Brian J. Rogal

An interactive historical collage of the transformation of the former Robert Emmet Elementary School to the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, 5500 W. Madison St., is on display at the center lobby July 16, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Former Robert Emmet Elementary School in Austin gets new life as community center, workforce development facility

July 25, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Now called the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, the building’s second life is the brainchild of the community group Austin Coming Together and the nonprofit Westside Health Authority.

A conceptual rendering shows two apartment towers proposed by Sterling Bay for 1840 N. Marcey St. The plan received a thumbs-up from Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, clearing the way for approval by the full City Council. (Sterling Bay/SCB)

Sterling Bay wins Zoning Committee approval for a pair of apartment towers on Lincoln Park’s west edge

July 15, 2025 at 6:43 p.m.

Ald. Scott Waguespack dropped his opposition to the proposal, clearing the way for approval.

Lincoln Yards development in the Lincoln Park neighborhood seen on Feb. 13, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/baiduhai)

Former Lincoln Yards site to become smaller, walkable residential community, developer says. ‘Bigger is not necessarily better.’

July 11, 2025 at 4:15 p.m.

The new 31-acre development, called Foundry Park, will eventually total about two to three thousand units, including single-family homes, condos, rental apartments, townhomes and affordable housing.

Matt Pistorio, left, and Gary Stoltz, of R2 Cos., a private equity real estate firm, give a tour of the Chicago Board of Trade Museum on July 1, 2025. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Chicago Board of Trade Building museum pays homage to city’s trading history, immortalized in movies like ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’

May 22, 2026 at 7:46 p.m.

The new museum, which opens Tuesday, is the latest step in an effort to revive the nearly century-old board of trade building.

All Stories

Former Robert Emmet Elementary School in Austin gets new life as community center, workforce development facility

Sterling Bay wins Zoning Committee approval for a pair of apartment towers on Lincoln Park’s west edge

Former Lincoln Yards site to become smaller, walkable residential community, developer says. ‘Bigger is not necessarily better.’

Chicago Board of Trade Building museum pays homage to city’s trading history, immortalized in movies like ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’

Fans reflect on NASCAR’s (possibly) final street race in Chicago

Local real estate firms Baird & Warner and Dream Town to merge

Reconstruction begins on latest phase of Bell Works Chicagoland, the former AT&T campus in Hoffman Estates

Lincoln Yards site is poised for new chapter, but debate over what went wrong with the stalled project continues

City green-lights group’s plan for mixed-use development in Roseland

Chicago seeing fewer international travelers, but local hotels still expect ‘solid’ summer