Bethel Commercial Center

Brownfield Revitalized into Transit-Oriented Village

Our partnership with Bethel New Life, a community organization active in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood, formed as part of a grassroots effort in the 1990s to save the CTA Green Line.

This resulted in a visionary Neighborhood Center and a TOD plan, creating a walkable neighborhood anchored by a new park. The Commercial Center is operated by Bethel New Life, and includes a daycare center, jobs center, ground-floor commercial storefronts, a bank, and direct access to the Green Line Pulaski Station.

The financing was funded through a mix of grants and new market tax credits. Subsequent projects from this plan include the Lake & Central TOD Plan, the Parkside Residential District, and Keystone Village Master Plan.

Client: Bethel New Life

Location: Chicago, IL

Role: Architect of Record

Project Area: 22,000 SF

Completion: 2004

Construction Cost: $4,300,000

    • Brownfield project uses water-efficient landscaping.

    • Low-flow plumbing fixtures cut water use by approximately 30%.

    • Green roof absorbs stormwater, reducing the amount of runoff reaching the city sewer system.

    • Two photovoltaic systems provide approximately 11% of the building’s power.

    • High-thermal-mass insulation limits temperature fluctuations throughout the day, reducing heating and cooling loads.

  • LEED Gold

  • Urban Land Institute, Award for Global Excellence, 2010

    EPA National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement, Equitable Development Award, 2006

    City of Chicago Greenworks Award, 2006

    Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards, Driehaus Foundation Award for Outstanding Non-Profit Neighborhood Real Estate Project, 2006

  • Award Profile: Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

    ULI Case Study

“Farr Associates has long been a national leader in integrating green buildings into transit-oriented developments.”

— Jacky Grimshaw, Center for Neighborhood Technology

Our partnership with Bethel New Life resulted in a visionary Neighborhood Center plan that creates a walkable neigh­borhood anchored by a new park. This imaginative plan included a full transit center equipped with retail space, employment offices, a

Our partnership with Bethel New Life resulted in a visionary Neighborhood Center plan that creates a walkable neigh­borhood anchored by a new park. This imaginative plan included a full transit center equipped with retail space, employment offices, and a daycare center.

Using green construction techniques and smart growth principles, Bethel Center has increased access to community services while reducing environmental impacts.

Using green construction techniques and smart growth principles, Bethel Center has increased access to community services while reducing environmental impacts.