Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Alderman Gilbert Villegas of the 36th Ward, and the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation have begun construction on La Placita at Belmont Cragin. The project will turn an underused lot at Grand and Fullerton Avenues into a new public plaza for neighborhood gatherings. This marks the first of three plaza improvement projects CDOT is starting this year to enhance public spaces in Chicago.

Alderman Villegas stated, "Since 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked to activate La Placita as a vibrant hub for our community. With City Light Church hosting our very first meeting, and with the continued partnership of Northwest Community Development Corporation and Funtastic Chicago, we’ve brought this space to life for small vendors and community events every summer and holiday season for the past four years—including our annual tree lighting celebration. Grand and Fullerton serve as the welcoming gateway to the 36th Ward, and I’m excited to see all the great things that will continue to come to the Grand Gateway."

Jason Estremera, Executive Director of the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, said, "We’re thrilled to be creating this new public plaza in partnership with Alderman Villegas’ office and CDOT. This space will serve as a home for culturally relevant programming, vibrant street vendors, and neighborhood markets—bringing people together at the intersection of culture and commerce."

The site was selected through collaboration between Alderman Villegas’s office and Northwest Side CDC. CDOT used Community Development Block Grant funds for its design and construction based on community input. Features planned for La Placita include a performance area with lighting, shaded seating areas with benches, a walking path with lawn space for art displays, landscaping with trees, bike racks, trash bins, as well as fencing with entry columns reflecting local branding and Latin American culture.

La Placita is scheduled for completion in spring 2026.

CDOT Acting Commissioner Craig Turner commented on CDOT’s approach: “This project reflects CDOT’s commitment to working hand in hand with communities to deliver meaningful projects. La Placita is the first of three new plazas we are building this year to invest in vibrant public spaces that strengthen neighborhood life across Chicago.”

In addition to La Placita at Belmont Cragin, two other plaza projects are set for construction by CDOT this year: refurbishment of 18th and Leavitt Plaza in Pilsen next to Ann School—with new seating areas landscaped alongside a butterfly garden—and transformation of Jose De Diego Academy Plaza in Wicker Park from a closed roadway into flexible space between school grounds and Roberto Clemente Park featuring landscaping improvements along with play mounds.