — and the project also received funding support through Chicago Public Schools' Sustainable Community Schools program. "West Humboldt Park is rising," Mayor Johnson said at the groundbreaking. "Change is happening here because community members have come together and organized to make it real."
Meanwhile, just steps from the park, another milestone is worth celebrating: the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation officially cut the ribbon on a new 40-unit affordable apartment building at 1237 N. California Ave. The six-story building offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom units with rents ranging from $900 to
From a community-controlled plaza on Chicago Avenue to dozens of new affordable homes near the park, West Humboldt Park is proving that resident-driven investment can shape the neighborhood's future. Follow Blocks Together at blockstogether.org to stay connected to the plaza project — and spread the word about the new homes on California Ave.
Sources:
1. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2026/may/blocks-together-groundbreaking.html
2. https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2026/02/12/developer-hispanic-housing-40-unit-affordable-apartment-building-humboldt-park