After School Matters, a long-standing group that offers teen programming, began Wednesday a $14 million renovation on a 36,000-square-foot facility near the former Cabrini-Green public housing development on the Near North Side.
The teen programming organization, started by Maggie Daley, the late wife of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, bought the building for $12.2 million in April. Once complete in late 2025, the facility will offer programming to 1,500 teens.
“It’s not only the physical building we’re investing in, but the teens and the city of Chicago,” Chief Financial Officer Brendan DuBois said.
The building, 1065 N. Orleans Ave., has a commercial kitchen and a gymnasium, the first in an After School Matters facility. After renovations, it will also include a black box theater, art studios, STEM labs, a skilled trades lab, outdoor spaces for urban gardening and communal spaces for collaboration. By adding the gym, DuBois hopes more young boys will be attracted to the organization’s sports programming and be inspired to try other things, too.
After School Matters long used city library and park district buildings before adding its own in 2017, and the addition of the new building is an encouraging signal of its growth, DuBois said.
“What sets our buildings apart is the investment we make,” he said. “It’s a huge commitment by the organization, by the board of directors, by our donors.”
Across its fall, spring and summer programming sessions, up to 19,000 students enroll in After School Matters sports, cooking, art and other courses.
“We know After School Matters teen-centric spaces work,” After School Matters CEO Mary Ellen Caron said in a press release. “Today, there is a greater need than ever for more safe, supportive and responsive spaces where teens can learn, grow and thrive.”
The design of the building will be determined through discussions with After School Matters staff and board, along with the teens themselves. DuBois said the organization asks what type of programs the teens want to see and use their feedback in adding new courses, like artificial intelligence programming.
The organization is raising money to meet the projected $14 million price tag of the renovation. Between the purchase of the building and the renovation, the total cost of opening the new building is estimated to be around $27 million. Around 12 to 15 employees will staff the building, but DuBois said it’s too early to tell if those will be new hires or people already within the organization.