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The Hyde Park Urban Renewal Plan
as of December, 1960

A service of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference and its website www.hydepark.org and Preservation and Development/Zoning task force. Join the Conference: your dues support our work.


First facts, then schematics. (This plan document is available for inspection at the Conference office.)

Size, 855.8 acres. Project Boundaries (irregular on 59th) 47th, 59th, Lake Michigan, Cottage Grove). Not shown is the South Campus Development, 60th to 61st, Cottage to Stony Island).

Excluded: U of C campus, Clearance (CLCC) Hyde Park Projects A and B, Illinois Central right of way, Southwest Hyde Park Redevelopment Corporation Acquisition Area (55th-56th, Cottage to Ellis).

Population at start 65,000, Dwelling units 25,200, Public schools 6 (Kenwood = Wirth/Canter, Murray was new, there were no Shoesmith or Kenwood Academy High School.

Other public projects: "Hyde Park A and B:" 47 blighted acres [to be] cleared with construction of 540 high-rise apartment units, 250 town houses and a shopping center.

Major rights-of-way changes: Relocation, widening and improvement of Lake Park Avenue form 47th to 57th Streets. Widening and improvement of 55th Street from Lake Park Avenue to Cottage Grove Avenue.

Acquisition Areas (UR less HP A and B?) 101.2 acres

Land re-use:

Residential 43.8 acres (high density 15.5, low density 19.6, parking 8.7)
Commercial 8.1
Institutional 16.1
Public Agencies 30.4 (Board of Ed. 14.19, Park District 14.4, City for parking fac. 0.17, City for police 1.16, City for fire station 0.49.

Rehabilitation: Approximately 80% of the 3,100 structures in the project area are not to be acquired [or] cleared, and they are eligible for financial assistance where rehabilitation may be necessary. Properties in the urban renewal area are eligible for federal mortgage insurance under section 220 of the National Housing Act.

Cost of the project: Total $39,665,21. Federal share $28,312,062, City share $11,353,159. The City's share is in the form of schools, parks, playgrounds, street and other public improvements; and funds from the 1947 Conservation Areas Bond Issue.

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Legend and most of East Hyde Park (parts of buildings along 56th cut off)

The 1960 version of the Urban Renewal bluepirint, in several areal sections.

Central Hyde Park showing Hyde Park A and B, delineated by heavy short dash-mark boundary. "A" is centered on the split in 55th Street (at center of picture), "B" is near the top, north side of 54th Street between c. Kimbark and Blackstone. Note the light green--(pre-expansion) Nichols Park and Spruce park. (The other large park at the west on Greenwood is now called Stout Park.) Note that the later expansion of Nichols is partly from "B" and partly from a reserve for Murray expansion. To legend.

Dorchester to Cottage 47th to 56th. The most notable features are planned new low density residential along 47th except high at 47th Lake Park (all now realized), little else designated for Kenwood, Kimbark Plaza on 53rd, and redevelopment at Kozminski school (still mostly kept vacant although the adjacent Osteopathic area is completely redeveloped) . To legend.

University campus, southwest Hyde Park, and north to 50th east to Blackstone. To legend.

Parts of central and east Hyde Park 53rd to 59th. To legend.

Same, only 47th to 55th, Lake Park axis. To legend.

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