By Morris Floyd
Special to Inside
Citing Chicago architect Daniel Burnham's challenge to his city's leaders over a century ago—"Make no little plans"—Center on Halsted co-chair Patrick Sheahan welcomed more than 75 community leaders representing more than 30 organizations to a recent meeting to hear about the progress of the Center on Halsted. The Center, located at 3460 N. Halsted St., will offer support networks and programs that meet the cultural, emotional, social, educational and recreational needs of all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons—youth, adults, seniors and families.
The Center is the result of more than two years of planning and work that includes focus groups, interviews, and an extensive community survey of more than 1,000 individuals. Development of the Center was initiated by Horizons Community Services (HCS), the Midwest's largest LGBT social service agency, which has provided a wide range of services to over 500,000 clients in its 30 years of service to the city and the region, including: support services for young people and seniors; psychotherapy services; services related to prevention, treatment, and advocacy regarding domestic violence in LGBT relationships; and a range of life enrichment activities.
While the city has a wide array of LGBT organizations that provide many health, social service, recreational, cultural, and advocacy programs and services, there is no one place where these organizations can come together to collaborate, extend their reach, or share resources. The Center on Halsted will serve this role.
The 90,000-plus-square-foot, three-story facility will have office and work spaces for up to 30 different LGBT community organizations to occupy. There will be more than a dozen meeting rooms, and mailboxes and storage lockers available for community groups that don't need offices. The Center will feature a multi-purpose space, complete with catering kitchen, that can be used for athletic events, as well as spaces for art exhibitions and other community events. There will also be a rooftop garden, cyber center, café, and, if funds allow, a performance space.
With the support of the City, the State, foundations, corporations, and many individuals, more than $8 million of the $20 million campaign goal has already been raised. Now community nonprofit agencies are being invited to participate in the venture as tenants and/or referral agencies, or simply to partake of support services or meeting room, event, and storage space that will enhance their ability to serve their constituencies more effectively. To date more than 40 organizations have indicated interest in being part of the process.
A governing board will be developed over the next several months, and groundbreaking and the public campaign announcement are expected late in 2003. The Center will be up and running in the new building by 2005.
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