On April 23rd, The Community Builders (TCB), along with Mayor Brandon Johnson and city, state, community, and project partners, celebrated the grand opening of the Sankofa Village Wellness Center (SVWC), a new community health and wellness hub addressing health inequity and catalyzing future reinvestment in West Garfield Park.
Recent studies have found that life expectancy is 20 years lower in West Garfield Park as compared to Chicago’s more affluent downtown communities only a few miles away. This “death gap” results from conditions including insufficient access to quality health care, economic opportunity, and quality foods.
“Through our investments we are building the local infrastructure needed to ensure every resident, no matter their ZIP code, has access to the resources and services they need to live healthy, prosperous lives,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Here on the West Side, Black Chicagoans continue to experience higher rates of preventable diseases and lower life expectancy rates. That’s why today’s opening is such an important moment for this community, in addition to its medical services, this center will serve as a neighborhood anchor with community spaces, fitness facilities, and a gathering space for young people.”
The vision for SVWC began in 2019 when faith leaders, Rush University, community organizations, and The Community Builders came together with a simple, but urgent mission: improve health and quality of life in Garfield Park. From there the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative (GPRWC) was born and the effort to build the center began. In 2022, SWVC was a co-recipient of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation’s prestigious “Chicago Prize” award. Ultimately, the Collaborative, TCB, and community partner, the MAAFA Redemption Project, secured over $44 million in funding.
“This ribbon cutting is about more than a building. It is a statement of collective belief that where you live in Chicago should not determine how long you live or how far you can go,” said Will Woodley, senior vice president of real estate development for The Community Builders. “The Sankofa Wellness Center will directly save and improve lives. This center exemplifies what can happen when community, expertise, finance, and commitment come together.”
The three-story, approximately 60,000-square-foot community-built hub brings health care, prevention, and wellness services together under one roof. SVWC will serve approximately 6,000 patients annually and will also offer community spaces designed for everyday well-being, including drop-in childcare, an indoor gymnasium and walking track, a fitness center, and space for screenings, primary medical care, and reproductive, behavioral, dental health services, and a credit union. The development will also support economic opportunity through workforce and community programming and job creation.
“At Erie, we believe that everybody has the right to high-quality healthcare and deserves to live their healthiest life,” said Lee Francis, President and CEO of Erie Family Health Centers. “Erie Sankofa Village Health Center is an investment in the people of West Garfield Park.”
Tenants include Erie Family Health Centers, Equal Hope, Rush University Medical Center, West Side United, the YMCA, and the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative. SVWC began construction in summer of 2024 and opened its doors to its first patients in early 2026.
“The word Sankofa teaches us that we must reach back to move forward. In healthcare that means remembering that it is always better to address the causes of disease, not just the symptoms. And, especially, it means remembering that healing begins in communities, not just in hospitals or clinics,” said Dr. Omar Lateef, President and CEO of Rush University System for Health and Rush University Medical Center. “Community residents, churches, community organizations, clinics, and hospitals working together can build a shared future where everyone gets the chance to be healthy.”
The grand opening capped a week of community activities as part of “Wellness Week,” including a ribbon cutting, open house, and daily opportunities for residents to learn about and access highlighted services. Community members and partners gathered at the center to mark this milestone and the continued revitalization of the Madison-Pulaski corridor.
For additional images and media information contact jesse.migneault@tcbinc.org at The Community Builders, 857-221-8661