Stabilization of The Forum structure was the primary focus of the Forum Team when we first acquired the building in July 2011. The Forum had been placed on the City of Chicago’s Emergency Demolition List in Spring 2011 due to a breach of a portion of the masonry wall comprising the east face of the building, just below the roofline. We repaired this problem within a few weeks of acquisition and spent the next several years removing truckloads of debris and resolving many not-so-visible problems throughout the complex. In 2021, we completed the replacement of The Forum’s roofs, thereby concluding stabilization of the building.

We succeeded in placing The Forum on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. In 2021, we earned the right to utilize Federal Historic Tax Credits and received an allocation of $3M in Illinois Historic Tax Credits to support our restoration efforts. Having secured funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the National Park Service, Nike, several philanthropic organizations and hundreds of neighbors and friends through a community crowdfunding campaign, we are now ready to start rehabilitation of the three retail units that comprise The Forum’s West Annex.

We anticipate starting work on the West Annex in 2022. We are excited to welcome you back to The Forum.

Stabilization has been a three-phase process. First, the masonry “hole” was repaired, thereby eliminating the safety threat. Second, a wide range of other deferred maintenance items, including masonry and fencing issues was addressed and the building was fully secured. In the summer of 2020 the roof over The Forum hall (324 – 328 E 43rd St) was replaced and the roof over the retail spaces for 318-322 E 43rd St are to be replaced by December of 2020. Third, a tremendous amount of debris – filling 25 40-yard dumpsters – was removed from the building and a number of issues thereby uncovered were addressed.

Forum Hall, the iconic assembly hall located on the second floor of the corner building, will be fully rehabilitated to provide uniquely flexible performance space to established and emerging performers in music, dance, and theater, while hosting a diverse range of events. Forum Retail, the six retail spaces between the “El” and Calumet Avenue, will be built out to house an assortment of venues that combine high-quality hospitality offerings with unique performances. The Forum complex would be completed with the establishment of a nearby patron parking area and an outdoor public square.

This vision of The Forum as a performance destination is anchored by two key sets of market facts.

There is a proven and substantial unserved market in Bronzeville for food & entertainment.

A recent study sponsored by Quad Communities Development Corporation revealed a demand for $80.7 million in Food Service & Drinking Places versus a supply of just $31.2 million [1].

This gap in supply versus demand represents tremendous unmet demand and the leakage of spending power from the Bronzeville community. Equally important is the Chicago-wide latent demand for high-quality black entertainment. Between 1920 and 1960, Bronzeville was the Chicagoland destination for black culture with patrons mixing at clubs such as Club DeLisa, the Brown Derby and Riddles Cocktail Lounge, and dining at venues such as Gerri’s Palm Tavern, Morris Perfect Eat Shop, and Dallas Lunch. This cultural offering has not been reestablished in Chicago and the city-wide demand remains unmet.

The Forum provides a uniquely strong platform for generating high-quality cultural offerings and filling the market need.

Along with the South Side Community Arts Center, the DuSable Museum, the Hall Branch of Chicago Public Libraries, and the Parkway Ballroom, it is one of a handful of major cultural venues that survived the collapse of the Bronzeville retail and hospitality marketplace, which was an unintended by-product of the civil rights era. As such, it brings tremendous history and a high level of authenticity to cultural offerings. Moreover, its location at the heart of the community, its proximity to the 43rd Street CTA Green Line station, and the direct access to 43rd Street from the Dan Ryan Expressway, provides excellent accessibility. Finally, with over 30,000 sq. ft. of usable space it is large enough to house a critical mass of cultural offerings; and, there is ample space along 43rd Street to establish complementary venues and to develop parking and other supportive facilities.

Redevelopment of The Forum is underway, with Phase 0 nearly completed:

Phase 0: Stabilization

Stabilization of the structure will be completed by December of 2020.

Phase 1: Forum Retail

Retail development will proceed in two sub-phases in order to build momentum and to appropriately coordinate with the development of Forum Hall.

(A) Redevelopment of the 318 – 322 East 51st Street spaces in the “West Annex”

These slots are separated from Forum Hall and therefore can be developed independently. Recently the Forum was selected to receive the DCEO incubator grant and was allotted nearly a quarter million to renovate 318 E 43rd Street. The 318 slot is expected to be complete by the end of 2022. Redevelopment for the remaining slots 320 and 322 is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023..

(B) Redevelopment of the 324-328 spaces is expected to begin in 2022.

These spaces lie directly underneath Forum Hall and will need to share key utilities, including an elevator, a range of mechanical facilities, and a major culinary facility, with the Hall.

Phase 2: Forum Hall

Development of Forum Hall is expected to begin in 2023. This will include the Hall itself as well as the substantial back-of-the-house facilities located in the “North Annex” and a nearby parking facility.

Phase 3: Forum Rooftop

The Forum Rooftop renovation is expected to begin in 2023. This will include a gardening space with an entry from Forum Hall and a community patio.