Homan Square Proves to Be a Beam of Hope

Nichols Tower, part of the former headquarters of Sears, Roebuck and Co. in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood, was the recent subject of an article in the New York Times. North Lawndale, the West Side Chicago neighborhood encompassing the former world headquarters of Sears, Roebuck and Co. is now home to the repurposed industrial site called Homan Square that is now developed to serve the surrounding community. The article mentions the nonprofit groups in Nichols Tower, including SAIC, which operates a classroom, offers art classes to community residents, and hosts an artist residency program in Homan Square.

“This is a center where a lot of beams of hope are getting shot out,” said E. Bernard Jennings, the executive director of the business association. “Maybe that’s why we’re the tallest building, so we can make sure we can shoot those beams out.”