2 black-owned restaurants coming to Ogden Commons

Two African-American-owned restaurants are set to open as part of the Ogden Commons development in the North Lawndale neighborhood, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office announced Friday.

The Jamaican-themed Ja’ Grill will join a Steak ‘n Shake franchise in Ogden Commons, a complex on the site of two former public housing developments, the mayor’s office said.

“Sit-down restaurants are one of the biggest neighborhood development requests of communities across our city, so Ogden Commons is a transformative development for North Lawndale,” Emanuel said in a statement.

“We’re taking vacant land and turning it into places where families can get together and communities can come together. This will be a positive community asset that will encourage new commercial development, create jobs and create a brighter future for the neighborhood and its residents.”

The Ogden Commons project is also set to include health clinics and a Cinespace incubator program for Chicago-based independent film professionals, the mayor’s office said. Future phases of the project include two mixed-use buildings.