CHICAGO — A former elementary school in the Austin neighborhood has been reborn as the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, a $40 million development that promises to provide job training, legal assistance, and renewed hope for a community long impacted by disinvestment.
On Thursday, local leaders, elected officials, and residents gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5500 W. Madison St., the site of the former Emmet Elementary School. The event, filled with African drumming and celebratory speeches, marked the opening of a facility that advocates say is the result of years of perseverance and community collaboration.
Turning Loss Into Opportunity
The Aspire Center is a joint initiative of the Westside Health Authority and Austin Coming Together, created to repurpose Emmet Elementary, one of 50 Chicago schools closed in 2013 under then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s controversial plan.
“When Emmet closed, it wasn’t just a building — it was the heartbeat of this community,” said Darnell Shields, executive director of Austin Coming Together. “This center is more than bricks and mortar. It’s a symbol of what happens when a neighborhood refuses to give up on itself.”
Construction on the Aspire Center began in mid-2023, but its vision dates back more than a decade.
What’s Inside The Aspire Center?
The renovated, 85,000-square-foot building features:
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Offices for Legal Aid Chicago, offering community-based legal support
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Workforce training space led by Jane Addams Resource Corporation
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Offices for the Westside Health Authority and the Freedom Defense Center of Austin
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The Cook County Public Defender’s Office
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A podcast studio and community publication headquarters for The Culture
The building also preserves pieces of Emmet’s history — original gym floors now line the walls, lockers have been turned into benches, and auditorium seating has been reused throughout the center.
Political Leaders Voice Support
The ribbon-cutting coincided with Juneteenth celebrations and was attended by prominent officials including Mayor Brandon Johnson, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, and former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Mayor Johnson used the occasion to criticize the mass school closures of 2013, calling them a “violent act against Black people” that cost the community both jobs and educational opportunities.
“When that school was closed, we lost more than a place to learn. We lost hundreds of jobs — many held by Black women — and displaced children who’ve never been accounted for,” Johnson said. “But today, we celebrate a turning point.”
Funding And Future Goals
Of the $40 million required to bring the Aspire Center to life, more than $22 million came from city and state sources. The project has been hailed as a blueprint for how communities can reclaim disused public spaces and transform them into resources for growth and equity.
The Aspire Center will also serve as a central hub for Austin Coming Together’s Quality of Life Plan, which prioritizes economic development, job placement, and equitable access to services.
Have you visited the Aspire Center yet? Let us know what programs or services you think would most benefit the Austin community. Share your thoughts at ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com.
