JGMA is part of the winning team selected to perform the first phase of planning for the future Cermak Creative Industry District. Also on the team are FitzGerald Associates, Hitchcock Design Group, Vinci Hamp Architects, Primera, Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago, Fulton Street Collective, Goodman Williams Group, Camins Tomasz Kritt and Artspace.
The Cermak District sits poised for reinvention in a 21st-Century economy, centered on creative industries – nimble enterprises that create and innovate, inspire and form the basis for cultural collaborations. Putting these buildings to new use and creating a strong district identity based on national and international best practices will create a regional hub for creative production, with jobs and opportunities for the surrounding communities and graduates of Chicago’s many art schools and institutions.
The project aims to transform four landmarked industrial buildings into the core of a Creative Industry District, providing affordable and sustainable spaces for a vibrant mix of creative businesses and work spaces as a catalyst for artistic production and collectivity. The Study Area is centered on the four buildings in the Cermak Road Bridge (Historic) District, located where Cermak Road crosses the Chicago River, at approximately 475 West.
