Bulls, Blackhawks owners unveil $7 billion plan to transform area around United Center

Picture credit: franckreporter, Shutterstock.

The AP is reporting that the plan known as the 1901 Project, is being touted as the single largest investment program of it's kind for the West Side that has been home to the UC for decades.

According to the AP, “The 1901 Project represents a continuation of our families’
commitment to the future of Chicago’s West Side,” Bulls CEO Michael
Reinsdorf said in a statement. “This investment will create a thriving,
interconnected neighborhood, delivering significant benefits and
resources to the community we have long called home.”

The
first phase calls for a 6,000-seat theater, a multilevel parking
facility with more than 10 acres of public green space on its rooftop,
more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and bike lanes, and hotel and retail
space. Plans for future phases include housing “that spans various unit
sizes and includes affordable, market rate and luxury housing” as well
as transportation enhancements.

"While this is just the beginning,
we have already started to engage with our neighbors and community
partners to identify areas of opportunity for community wealth
generation from this private investment,” Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz
said in a statement. “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand
on a legacy that makes all of Chicago proud.”