Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

City Sells $755K in Land to U. of C. for $1 to Build New Woodlawn Charter

By Sam Cholke | February 11, 2016 1:37pm
 When the new charter school building opens in 2017, it will have a bevy of resources for applying for college in a dedicated resource center.
When the new charter school building opens in 2017, it will have a bevy of resources for applying for college in a dedicated resource center.
View Full Caption
Courtesy of the University of Chicago

HYDE PARK — The University of Chicago got a good deal on Wednesday, snapping up $755,000 in city-owned land for $1 to build its new Woodlawn charter school building.

In October, the university revealed plans for the $27.5 million new building to replace its existing home in the former Wadsworth Elementary School building at 6420 S. University Ave., but it needed city land to start construction.

On Wednesday, the City Council approved selling 19 city-owned parcels along 63rd Street between University and Greenwood avenues for the 29,000-square-foot new building.

Construction is scheduled to start later this month and when the school opens for the 2017-18 school year, it will add a locker room, track and football field for the first time for students.

There will also be more students. Enrollment is expected to increase by 100 students to 750 at the school where 99 percent of the students are African American and 83 percent qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch.

The university’s charter has been in the former Wadsworth building since 2013, when the Chicago Public Schools combined Wadsworth and Dumas Elementary School in the Dumas building.

It’s unclear what will happen to the former Wadsworth building after the university charter leaves.

Representatives from CPS were not immediately able to answer questions about the Wadsworth building.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: