Chicago's city council approved a $10.5 million Community Development Grant to support construction of the Deeply Rooted Dance Center in Washington Park. The grant, funded through the city's $1.25 billion Housing and Economic Development Bond, will help complete a $20.9 million project to establish a permanent home for Deeply Rooted Dance Theater.
The 33,270-square-foot facility at 5339 S State Street will include six dance studios, a performance venue, event space and a rooftop garden. Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, founded in 1996, has spent nearly 30 years providing Black dance performance and education in Chicago.
The city previously approved a land write-down for the 0.54-acre development site in 2023. The project is part of broader investments by the Johnson administration in Washington Park, including the planned Abrams Intergenerational Village (71 affordable apartments for seniors and families), expansion of Evelyn's Food Love restaurant on South State Street, and development of the Chicago Torture Justice Memorial.