WOODLAWN — Mayor Rahm Emanuel just can’t seem to get enough of Woodlawn, making his third stop in the neighborhood in four days.
Emanuel stopped at Robust Coffee Lounge, 6300 S. Woodlawn Ave., Thursday afternoon to meet with residents about their concerns.
Grant Klinzman, a spokesman for the Mayor’s Office, said Emanuel talked about affordable housing, education and jobs.
“There is a lot of community excitement around the new Jewel and all the growth that has the city has been working to drive over the past few years — the mayor wanted to have an informal lunch to hear about feedback, especially on next steps,” Klinzman said.
Emanuel was last in Woodlawn on Tuesday for the announcement of a new Jewel grocery store for the neighborhood.
On Monday, Emanuel was just blocks away to announce a commitment to upgrade the Cottage Grove Green Line stop.
Malcolm Williams was one of the nearly dozen community residents who met with the mayor today, many of whom are active in the 1Woodlawn community organizing efforts.
“We had a very good meeting with the Mayor where he took time to understand and support the needs for the residents of Woodlawn to have a voice in the future of Woodlawn,” Williams said.
He declined to say any specific issues that were brought to the mayor.
Woodlawn is seeing its revitalization accelerate recently as more of Preservation of Affordable Housing’s projects come online and storefronts start to get commitments from major retailers.
Those efforts have coincided with new market-rate projects from developers hoping to cash in on the development of Barack Obama’s presidential library.
Lunch with the community at @robustcoffee. #Woodlawn pic.twitter.com/b1gcBQHmST
— ChicagosMayor (@ChicagosMayor) April 27, 2017
RELATED: Jewel Planning Grocery Store in Woodlawn
RELATED: Cottage Grove Green Line Station Getting Upgrades
RELATED: Ain't She Sweet Cafe To Open 3rd Outpost In Woodlawn Station
