Andersonville Breaks Ground on Its First-Ever Pedestrian Plaza — Named for a Trailblazing Local Trans Activist
By Socialhood News · Andersonville ·
A new kind of public space is coming to Andersonville, and it carries a name that means something to the community that helped shape it.
The city has broken ground on Andersonville's first pedestrian plaza, a new civic gathering space set for completion next spring. The plaza will be named for Elise Malary, a local Black trans woman who dedicated her work to expanding mental health care access and economic opportunity for the transgender community.
The new plaza will occupy a portion of Catalpa Avenue between North Ashland Avenue and Clark Street — right in the heart of the neighborhood's dense commercial and residential core. Once complete, the space is planned to host farmers markets, art installations, community events, and greenery, giving residents a dedicated outdoor anchor that Andersonville has never had in quite this form before.
For a neighborhood that has long prided itself on independent character, civic engagement, and a tradition of welcoming marginalized communities, the decision to name the plaza for Malary carries real weight. Andersonville has been one of Chicago's most prominent LGBTQ+-friendly neighborhoods for decades, and Malary's legacy — rooted in advocacy, mental health access, and economic empowerment for trans people — reflects values the community has consistently put at the center of its identity.
The groundbreaking marks a tangible step in a long-discussed effort to add pedestrian-friendly public infrastructure to the Clark Street corridor. With the plaza slated to open next spring, residents will want to watch Catalpa Avenue between Ashland and Clark over the coming months as the project takes shape. For updates on the plaza's progress and programming plans, the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce at andersonville.org is the best place to follow along — and to get involved if you'd like to see your voice reflected in what the space becomes.
Sources:
1. https://chicago.suntimes.com/andersonville