The first thing the seventh- and eighth-graders gathered in their Far South Side library wanted Chicago city officials and others to know about Altgeld Gardens is this: It’s their community.
A place of family, barbecues and fun.
They also wanted to share their wish list of the things they hope the neighborhood will get when the CTA’s Red Line is extended from its current south terminal at 95th Street to 130th Street.
They dream of having what other neighborhoods take for granted — a park full of flowers, a grocery store with diverse foods and a recreation center that kids can feel good about going to.
For two years, these Aldridge Elementary School students have been working with the Field Museum on a plan to enhance Altgeld Gardens, the sprawling 190 acres of public housing at the city’s southern edgey. They took field trips to look at other communities and heard from speakers. They learned the history of the area that they call the Gardens. And they learned about the Red Line extension that, after decades of isolation and stagnation, is scheduled to be completed in 2029, connecting the Gardens to the rest of the city and is bringing hope of community investment.
CTA officials, interested in the prospect of transit-oriented development, wanted to hear the ideas of the students, who created a 3D map that stretched across a huge folding table and included every block of the Gardens’ roughly 1,500 rowhouses and each element the students would like to see.
“This is called informed action,” eighth-grader Rondell Sims said. “Our ask is that development comes to our community and that you will become advocates alongside us in creation of a plan that is for us and by us.”
Among the desired businesses, the students want to see a pharmacy, a restaurant with a cooking school and a tech store. Topping their list: a grocery store. Students pointed out an abandoned building where one was once located.
Ethan Mosby said all that’s left is a convenience store that “sells the basic general needs, like toilet paper, paper plates and ramen noodles.”
Mosby said he’d like to see a grocery store with food from other countries. He got that idea from a visit to Chinatown, where he had a mochi ball. He thought his neighbors also probably would like variety and to try new foods.
The students said the closest grocery store, a Walmart on 111th Street, about four miles away, takes two buses to get there.
One student, Terrence Perry, said the closest recreation center is near there and that his mom doesn’t have a car to get him there.
“It’d be good for us to have it all in the community,” he said, “so we can just have it in walking distance.”
Another student, Corey Bush, envisions a new park close to the Red Line extension in an area that has grass and trees but not the flowers he wants to see.
“I want it to look alive,” he said.
He’d also like for people to be able to plant their own flowers, sit on benches, eat at picnic tables and take walks on a gravel trail.
“It brings certain people together more, so people can take breaks or just bring families together generally to have fun,” he said. “It’s just a peaceful site.”
Sa’maya Mitchell wants the community to be filled with public art. She said the only thing like that now is a memorial wall for victims of violence and environmental hazards. She wants to see images of butterflies, rainbows and art that features affirmations.
“I feel like we need more positivity,” she said.
Raven Mayo, an Aldridge teacher who coordinated the students’ efforts with the Field Museum, said they’ve accomplished a lot.
“A lot of times, we investigate the opinions of other stakeholders, but we never listen to what the children have to say,” Mayo said. “And, if we listen to the youth, they’re a powerful weapon and a powerful tool.”
