Draft 'Central Area Plan' Update to be Showcased at Sept. 25 Open House

Draft 'Central Area Plan' Update to be Showcased at Sept. 25 Open House

An open house to debut the City of Chicago's draft 20-year growth plan for downtown will be held Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Field Building, 135 S. LaSalle St., in the Loop.

Part of the Department of Planning and Development's two-year public engagement process for the "Central Area Plan 2045," the open house will feature presentation boards, opportunities for comments, and remarks from City officials and planning partners. Visitors can drop in anytime between 5 and 6:30 p.m. to review the draft, ask questions and offer feedback. Light refreshments and live music will be provided.

"After more than a dozen community outreach efforts that generated comments and input from more than 10,000 contributors, this is a great opportunity for the public to help finalize the first planning framework for downtown since 2003," DPD Commissioner Ciere Boatright said.

Open house materials will also be made available on the Central Area Plan 2045 website.

Initiated in 2023, the plan's development included a current conditions assessment, data gathering and a variety of community events, open houses and focus groups to help inform central area growth and improvement strategies through 2045.

The draft plan includes more than 250 goals, actions and strategic projects for the Loop, Near North, Near West and Near South sides and adjacent neighborhoods.

The plan is expected to be presented for potential adoption by the Chicago Plan Commission this fall, when it would become a formal roadmap for downtown improvements, public spending and private-sector investments.

In addition to the 2003 "Central Area Plan," the planning process leveraged portions of previously adopted plans that targeted various central area needs, including the 2009 "Central Area Action Plan," the 2021 "Central City Recovery Roadmap," and the 2023 "We Will Chicago" citywide plan.

The central area is generally bounded by Division Street on the north, portions of Ogden Avenue, Ashland Avenue and Halsted Street on the west, portions of Cermak Road and 25th Street/I-55 on the south, and Lake Michigan on the east.

Registration and more information are available at Chicago.gov/CAP2045.