Community Marks Milestone for New Youth Health and Wellness Hub in Austin (Chicago, IL) – Community members and civic leaders gathered Monday on Chicago’s West Side to celebrate a major construction milestone for the Austin HOPE Center, a $22 million youth health and wellness facility expected to reshape access to care in one of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.
The ceremonial beam raising marks the latest step toward completing the 25,000-square-foot center at 5036 W. Chicago Ave., which is scheduled to open in late summer 2026. Once finished, it will be the first permanent, stand-alone pediatric specialty and behavioral health facility on the West Side.
Health providers and project partners say the center is designed to address stark disparities. Life expectancy in Austin is nearly seven years below the citywide average, and preventable hospitalizations occur at more than twice the rate seen in more affluent neighborhoods. Emergency care costs can also run 30–50% higher for residents who lack regular access to primary and behavioral health services.
“The HOPE Center will be a promise kept to the Austin community and Chicago’s West Side that every child deserves access to exceptional care, no matter their ZIP code,” said Dr. Tom Shanley, president and CEO of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “This project reflects the power of partnership and our commitment to ensuring that health equity isn’t an aspiration—it’s a reality.”
The initiative is led by Stone Community Development Corporation, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI), Lurie Children’s Hospital, and community partners with support from the City of Chicago and several philanthropic organizations.
“Today we are raising more than steel — we are raising hope,” said Pastor Contrell Jenkins, CEO of Stone CDC. “When faith, partnership, and purpose come together, transformation can happen right where it’s needed most.”
In addition to pediatric specialty and behavioral health care offered by Lurie Children’s, the center will house adolescent medicine and clinics for chronic conditions including asthma, high blood pressure, sickle cell disease, and fatty liver disease. Thresholds, a major mental health provider, will locate administrative offices on-site to support its adult community-based services throughout the West Side.
Plans also call for community wellness space, family programs, and a full-service Wintrust Bank branch offering financial education and expanded access to banking. The project features a locally Black-owned design and construction team, including UJAMAA Construction, Gregory Ramon Design Studio, and TnS Studio.
“CNI is proud to be among the community partners developing the Austin HOPE Center because it creates additional opportunities and ensures that long-overdue access to healthcare is no longer a barrier to building healthy lives and a vital community,” said David Doig, president of CNI.
Alderwoman Emma Mitts of the 37th Ward said the investment will help reduce longstanding financial strain on families who often pay more for basic services. “For too long, Austin residents have paid more—financially and emotionally—for the same basic health services others take for granted,” she said. “The HOPE Center will represent fairness, dignity, and a new chapter of community investment.”
Construction on the three-story building will continue through next year, with officials expecting to open doors to families across the West Side before fall 2026.
Community Marks Milestone for New Youth Health and Wellness Hub in Austin
