A Grocery Store, 517 Homes & 200 Jobs: Bronzeville's $70M Development Just Cleared Its Biggest Hurdle Yet
By Socialhood News · Bronzeville ·
After years of false starts and empty lots, Bronzeville just got the news its residents have been waiting for. A landmark $70 million mixed-use development anchored by a long-awaited full-service supermarket unanimously cleared the Chicago Plan Commission this week — a major step forward for a neighborhood that has endured a persistent grocery gap for far too long.
At the heart of the project is a 70,000-square-foot Pete's Fresh Market, set to rise at the corner of Pershing Road and South State Street on the former Stateway Gardens site. According to Block Club Chicago, plans for the Pete's Fresh Market location have been in the works for six years — making Thursday's Plan Commission vote a genuine community milestone. The development is being led by developer Zeb McLaurin of McLaurin Development Partners, who is planning to acquire and rezone 11 acres from the city at 3700 to 4000 South State Street.
The scope of the project goes well beyond groceries. The first phase of development — designed by architecture firm Gensler — will also include a 15,000-square-foot retail space, a 20,000-square-foot medical office building, a 6,000-square-foot restaurant space, and a 2,000-square-foot bank with a drive-through, all centered around a new commercial plaza south of Pershing Road. Developers want to break ground in early 2027, with the grocery store and commercial buildings expected to be completed by fall 2028.
A second phase of the project would add between 450 and 517 residential units across three low-rise buildings along State Street, plus multiple townhomes at the rear of the site. Twenty percent of those units would be set aside as affordable housing. The full development is expected to add 200 full-time jobs and 150 temporary construction jobs to the Bronzeville area — a significant economic boost for one of Chicago's most storied South Side communities.
The site carries deep historical weight. The Stateway Gardens public housing complex that once stood here was demolished in 2007, leaving behind vacant lots that have sat largely idle for nearly two decades. Replacing that long-term vacancy with a mixed-use anchor that combines fresh food access, medical services, retail, restaurants, and affordable housing is exactly the kind of catalytic investment Bronzeville residents and advocates have championed. McLaurin is also part of the GRIT Chicago team — the group of developers behind the sweeping $4 billion Bronzeville Lakefront redevelopment of the former Michael Reese Hospital site, which is expected to create up to 7 million square feet of commercial, institutional, and mixed-income housing along with up to 20,000 temporary and permanent jobs.
The Plan Commission's unanimous approval is a powerful vote of confidence — but the project still needs to clear the Chicago Zoning Committee and the full City Council before construction can begin. Residents who want to support the project's path forward should watch for City Council hearings and make their voices heard. Follow McLaurin Development Partners and the Chicago Department of Planning and Development for updates on next steps — and keep an eye on Pershing and State, where Bronzeville's next chapter is starting to take shape.
Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/08/20/long-delayed-bronzeville-grocery-development-gets-key-city-approval/
2. https://therealdeal.com/chicago/2026/08/21/70m-bronzeville-dev-with-grocery-store-gets-city-approval/
3. https://chicagoyimby.com/2026/08/plan-commission-approves-first-phase-of-mixed-use-bronzeville-development.html
4. https://farpointdev.com/?property=bronzeville-lakefront