KSP Honored with ULI Vision Award for 75th Street Boardwalk and 'The Nest'
Photography: Urban Land Institute Chicago | Video: Christopher Hoerdemann, Prime 312
Krueck Sexton Partners (KSP) and the Greater Chatham Initiative (GCI) received the prestigious Urban Land Institute (ULI) Vision Award for the 75th Street Boardwalk, which features The Nest, a project part of the All Reimagining Chicago (ARC) initiative – designed in just 12 weeks.
ARC is a network of design leaders committed to making Chicago safe, healthy, and economically resilient by taking catalytic action that can be replicated with speed and scale. Architects, designers, city planners, and community organizers at ARC worked pro-bono with businesses and restaurants on the south and west side to re-open safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Project Team
Mark Sexton
Tom Jacobs
Gabe Vidal-Hallett
Don Semple
Sanghyo Kim
Nicole Ashurian
Boram Oh
Thornton Tomasetti
Site Design Group
Brook Architects
IIT Architecture Students
Chatham’s 75th Street Corridor Transformed
The 75th Street Corridor in Chatham was selected by ARC and the City of Chicago for its potential impact and location within a historically disinvested neighborhood. Chatham is a largely Black community that suffered from COVID-19 business closures and social unrest following the death of George Floyd.
ARC's first project, completed by KSP and ARC teammates, was in the City's first selected neighborhood: Chatham 75th Street from Indiana to Calumet. The 75th Street Boardwalk was a series of temporary community built parklets and civic structures along two blocks the urban commercial district known as "Restaurant Row" comprised of more than a dozen long-time, family-owned businesses.
KSP’s goal was to create a public destination that pulled in visitors from all over the city to enjoy the restaurants and shops. To do this, we needed a vibrant street scene and an urban gathering spot.
The Nest at 75th in Chatham Activates Outdoor Dining and Civic Space
The Nest at 75th is a novel structure that incorporates built-in planter walls that meet safety requirements and create a flexible open space on the Boardwalk from adjacent traffic. The Nest accommodates outdoor restaurant seating, artwork, and community activities.
Together, with the Chatham community and volunteers, a plywood structure was built. Considering the pandemic-induced material shortage, recycled plywood was reused that had previously boarded shop windows during the George Floyd riots.
By replacing on-street parking spaces with safe outdoor dining and gathering opportunities, the parklets totaled 4,250 square feet of civic space and offered 13 businesses an opportunity to expand their services outdoors. In the Boardwalk’s first month, revenue of adjacent businesses rose by nearly 30 percent.
75th Street Boardwalk ULI Vision Award acceptance
ULI Vision Award recipients, 75th Street Boardwalk and Brown Sugar Bakery
Urban Land Institute 2024 Vision Award
The ULI Chicago Vision Awards define the standard for development in the Chicagoland area. Krueck Sexton Partners and the Greater Chatham Initiative are honored to receive the ULI Vision Award and the recognition for The Nest’s impact and development process on the 75th Street Boardwalk and having contributed to the growth of Chicago’s vibrant communities.