Background: What is The 78?

The 78 is a 62-acre undeveloped parcel of land in Chicago’s South Loop, stretching from Roosevelt Road south to 16th Street ( bordering Chinatown), and from Clark Street west to the Chicago River.

Its name refers to the existing 77 community areas in Chicago — The 78 is envisioned as a “78th neighborhood.”

After years of community resistance over unrealized plans (including past proposals for offices, high-rises, a research center, a baseball stadium, and even a casino), the site now it set to build a Chicago Fire Soccer Stadium starting 2026. 

 The 78 represents a generational-scale transformation of this underused riverfront land — but also a critical moment for the city’s existing communities, especially those nearby (e.g. Chinatown, South Loop, Bridgeport, Pilsen, Bronzeville, UIC/Little Italy).


OUR CBA COALITION

Mission

To ensure the transformation of The 78 benefits all Chicagoans — especially longtime, working-class, and immigrant communities — by demanding equity, transparency, and justice in development, land use, housing, business, and public space. We hold developers and city officials accountable for the human cost of megadevelopment.

A future where The 78 becomes a truly inclusive, mixed-income, multi-generational, multicultural neighborhood — a 78th neighborhood built with respect for existing residents; where affordable housing, local businesses, and community spaces thrive alongside new development; where the riverfront belongs to everyone; and where growth doesn’t come at the cost of displacement, erasure, or inequality.

Vision

Guiding Principles of our coalition

  • Raising awareness and public accountability

  • Pushing for a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) — to secure enforceable protections around housing, local business access, jobs, environment, and public space.

  • Fostering Interracial Solidarity across neighborhoods and interests

  • Preserving cultural identity, affordability, and access

  • Promoting equitable development over speculative growth

  • Long-term oversight and community governance

Read Community Benefits Agreement

Stakeholders of Redevelopment and Displacement

  1. Related Midwest — the developer and owner of the 62-acre site since 2016. 

  2. Chicago Fire FC and Joe Mansueto — the pro soccer club and its owner, driving the stadium proposal, financing the new stadium privately, and positioning it as the anchor of The 78.

  3. City government and planning bodies — including the Chicago Plan Commission, State of Illinois (Governor JB Pritzker), the City Council, Aldermen/women, CMAP and agencies overseeing infrastructure, zoning, and TIF/ redevelopment agreements. (The project requires amended zoning / Planned-Development approvals and infrastructure commitments.)

Development Partners:

Nonprofits:

  1. Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) 

  2. Teen Coalition of Chinatown

  3. Ping Tom Park Advisory Council 

  4. People Matter

  5. Urban Rivers

  6. *** more to add

  1. Gensler: The architecture firm designing the Chicago Fire FC stadium.

  2. Discovery Partners Institute (DPI): education

  3. Interapt and CVS Health

  4. HIRE360: employment 

  5. The 78 Community Advisory Council (CAC): created 2019, no longer functioning 2022

Workforce

Neighboring communities and residents:

  1. Local small businesses

  2. commuting workers

  3. renters

  4. homeowners

housing, businesses, public safety, and environment will be directly affected.

  1. Armour Square (Chinatown)

  2. South Loop

  3. Brownsville

  4. Bridgeport

  5. Pilsen

  6. Little Village