Rockwell Gardens, Public housing project in East Garfield Park, Chicago, US.
Rockwell Gardens was a residential complex in East Garfield Park with eight apartment buildings between 10 and 13 stories tall, containing 1,126 units across 17 acres. The development sat between Madison Street, Van Buren Street, Western Avenue, and Rockwell Street.
Built in 1958, it was the first public housing development in the United States constructed with combined federal and state funding. This financing structure marked a new approach to public housing projects across the country.
The complex took its name from prize-winning flower gardens that early residents maintained during the first years of operation. These green spaces showed how residents wanted to beautify their home and build community together.
The site was located 2.5 miles west of downtown Chicago, making it a short distance from the city center. The boundaries were clear, and the area was eventually redeveloped into a mixed-income community.
The Chicago Housing Authority demolished the complex in 2006 to make way for a new mixed-income development. This demolition marked the end of one era of public housing and the beginning of a different approach to neighborhood development.
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