Chicago Politics

Grace Manor Apartments Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening 11.13.25

Description

Mayor Johnson attends the Grace Manor Apartments Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening.

Transcript

3:30 We're going to get started with the ribbon ceremony of the Grace Manor Apartments. Let's give them a hand. I'm just a church girl. Amen. But first, we're going to start with a letter of congratulations from the National Baptist Convention, USA, by the president of the Chicago North Lawndale Chamber of Commerce, Danita Sanders. Let's give her a hand as she comes. Good afternoon, everyone.

4:01 Good afternoon. This is a letter of congratulations from the office of the president of National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Dear Pastor Hunter, on behalf of the National Baptist Convention, USA Incorporated, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you, the leadership, and the entire Grace Memorial Baptist Church, family on the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of your affordable housing development located 3401 West Ogden Avenue. This achievement is a shining example of what it means to be the church engaged in the work of community transformation,

4:34 Not only proclaiming the Gospel, but building tangible expressions of hope. Your vision to provide safe, dignified, and accessible housing for family and individuals stands as a living testimony of faith in action. It reflects the very essence of Christ's call to uplift the vulnerable, strengthen our neighborhoods, and extend love beyond the walls of sanctuary. The National Baptist Convention USA Inc. is honored to celebrate the to break this historic milestone with you. Your leadership in advancing social impact ministry

5:04 demonstrates both courage and compassion, values that align fully with our shared commitment to holistic ministry that meets both spiritual and human needs. May this development stand as a foundation of stability, dignity, opportunity for generations to come. And may the Lord continue to enlarge your territory, bless your vision, and prosper the work of your hands. Congratulations Again on this outstanding accomplishment We praise God for the kingdom Building work taking place through Grace Memorial Baptist Church and Pastor G. Marvin Hunter

5:36 Pastor Marvin G. Hunter Thank you guys Alright moving right along we're going to have prayer Is Pastor John Harrell here? Alright we're going to have prayer About Pastor John Harrell Good morning Pastor John Harrell Chairman National Baptist Convention USA Incorporated President Black Men United let us pray Gracious God our Father how blessed we truly are

6:08 We thank you oh Lord for being a God of who you are You are a God that sits high and one that looks low You never sleep nor slumber Always up working on the night shift Keeping us from hurt, harm and foul play Lord we pray that you will continue to bless this community Continue to strengthen this leader This man of God in the person of Marvin Hunter And we pray that you will continue to order all of his steps As well as his stops But then Lord bless all the other leadership That make up this congregation And for certainly please

6:39 Crown our mayor from the top of his head To the very sole of his feet The fact of the matter is Don't you withhold no good thing from him Give him all the desires of his heart And then Lord we just say thank you Because this is a beautiful day This is a marvelous day This is the day that you have made Therefore we shall be glad And rejoice in it Continue to strengthen this corner Allow it to be a beacon of light and hope We pray that you would give the leader in Marvin Hunter Knowledge, wisdom, and understanding We ask that you not make him wise as a serpent

7:12 But make her wiser than the serpent And we ask these things in the only name that matter And that name is Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior And the people of God said, Amen Amen Okay, next we're going to have the Black National Anthem By Brittany Edwards Let's give her a hand Lift every voice and sing till earth and heaven ring with the heart of liberty.

8:04 Let our rejoicing rustling skies Let it resound loud as the rolling seas Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us

8:36 Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought Facing the right second Let us march on till victory is won

9:14 Wonderful, wonderful. So next we have the Grace Matter mission and the sponsorship. And we're going to ask Pastor Marvin G. Hunter to come up, the man of the hour. Give him a hand. I'm glad somebody hollered out because that was my daughter.

9:45 She might have started something with y'all. Let's give my oldest daughter a hand, Latasha. Give her a hand. Great. I'm supposed to do the mission and I'm going to get right through it. I'm a preacher. I'm missionary Baptist. I get five closers. I'm only going to do one today. But I can't start anything without thanking God for a person that does not want to be known. He get mad if you talk about him getting known. And when he make me mad, I get under his skin and tell him I'm going to put a statue up in Lawndale in his name.

10:16 I want you all to put your hands together for Mr. L.V. Hickambottom. He has been a mentor in the best kind of way. In the best kind of way. And I just thank God for him. This is not possible without his leadership and his guidance. The Grace at Jerusalem CDC started over 20, 30 years ago. It was something else, and then we renamed it to this.

10:48 But once it became Grace at Jerusalem CDC, I realized what my true mission was, and that was food, housing, education. Nobody was going to go hungry. Nobody was going to go unhoused. Nobody was going to go uneducated within four square blocks around that church that I pastored And I meant that with everything within me So rather than buying Cadillacs and Bentleys and hanging out at the cigar bar I fed people, I housed people, and I educated people With whatever monies I could get

11:18 And whatever monies I could get out of Mr. Hickambottom to help me do it And so we did that And so I just want to say that we've stayed true to our mission And I am today thankful and grateful to God that he gave us a mayor that had the vision and the foresight to see when God was working, to see when God was working. This project, that's right, give him a hand, young man. This project started under another mayor, Mayor Lightfoot, and she made sure that all the I's were dotted and the T's were crossed.

11:54 but normally when a mayor loses and the next mayor come in they usually will put a moratorium in play and fix it to where all things stop until they get a handle and can put their people in play but this mayor saw God and he really had a vision and what I discovered was he was serious about housing for the people of the city of Chicago and I kept kept pushing on him and pushing on him and And just talking and talking. And finally, he responded back.

12:27 And when he responded back, he responded back with an idea. I'm going to cut the tape. I'm going to fix it to where it's not going to take you 100 years to build housing because we need housing now. And so we had a groundbreaking right across the street in that box. You see it's purple. It had gold sand in it. If that's your sorrow or whatever, that's the color we use. Anyway, that man stood there and he announced the cut the tape initiative. And as a result of him announcing that initiative, companies like Berlin Builders, give Berlin a hand, which was the GC and built this beautiful property, were able to come in and not be bogged down by bureaucratic city tape that has stopped cranes from rising on the south and the west sides of Chicago.

13:14 This mayor is serious about affordable housing. He's so serious until in the budget that people trying to beat him up on, he put two hundred and fifty million dollars there so that he could make sure that housing like this could continue to exist. And so I was at a meeting today earlier and at the meeting one of my brothers gave us a call to action and I want to exercise my right on this mic to do the call to action. He said, look, man, y'all call your alderman, call the people in your community and you tell them to support this budget, to make it happen so that this mayor could continue to deliver safe, affordable and sustainable housing for the members of the city of Chicago.

13:54 I had a vision. I didn't want to just build affordable housing. I wanted to build housing that people could be proud of and they could dream beyond what they see. And so we built what I love to call luxury affordable housing. They told me don't say that. They told me don't do it. But you know what I teach in my church? You can't be what you can't see. They see luxury. They see affordable. They see excellence. And they see a mayor that saw the vision to make it happen. Don't give me a hand. Give him a hand.

14:30 And if I remember correctly, Reb, the original name of the first CDC was God did not create me to fail. that was the original name god did not create me to fail cdc ministries that's right um so next on the program first i was told to do this let me be in order i want to thank all of the merchant capital department house department of housing redstone chicago housing authority the city of chicago and the department of building thank you all for your support and a f l c l a f c l a f l c l c i o is the union

15:11 in the house they come all right so next i have is city treasurer melissa kanya ervin made her arrival? No. She's here. She's here. We should come. All right. We're going to ask her to come up. Let's give her a hand to city schedule.

15:42 Good afternoon. Mr. Mayor, apparently we have so many people that are interested in us divesting from our President Donald Trump's authoritarian regime, so we're very busy today. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your leadership and everything that you're doing to take us to the next level of this city. I am Melissa Cunniers Irvin, Chicago City Treasurer, and I am humbled to be here in North Lundale with my dear sister, Alderwoman Monique Scott, our commissioner, former Alderman Michael Scott, though Scott's cutting up.

16:20 But this is an absolutely beautiful edifice. I thank the public-private partnership. This is what it is all about. If we are going to take our community forward, if we are going to take our city forward, we must all work together. And I believe that when you hear affordability and when you hear luxury, they don't usually go together. But this is a great example of how we can have all that we need and desire in our community at an affordable level.

17:00 And so thank you. Yes. And I saw my dear friend, Mr. Higginbottom, who has been doing work in this city since I've been born. But he's not old. No, he's he's seasoned. And Pastor Marvin Hunter, we know that you have been intricate first lady and the entire team. Thank you all for what you have done. And we look forward to this being a template for the west side of Chicago.

17:32 for there is great from the west side of chicago thank you okay so it says next our funders we're going to have the ceo of edna melanie fernando let's give her a hand hi everyone good afternoon

18:03 as mentioned i'm melanie fernando i'm the ceo of edna better health of illinois so excited to be here today i was at the groundbreaking ceremony the ribbon cutting and to see this gorgeous building come to life it actually reflects the life around us with the green and the blue like the earth and the sky so again just so grateful to be here to speak on behalf of CVS Health and Aetna. I was just it's an incredible moment and as mentioned it's a really coming together of private and public partnerships to bring to life something that's

18:35 so needed in our communities especially in the Lawndale community and CVS Health and Aetna have We've invested over $65 million throughout the state of Illinois to achieve the objective of affordable housing. We know that there is a housing crisis not just in Chicago, not just in Illinois, but across the nation. And the members of our community are struggling now more than ever. So when we can come together, make these strategic impact-focused investments, then we can really make a difference.

19:06 And this is so close to me and to Aetna because we know that affordable housing and fulfilling health-related social needs is so crucial to ultimately individuals in our community living healthy and happy lives. So in order to achieve that, we need to create more developments like this so that folks don't have to worry about where they're going to go home and sleep, where they're going to get their next meal, they'll have a home. And so Aetna and CVS Health both invest in numerous community initiatives, partnering with local community-based organizations like Westside Health Authority, for instance, in the Lawndale community.

19:41 And we actually have what we call health zones, which are zones that bring together affordable housing, education, access to food, transportation, legal services, and workforce in communities such as this, so that we're able to again wrap around people in the community and get them access to the resources we need and a huge congratulations to all the partners and especially to Redstone which actually brought CVS Health and Aetna into this partnership and we were able to invest 17 million dollars into this endeavor so thank you so congratulations again to everyone and huge congratulations most to

20:20 the new residents I'm so happy for you and for your new beginnings and wishing you all the best in your new chapter here. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we're going to call the Chief of Staff of the Chicago Housing Authority, Kamina Brooks. Good afternoon. Thank you. Had I known it was going to be outside, I would have covered up my ankles, but good to be here with you all today.

20:53 And as shared, my name is Kamina Brooks. I serve as the Chief of Staff for the Chicago Housing Authority, and I'm just truly honored to be here with you. First, on behalf of CHA, I'd like to thank mayor brandon johnson for your leadership i also want to acknowledge alderwoman monique scott as for your leadership as well and then the chicago department of housing and all the partners that are here today i also want to just take a moment to acknowledge ch a commissioners in attendance if there's anyone okay but i also i just want to thank the ch a commissioners and

21:25 then also acknowledge ch a staff who made this day a reality as well but of course none of this would be possible without the tireless vision and dedicated persistence of Pastor Hunter and Grace at Jerusalem CDC. The creation of new affordable housing requires not only strong collaboration, but also very strong leadership, and Pastor Hunter is a tenacious champion for his community, and he did not rest until Grace Manor became a reality.

21:58 Well, Pastor Hunter, that reality is today, so thank you. Today, we celebrate 65 new affordable homes for residents of North Lawndale, and CHA is proud to contribute critical operating subsidy to help make this development affordable for the long term, nearly $6.5 million over the next 20 years. But that funding was just one very important part to a complex puzzle. It took the commitment of many people here today, government agencies, community-based organizations, religious institutions, and private partners to get the work done.

22:34 We are stronger together, and this project is an example of what we can accomplish when we work towards a shared goal. And it's another example of how CHA is fulfilling its mission by creating and sustaining affordable housing opportunities throughout Chicago, especially in communities like North Lawndale. Through the U.S. Department of Housing and Economic Development's Innovative Rental Assistance Program, also known as RAD, CHA is able to support 19 one- and two-bedroom apartments here at Grace Manor.

23:05 The development site is close to public transit and is part of a larger community revitalization project that includes a grocery store, a community arts and technology center, providing residents with access to really a wide range of amenities. This project fits perfectly into CHA's philosophy, which recognizes that strong communities are made up of more than just housing. They need access to quality schools, outdoor recreation, jobs, health care, grocery stores, and public transit.

23:35 And so we are excited for the future here at Grace Manor and look forward to many more opportunities to come where we can leverage our resources to continue to create affordable housing options across the city of Chicago. Thank you for believing in what's possible when we stand together for Chicago communities. Thank you. Thank you. So next we're going to have the Commissioner of Housing, Lissette Castaneda.

24:09 Did I say it correctly? Let's give her a hand. Good afternoon, everyone. I am so happy to be here with all of you to celebrate the grand opening of Grace Manor. Today, we are bringing 65 new units of affordable housing to North Lawndale. How did this project come together? Through the collaboration of talented partners, both across City Hall and within trusted community organizations. So let's start by thanking Mayor Johnson for his leadership and his vision.

24:42 as pastor hunter said he is prioritizing affordable housing and a mayor who prioritizes affordable housing is a mayor who truly cares for his constituents at every level i also want to extend my thanks to our partners at east lake management including Mr. Higginbottom, Pastor Hunter at Grace at Jerusalem CDC, and of course at the 24th Ward led by Alderwoman Scott. Without these efforts, this project would not have been possible, nor would we be able to provide the affordable homes this community truly deserves.

25:16 Grace Manor represents what is possible when multiple stakeholders come together, united by a shared commitment to community and character. This project brings 31 one-bedroom and 34 two-bedroom apartments to this Ogden Corridor. You will be able to see other investments made by this administration on the same corridor, and affordable housing will be part of that. Because when you provide affordable housing, retail opportunities, equitable transit, and access to neighborhood resources, the community flourishes.

25:48 That is the core mission of the Department of Housing, that residents have access to safe, stable, dignified, healthy housing at every income level where they can put down roots, build a home, and enjoy a high quality of life. This development came to life through the diligent work of real people with a shared vision of revitalizing this area. Supported by the sale of city-owned lots, DOH also contributed $9.4 million in home funds, $5.5 million in TIF, $1.9 million in 4% tax credits, and an additional $20 million in tax-exempt bonds.

26:27 That is what it looks like when we build better together. Because of that investment, residents will enjoy amenities like outdoor seating and patio area, laundry room, a computer room, and bicycle storage. With management on site, residents will be able to feel confident in knowing that their needs will be heard and addressed. and every family and individual in this six-story building will rest assured that they will not be priced out of the neighborhood they call home.

26:57 Because the initial dollar investment is only the beginning, we know that continued investment in the people who live here and the community as a whole is what will catalyze lasting change. I look forward to seeing how North Lawndale thrives through more investments like these, where instead of trying to change the culture or character of the community, We invest in the people in their condition in their jobs and in their livelihoods. Thank you again for having me Next up we will have the Alder woman of the 24th Ward Alder woman Scott

27:40 Good afternoon What a beautiful day and what an incredible moment for the 24th Ward Today we stand not just in front of a building, but before a symbol of renewal, pride, and possibility. The opening of Grace Matter is the first high-rise housing development in this community. It's more than just a ribbon-cutting. It is a statement that North Wyndale matters and that every family here deserves a safe, dignified, and modern place to call home.

28:13 This project originated with the past administration and my brother, the former alderman, Michael Scott, Jr. Although it was in a stalled place when I became alderman, with this administration and Mayor Brandon Johnson believing in this vision and lead this project to completion as we stand here today. For too long, this neighborhood has carried the rate of disinvestment. Decades where opportunity passed by, where promises were made but not kept, but the people of the 24th Ward never gave up.

28:46 We've worked, organized, and believed that change was possible, and today that belief is built in steel and glass behind us. This development represents partnership in action between residents, city leaders, developers, and community organizers. Together we created not just housing, but hope. Affordable homes for working families, spaces for small businesses, community rooms where neighbors can gather, and green space. But let's be clear, this is not the end of the work, it's only the beginning.

29:19 Our vision is going beyond one building. We're committed to ensuring that the people who built this community can stay and thrive here. that an investment returns so does equity, opportunity, and respect. To the residents who will call Grace Manor home, this place belongs to you. Fill it with laughter, love, with the same strength and spirit that has carried this community through every challenge. But I can't be remiss if I didn't thank the partners.

29:50 I want to thank Pastor Hunter, Marvin Hunter, for his vision. Eastlake Management Uncle Elsie, thank you Lee Eiler and the team at Merchants Bank and the AFL-CIO for providing debt financing, Kat Vilma and the team at Redstone and Kelly Savage at the team at EtnaCVS for providing tax credit equity, the Chicago Housing Authority for providing RAD subsidy, Juan Moreno and JGMA for the design, Sierra Boatwright, the

30:23 Commissioner of DPD, and Lizette Castaneda, Commissioner of Housing. Thank you. Thank you for believing that transformation is possible when we invest in people and places together and to everyone here today. Remember this moment, because when future generations ask when the tide began to turn for North Lawndale, we'll be able to say it started here today with all of us. So thank you. Congratulations and welcome home. Hold on, we've got something else to do.

30:55 I love my alderman, y'all, just so you all know. And what's great and unique about this, and I'm going to be really short, is she's from here and I'm from here. Now, Michael want to tell you that he's been all over. He just really played basketball in the back of his yard. But he is from here, though. He is from here. But she's from here, all right? We know her. But here's the deal. What was unique about her speech that I had to get up and interrupt is this. I am indigenous from here. I ain't never lived anywhere else. My family came here in 1955, the 15th and Kohler. I went to Mason Elementary School, the same school that go to my year went to. Are y'all listening to me? I went to Collins, played football and went to Farron, played football until I got tired of playing.

31:35 Now, let me tell you all, you are from here, but it's going to take you to change where you live. We have a mayor and an administration that believes in the indigenous people of the communities of the South and West Side. We have an alderman here in the 24th Ward that believes in the indigenous people. I'm not from somewhere else. I am you. But I'm standing in front of a $40 million project that is here. And without further ado, I would like to introduce our illustrious mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson.

32:15 Thank you, Alderwoman Scott, for your leadership in that introduction. Good afternoon, North Lawndale, West Side. Thank you to all of the elected leaders that are here today, to Commissioner Michael Scott, our state representative, Yolanda Morris. Of course, we already heard from our city treasurer, Melissa Conyers Irvin. And, of course, to the president and CEO of Grace in Jerusalem, CDC, Pastor Marvin Hunter. And, of course, the best part of him, his wife, the First Lady of Grace.

32:48 Thank you for being here. And, of course, to all of the funding partners, Redstone, Merchant Capital, East Lake Management. You know, LZ has always wanted to be a Westsider, so we're going to go ahead. I'm going to sign an executive order, therefore, hereby proclaiming L.Z. Higginbottom an honorary Westsider. To the Scheidorf Lawndale Chamber of Commerce and, of course, the Chicago Housing Authority, DPD, and Commissioner Bo Wright.

33:19 And, of course, you just heard from Lissette Constaneda, Commissioner of Housing. Look, you all, let's just be clear. You know, politics are based on a very simple premise. which can be summed up in five words. Human needs are human rights. Housing and shelter is a human need, and that's why we say that housing is a human right. It was 60 years ago when Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came to the very neighborhood that we are in today, North Lawndale.

33:51 The campaign began under the banner of In Slums. That was the movement, a call for fair housing and human dignity. It grew into what became known as the Chicago Freedom Movement, a defining moment in the fight for civil rights in the North. The movement swelled into a spirit and strength drawing more than 30,000 people to rally together at Soldier Field. They had to march with a list of demands in 98-degree heat and tape them to the door of City Hall, just like the original Martin Luther.

34:23 Their demands were modest. They wanted fair distribution of resources in Chicago. and they wanted to increase supply of high-quality, what we say luxury, affordable housing. They had to march in Marquette Park where they were sworn by 700 protesters and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was struck in the head with a rock. They had to organize for months and months all to get a meeting with the mayor who heard their demands, smiled, and then essentially did nothing. Dr. King's struggle 60 years ago today, it was not in vain.

34:57 He planted a seed in North Lawndale. He planted a seed. a seat on the west side of Chicago for fair housing and organizing and for a fair economic system here in Chicago. The struggle was carried forward, of course, with the incredible leadership that was offered up by Reverend Jesse Jackson as we continue to pray for his strength. That fight lives on, and that fight lives on in Pastor Hunter, because he imbibes that very spirit that Dr. Keene and Reverend Jackson had. And they fought to create a world where people wouldn't have to march. They don't have to rally and fight tooth and nail just to get a

35:31 meeting with the mayor. He can just call me directly and text me and say, Mayor Johnson, let's build safe and affordable communities together. Aren't you glad that you don't have to march to get a meeting with the mayor? You can just send a simple text. Now don't pass my number out to nobody else though. He said it's too late, brother mayor. But this is not something that was just possible. This was something that was fought for, for the west and south sides of Chicago and today and around the world. We now are in a moment where when Dr. King said that if we

36:06 could do it in Chicago, we can do it anywhere in the world. And so now we don't just have to talk about it. We don't just have to dream about it. We actually get to live it. The promise of high quality affordable housing cannot be something that lives in the abstract. It has to be about the fierce urgency of now. And that's why I'm happy that we were able to pull together a $1.25 billion bond investment for economic development and housing, which is the largest economic and housing development in the history of Chicago, because the fierce urgency of now is today. And so today, you all, is actually a second ribbon cutting. I was on the south

36:42 side of Chicago on 95th Street, where we cut the ribbon for Amani Village, which has been in the works for 15 years. We got it done. And so whether it's on the south side of Chicago and Pullman or in on the west side in North Lawndale, we are restoring and reviving the city of Chicago through the lens of justice. Thank you, Pastor Marvin Hunter. Today, we live out the dreams of our ancestors. Transformation block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, where we can put

37:13 our people to work to build the very housing that's good for the people who live here. So thank you for this transformational moment thank you for helping us build on our promise and god bless you all the most sanctified greatest freaking city in the world the city of chicago right here on the best side lz west side yes so now for the ribbon yes sir we're gonna now prepare

37:57 for the ribbon cutting

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