South Works CBA Campaign
FOTP is standing in solidarity with Southeast Side residents to demand a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the proposed redevelopment of the former South Works steel mill site. We believe new investment should uplift long-time residents, protect the environment, and ensure that the people of the Southeast Side—not just developers—benefit from change.
What is a CBA and Why it Matters?
A Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is a legally binding contract between a developer and a coalition of community groups to ensure that the benefits of a large development project are shared with the local community. Benefits include: local hiring, affordable housing, environmental protections, and community investments.
Low-income communities and communities of color have been excluded from the decisions shaping their neighborhoods. Too often, promises of economic growth lead instead to gentrification, displacement, or broken commitments. A CBA for the South Works site ensures that this redevelopment doesn’t repeat the past's harms but delivers real, lasting benefits to the Southeast Side community.
The Proposed Development
In 2024, plans were announced to transform 128 acres of the South Works site into the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP)—a quantum research and technology campus anchored by PsiQuantum, IBM, and other partners. The proposal also includes a new Advocate Health Care hospital. The developer for the project, Related Midwest, closed on the site in September 2025 and plans to begin construction by the end of the year, making this a critical moment for community input.
The Site’s Legacy
The South Works site was once home to 20,000 steelworkers and a thriving economic hub. Since its closure in 1992, residents have endured decades of disinvestment, broken promises, and unfulfilled development plans. Still, the community has preserved pieces of the site through spaces like Steelworkers Park and Park 566, which celebrate labor history and protect the area’s natural beauty.
The Coalition for a South Works CBA
Since 2017, Friends of the Parks has been proud to work with the Coalition for a South Works CBA, led by the Alliance for the Southeast. Together, we’ve been listening to residents’ visions for their community and shaping a CBA that reflects those priorities.
The draft agreement addresses:
Environment, Health, & Parks
Housing & Anti-Displacement
Jobs, Workforce, & Business
FOTP Proposed Benefits
In early October 2025, FOTP outlined a set of priority benefits—aligned with the broader Community Benefits Agreement—that we urge Related Midwest, the City of Chicago, and the State of Illinois to formally adopt. Read our list of benefits below.
Join Us
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure development at South Works benefits—not displaces—the Southeast Side. We can hold developers accountable and build a future rooted in community pride, environmental justice, and equitable growth.
Endorse FOTP’s Proposed Benefits List Today!
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