Issuu

■ Mental, physical health care combined. PAGE 4

FREE Vol. 40 No. 21

May 27, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com

@AustinWeeklyNews

@austinweeklynews

Mayor outlines plans for Austin in last year of term Brandon Johnson reflects on successes in his neighborhood during his time as mayor By JESSICA MORDACQ

Housing Breakthrough Page 5

Catalyst Circle Rock transitions as a founder steps away

Ed Siderewicz, a founder of the Austin charter school, retires and Erika Whitehead, the assistant principal, steps up to direct school’s mission

Staff Reporter

Brandon Johnson was sworn in as mayor of Chicago on May 15, 2023. Now in the final year of his term, Johnson spoke with Austin Weekly News, his “favorite local publication,” about his recent successes in the neighborhood where he lives and his goals for Austin over the next 12 months regarding economic development, housing and crime. One way Johnson’s administration has funneled money into Austin throughout his term is with a $1.25 billion housing and economic development bond, funded by low-income housing tax credits and Tax Increment Financing, federal and state grants and private funding. The Austin HOPE Center — a $22 million project at 5046 W. Chicago Ave. set to open this summer as the first behavioral health and pediatric specialty facility on the West Side — was nearly one-quarter funded by the bond, and the first project in Chicago that used the bond money. And last May, the city completed nearly $9 million of improvements on

@AustinWeeklyChi

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

TODD BANNOR

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson during an interview with Austin Weekly News at Spill the Beans last year. Chicago Avenue between Austin Boulevard and Central Avenue — the first part of construction completed on Soul City Corridor. In the last year, locals have enjoyed wider sidewalks, more lighting, new trees and landscaping, raised bike lanes, crosswalks and resurfaced roads.

“This type of development that you’re seeing along Chicago Avenue is unprecedented,” Johnson said. “I want folks to know that that’s not happening by accident. Those are intentional investments. See JOHNSON on page 9

BREAKING

Before they founded Catalyst Circle Rock charter school 20 years ago in Austin, Ed Siderewicz and Gordon Hannon were both Christian Brothers, part of a Roman Catholic religious order that dedicates itself to education, particularly for the underprivileged. The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools was founded in 1680 in France by Saint John Baptist de La Salle, a priest who created schools to offer free education to the poor. “Though it has Catholic Christian roots out of 17th century France, [Lasallian schools] exist in very non-Christian countries today. See CATALYST on page 8