Washington Park

For a neighborhood just minutes from downtown that has a large stock of beautiful old mansions and one of Chicago's most famous parks, Washington Park has long been overlooked by businesses and real estate developers. Its population has fallen precipitously as residents left in search of more opportunity, leaving vacant lots and boarded up buildings.

But don't count out Washington Park. The adjacent park was chosen for the site of a future Olympic stadium as part of Chicago's failed 2016 Olympic bid. Even though the Olympics were recently awarded to Rio de Janeiro, some have argued that the neighborhood got a lot of exposure during the run-up to the decision.

Deservedly so.

In real estate terms, a business where location is said to be everything, the neighborhood is  undoubtedly well situated. Two CTA train lines serve the neighborhood, an amenity few other South Side communities can boast. And the park itself is an undeniable gem. Just ask the Olympic bid committee who chose it for the stadium, or, for that matter, any of the activists who protested against Chicago's bid specifically because the Olympics would affect their beloved park.

Some of the factors that had been perceived as weighing down long-term development prospects in Washington Park, such as the Robert Taylor Homes, a notorious high rise public housing development, are past issues. The development was torn down as part of an ongoing project to transform public housing in Chicago as mixed income communities. 

View Washington Park in a larger map

Properties NSP has acquired in Washington Park (or has under contract) for rehabilitation.

Learn more about Washington Park

The Washington Park Consortium is among the organizations involved in revitalizing Washington Park.