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Woodlawn Tenants Unionize as Prospective Buyer Eyes Building Near Obama Center

Residents report $2,000 offers to leave, with no sale yet confirmed.

Overview

  • Tenants at the Chaney Braggs Apartments formed a union this month after learning a California-based investor is considering a purchase.
  • Residents say the prospective buyer could renovate or demolish the property and has proposed $2,000 per household to vacate.
  • Many households pay about $700 to $800 a month and fear they cannot find comparable housing if rents increase or the building is redeveloped.
  • Local reporting indicates no finalized sale or publicly identified buyer, and tenants say appeals to city and state officials have gone unanswered.
  • The Obama Presidential Center in nearby Jackson Park is slated to open June 18, with critics citing rising investment pressures and public infrastructure costs initially projected at roughly $350 million.