Freedom Center

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Project description: The Salvation Army relocated the Freedom Center to the West Humboldt Park neighborhood after 30 years of calling Chicago's west side home. This move to an all-new facility continues the vital tradition of spiritual guidance and adult reentry into community life while also allowing for outreach to economically and educationally disadvantaged individuals and families.

The Freedom Center is an umbrella residential campus consisting of the Harbor Light Center, The Salvation Army Corrections Center (Pathway Forward), and the Corps Community Center. The Harbor Light Center consists of a 212-bed residential substance abuse treatment center, while Pathway Forward program is a 201-bed community integration halfway house program. The Corps Community Center provides church programming and many other recreational and educational programs.

Many of the support, recreational, and administration spaces are utilized for all three programs while providing controlled and secured access for the inhabitants and community groups. The program requires a four-story facility of approximately 187,500 SF. The development of the 223,136 SF site includes the removal of several existing warehouse structures and incorporating landscaping, decorative fencing and gates, 170 parking spaces, and other exterior amenities.The Freedom Center is comprised of several interconnected structures linked along a common circulation corridor. The building has been constructed utilizing precast concrete wall panels, precast concrete plank floors, and precast concrete columns. Caissons and grade beams support the precast walls and structure, and a mix of brick masonry and cast stone articulate the precast exterior of the building.

Sustainability: LEED Silver Certified