Chicago Cohousing NetworkPrairie Onion cohousing is a small group (currently 6 households) that has been together since late 2003 dedicated to building an affordable, intergenerational, and “green” cohousing community in the city of Chicago. (“Onion” comes from a root that means “unity” or “oneness.”)
Our group has been together long enough to have a story to tell. We have held regular introduction to cohousing workshops during this time to recruit new members and have looked at a number of possible buildings and sites for a cohousing community. During this time over 400 people have become aware of Prairie Onion and over 150 have attended one of our presentations.
Finally earlier in 2009 we seem to have found a developer to work with (Benjamin VanHorne of Greenline Development) and a potential site to build on (a 1/2 acre site) in Bronzeville area near 46th and Vincennes on the south side of Chicago near Hyde Park. We have met with the alderman and a local block club in the area to get acquainted and have worked with the block club to help clean up the surrounding neighborhood. Our community if successfully completed will have around 20 households.
Can you afford to join us?! Our developer Benjamin is involved with a program with the City of Chicago that provides upfront subsidies to the buyer but comes with some restrictions on income levels. The land that we hope to build on is owned by the City of Chicago so that land price can be very low.
Become Part Of Our Story
There is much more to tell in Prairie Onion’s continuing story—we need your help to tell our story and become apart of the story.
Join us—we are especially interested in having some families with children—currently we do not have any.
BE an ally – If you yourself cannot be apart of the Prairie Onion community, we can still use you as an ally to spread the word about our effort in creating a cohousing community in Chicago to your friends.
Contact us 773-854-6879
http://www.prairieonioncohousing.org
If all goes well—if the City of Chicago approves our plan, we have enough members and our financing is right—construction for the project could begin in 2010.
