Cabrini Green

In May of this year residents of of this Cabrini Green building at 1230 N Larrabee were given their 30 day eviction notices by the Chicago Housing Authority.  31 Families have been placed into one of the 4 remaining Cabrini Green buildings until more suitable housing is found. The CHA has been given the green light to begin further development for mixed-income housing under Chicago's Plan for Transformation.  It has been referred to as the most extensive and controversial public housing redevelopment plans in the United States.

Pictured are the Cabrini Green row houses built in 1942.  In the early 20th century this corner of Cleveland St. (formerly Milton St) and Oak St. was known as "Death Corner."  The neighborhood was referred to as Little Hell and was comprised mostly of Italian immigrants.  Assassins designated this intersection as a dumping ground for their murder victims.  In 1910 between the months of January and March, 15 bodies were found here.

The last remaining Cabrini high-rise at 1230 N Burling will be scheduled for demolition in early 2011.  Last July the remaining residents received their 180 day notices to vacate the premise.  In September the building had a vacancy rate of around 80 percent.  Residents were given options to move to the row houses pictured in the first photo, the Parkside of Old Town development at 1100 N Cleveland, or various other public housing developments in the south and west sides.  To read more about Cabrini Green visit Documenting the Transformation by photographer Ryan Flynn.