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Lathrop, Lathrop Community Partners
Chicago, IL
A riverfront reimagined.
A 1930s development gets a new lease on life.
Continuing a tradition of collaboration.
During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) assembled teams of well-regarded architects to design much-needed housing for low-income families throughout Chicago. Almost a century later, Lathrop has undergone a comprehensive transformation.

Part of Chicago Housing Authorities’ (CHA’s) groundbreaking plan for transformation, which seeks to combine CHA, affordable and market rate housing into single, mixed income developments, Lathrop continues the tradition of collaboration.

The HED team contributed its integrated design expertise and extensive housing experience to modernize this historic complex. The transformation incorporates health, wellness, accessibility and sustainability strategies. The overall project has LEED and Green Enterprise Community certification, becoming one of the largest Green Enterprise Communities in the United States to date.

The revitalized Lathrop is now a bustling, diverse and sustainable community on Chicago’s rapidly evolving riverfront, including 414 mixed-income residences, 16 of which are of the original 32 buildings. Today, Lathrop is home to two- and three-story, high quality walk-up residences, accommodating a range of mixed income levels. The property’s historic Great Lawn, which fronts the Chicago River, provides a green space for both the residents and the surrounding community to enjoy.
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Results
Development partners Related Midwest, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation and Heartland Housing—together, Lathrop Community Partners—oversaw the project. The design team included JGMA, Design Architect; HED, Executive Architect; Michael Van Valkenburgh (MVVA), Landscape Architect; and McGuire Igleski & Associates (MIA), Exterior Preservationist.
Lathrop has been recognized with several prominent awards including:
The Chicago AIA Design Excellence Award;
ENR Midwest’s 2020 Best Projects: Best Project, Residential/Hospitality;
2020 Landmarks IL: Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Rehabilitation;
2021 Chicago Neighborhood Development Award: Richard H Driehaus Award for Design Excellence in Community Development.
We are committed to investing in the communities where we work and live. Lathrop revitalization is setting a new standard for mixed-income living and riverfront restoration in Chicago and across the world.”
Curt Bailey
President
Related Midwest
A 1930s development gets a new lease on life.
Lathrop, Lathrop Community Partners
Chicago, IL
PROJECT DATA

LEED Gold

2018

A riverfront reimagined.