{"id":290917,"date":"2025-11-14T10:15:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/290917\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T10:15:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:15:19","slug":"vacant-humboldt-park-lot-could-become-asi-health-facility-job-training-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/290917\/","title":{"rendered":"Vacant Humboldt Park Lot Could Become ASI Health Facility, Job Training Center"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>HUMBOLDT PARK \u2014 A home health company has shared more details on its proposal for a new health care and workforce development training center at a vacant Humboldt Park lot.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiservices.org\/about-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">ASI Health<\/a> is looking to build a five-story facility at 3446 W. North Ave., a lot that\u2019s been vacant for over a decade. The building would include health care services, a training institute and a workforce center, according to updated <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1u952JFGoWb3NMtlednE4m1Uar3E-AR8X\/view?fbclid=IwY2xjawN2M7NleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFjbVJkSVZLTTNnamtYN2dnAR5zhjKEUEWgUoABOP4KuoZJwsQtxp-Q_NwOwsKmoBAzArHD8ITCHeHvzinv2w_aem_SrHLHHwg8WL9yLcxdlYVzw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">project plans<\/a> shared by Ald. Jessie Fuentes\u2019 26th Ward office.<\/p>\n<p>The $12 million proposal, which has been <a href=\"https:\/\/blockclubchicago.org\/2022\/02\/17\/humboldt-park-eyed-for-7-million-wellness-and-workforce-development-facility\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">in the works since 2022<\/a> and now has a potential location, would offer senior care, including rehab and behavioral health services. ASI\u2019s workforce development center would open the door for youth and others with employment barriers to access bilingual and multicultural training for high-demand jobs in health care, tech and the green sectors, according to project plans.<\/p>\n<p>The organization plans to partner with local colleges and Latino-led health care providers on the programs, Marta Cerda, CEO of ASI Health, previously said. The facility will enable ASI Health to train about 15,000 home health professionals annually, she said. <\/p>\n<p>The building would also house ASI Health\u2019s administrative offices, essentially serving as the organization\u2019s new headquarters, as well as a memory care center for patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer\u2019s, Cerda said. The organization employs 350 people.<\/p>\n<p>ASI Health has provided home care services plus employment and training programs since 1975, with a focus on Latino and Black communities. The company, headquartered in Avondale, is looking to invest in Humboldt Park with a\u00a0\u201cwhole person care\u201d model that links health and workforce outcomes, Cerda said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur proposal for a new Health and Workforce Development Center aims to bring together health care, behavioral health, job training and community support under one roof \u2014creating a one-stop hub designed to help residents get well and stay healthy, build skills, and access economic opportunity close to home,\u201d Cerda said in a statement this week.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-12-at-1.48.19-PM-1024x465.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-949179\"  \/>ASI Health has identified 3446 W. North Ave. for its 5-story workforce and health care center, which has been a project in the works since 2022. Credit: UrbanWorks<\/p>\n<p>Fuentes held a community meeting on the proposal last month, and resident feedback was favorable, according to the alderperson\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>The proposal needs a zoning change, something Fuentes would need to approve before the project advances through the City Council. Fuentes has not officially signaled her support for the project but spoke positively of it in a statement. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe project aims to expand access to workforce training, community health resources and much more,\u201d Fuentes said in a statement. \u201cASI is committed to thoughtfully incorporating all community feedback shared during the meeting, particularly around parking solutions and maximizing access to other transportation options such as public transit, bike storage and walkability improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Its city approval timeline is tentative, though it could appear on the City Council\u2019s zoning committee agenda in January or February at the earliest, per the 26th Ward Office.<\/p>\n<p>ASI is working with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Humboldt Park Health, Illinois Unidos and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to make sure the facility is one the neighborhood \u201ccan be proud of,\u201d Cerda said.<\/p>\n<p>If approved, the project would strengthen ASI Health\u2019s years-long partnership with Humboldt Park Health, Cerda previously said. The two organizations have worked in tandem to treat patients in Humboldt Park for years, including during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>ASI Health <a href=\"https:\/\/blockclubchicago.org\/2022\/02\/17\/humboldt-park-eyed-for-7-million-wellness-and-workforce-development-facility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">was looking to build<\/a> the facility on one of the many Humboldt Park Health-owned lots in the area. The lot chosen for the development is owned by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cookcountylandbank.org\/humboldt-park-developer-says-pandemic-is-right-time-to-build-affordable-housing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Luis Castro of L&amp;MC Investments<\/a>, according to property records. ASI Health is in the final stages of buying the land, a company spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p>The health and workforce development building\u2019s proposed size and style is in line with newer, health-related buildings opening in the area. Humboldt Park Health\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/blockclubchicago.org\/2025\/01\/15\/30-million-humboldt-park-health-wellness-center-opens-bringing-a-sanctuary-to-west-siders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"> three-story gym and wellness center<\/a> opened at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n<p>La Casa Norte\u2019s five-story facility at 3533 W. North Ave. <a href=\"https:\/\/blockclubchicago.org\/2019\/02\/18\/inside-la-casa-nortes-new-20-million-homeless-center-in-humboldt-park\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">opened in 2019<\/a> and offers everything from a market to a medical clinic.<\/p>\n<p>A PrimeCare Health proposal to move and expand to an old manufacturing building at 1750 N. Springfield Ave. in Humboldt Park was rejected by Fuentes this year after a <a href=\"https:\/\/blockclubchicago.org\/2025\/03\/17\/humboldt-park-neighbors-wary-of-health-clinics-proposed-move-to-residential-block\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">series of neighbor complaints<\/a>, including parking and traffic congestion. The alderperson said she\u2019s still committed to finding the company a new home in the area.<\/p>\n<p>Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HUMBOLDT PARK \u2014 A home health company has shared more details on its proposal for a new health&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290918,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[28,831,97,252,253],"class_list":{"0":"post-290917","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-care","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-featured","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-health-care","12":"tag-healthcare"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/290918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}