The Uptown Decarbonization Buildings Collaborative
The Uptown Decarbonization Buildings Collaborative is a grassroots group of neighborhood organizations united by a shared goal to make our buildings net-zero emissions by 2035.
Collectively, we own and control 13 buildings in the Uptown community which represent a range of mixed-use typologies (commercial office, retail, places of worship, and K-12 educational) as well as 768 units of housing. ​
As a part of our mission, The Uptown Decarb Collaborative prioritizes sustainability through community care and affordability with roughly ¾ of our housing units being affordable, either through subsidy or as naturally-occurring affordable housing.
Meet the Collaborative:
Uplift Community High School
Twenty-five years ago, parents across Chicago initiated a movement to secure a quality education for their children. Through their collective efforts, Uplift was established as a college preparatory program rooted in the community. Its mission was to instill in students a sense of responsibility for effecting positive change locally and globally.
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Sustainable Initiatives:
Uplift stands out as a Sustainable Community School, 1 of only 20 in the city of Chicago. They launched an Environmental Pathway Program in January 2024, offering students Truman College credits and summer internships so that by the time they graduate they will have two years of college credits.
“We joined the Collaborative in the fall of 2021 because we were interested in receiving grants for the improvement of our buildings. We were connected to the Neighborhood Power Project and received a grant from the IL Green Alliance that allowed us to retrofit interior and exterior lighting and install smart thermostats in our two buildings. These improvements had a positive impact on our facilities' operations. We saw the ease of making changes and became more aware of the environmental impact for the women in our buildings.” ​
-Sarah's Circle
Decarbonization at the GreenRise
The eight-story Chicago landmark, and home of the ICA, the GreenRise, addresses environmental challenges but also economic and equity concerns for sustainability efforts. This historic building includes over a hundred affordable housing units while also serving as a local nonprofit hub.
Some of the main sustainability initiatives undertaken by the ICA have been a 150Kw rooftop solar array which provides about 25% of the building’s electricity consumption during summer and an even larger portion during other seasons.
The ICA has made improvements to the building's envelope and its insulation to increase the portion of electric demand that is produced on-site. The GreenRise's decarbonization journey has also included retrofits such as lighting adjustments, high efficiency boilers, electric chillers, and more.
4750 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60640773 769 6363 x 335