The Uptown Decarbonization Buildings Collaborative
Who are we?
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.
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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:
Sarah's Circle
Sarah's Circle is a nonprofit based in Chicago dedicated to assisting unaccompanied adult women experiencing homelessness since 1979. Through their four programs – the Daytime Support Center, Interim Housing Program, Permanent Supportive Housing Program, and Rapid Rehousing Program - they offer comprehensive services to 700 women in need annually. Sarah’s Circle operates 141 units of permanent supportive housing in Chicago.
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Sustainable Initiatives:
As of 2021, Sarah’s Circle installed a commercial dishwasher in the DSC Kitchen and implemented a recycling program for the DSC. Future plans include replacing current equipment/appliances with more efficient equipment and considering community solar, a local solar facility shared by multiple community subscribers.
“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