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West Side businesses awarded city grants
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FREE Vol. 36 No. 49
December 7, 2022
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Also serving Garfield Park
New community fitness space opens in Austin The Public Outdoor Plaza space opened outside of old Emmet School, which will become the new Aspire Center in 2024
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The Austin Chamber of Commerce and the 15th District police department held the 18th Annual Tree Lighting Holiday Parade and Winter Fest in Austin on Dec. 2. See more photos on page 3.
By IGOR STUDENKOV
SHANEL ROMAIN/Staff
Staff Reporter
The Aspire Center, the workforce development and community center coming to the former Emmet School building, 5500 W. Madison St., won’t open its doors until 2024. But in the meantime, residents can take advantage of an outdoor community space that officially opened on Dec. 3 in the southwest corner of the school’s former parking lot. The POPFit community plaza is the latest of the Public Outdoor Plaza (POP) spaces built on vacant city-owned lots thought a collaboration between the Westside Health Authority (WHA), Lamar Johnson Collaborative architecture firm and the Chicago Department of Planning and DeSee ASPIRE CENTER on page 4
Meet Michelle h ll Collins, ll page 6
West Side incumbents face challengers in 2023
All West Side aldermen except Burnett to face opponents, police district council representatives also up for election
By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter
All but one West Side incumbent alderman will face opponents in the Feb. 28, 2023 election, although it remains to be seen how many of
WS ! NEF H S A L
those challengers will be able to stay on the ballot. According to the Chicago Board of Elections, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), whose ward includes the See ELECTION on page 5
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