Harold Ickes Homes, Public housing complex in Near South Side, Chicago, United States.
Harold Ickes Homes was a residential complex made up of eleven nine-story buildings with 738 apartments spread across an area bounded by Cermak Road, 24th Place, State Street, and Federal Street. The design by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill featured a modern approach to housing construction typical of mid-20th-century public development projects.
The complex was built between 1954 and 1955 by the Chicago Housing Authority using federal funding from the Public Works Administration to address housing shortages in the city. This construction was part of broader post-war efforts by the government to provide new housing in American cities.
The complex served as a residential community for Black families during a period of strict racial separation in the city. Residents built daily lives within these buildings, which contained shops, schools, and gathering spaces that created a self-contained neighborhood.
The site was located on Chicago's South Side near downtown, though today the entire complex has been demolished and replaced. Visitors today will find a new mixed-income residential development on the grounds that includes public housing, affordable units, and market-rate apartments.
The complex featured an underground tunnel that connected students directly to John C. Haines School in Chinatown, a remarkable feature for school routes at that time. Older students attended Phillips Academy High School, showing how planners tried to integrate educational services into the residential design.
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