The Healthy Lifestyle Hub is one of several projects the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation has up its sleeve, with other plans including the Green Era Campus, a renewable energy and urban farm development at 650 W. 83rd St. into "something that benefits the community and the community has ownership of." The group will also try to repurpose vacant storefronts in the community. The Healthy Lifestyle Hub will be located in a nearly 100-year-old building once home to the Rusnak Bros. Furniture Store and Showroom. The building had bricked-in windows on almost every floor with ground-floor retail. In the 1970s, it became a dark public aid office with no windows. However, the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation restored the building and added new features, such as windows on every floor and an elevator. The hub will offer a range of services, including:

• A UI Health Clinic and Primary Care Center occupying the entire second floor and a portion of the third, offering medical, dental, and mental health services to over 30,000 patients annually.

• Bank of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Illinois, and a UIC Neighborhood Center will also be housed within the Hub.

• The Illinois Tollway will train Black and Brown community members at the Hub for jobs with the organization.

• A high-tech kitchen and training center, sponsored by the Chicago Bears, will be located on the first floor, offering local chefs, neighbors, and students a place to master healthy cooking.

• A cafe has already been built to house a local coffee shop.

• Free Wi-Fi will be available throughout the building.

• The Hub will have 18-by-24-foot windows on the first floor, "bringing in light and lighting up 79th Street and Auburn Gresham, figuratively and literally," according to Carlos Nelson, director of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation.

• The Healthy Lifestyle Hub will bring a pharmacy and bank back to the community and address the food insecurity. In the future, the corporation aims to operate health and wellness campuses on vacant storefronts like CVS and Bank of America.

Auburn Gardens, a $40 million affordable housing development, will be located across the street from the hub. A $35 million Metra station is set for 2024, providing residents with easy access to transportation.

Overall, the Healthy Lifestyle Hub will provide much-needed services and support to the South Side community, creating local wealth and promoting community ownership. With its range of amenities and services, the hub promises to be a valuable resource for residents in the years to come.