Thread by @bylaurenfitz

In 2013, Mayor @RahmEmanuel said the buildings left after shuttering 50 schools would be reborn as community assets. Ten years later, we wondered, "Were they?" SO we walked the grounds, talked to neighbors and dug into documents. Here's what we learned: graphics.suntimes.com/education/2023…

You'll read about a variety of results- what sold vs what didn't, nonprofit vs for profit, CPS vs CHA. But what mattered to us — and to neighbors - was whether these buildings were returned to use or sitting doing nothing? We found that *more than half* are not useful.

That's what neighbors of these buildings have been living with for a decade. Progress has moved at a snail's pace and more than a dozen buildings still have no plans on them at all, public or private.

#tellEWA -- series is being reported by me, fellow @EdWriters @NaderDIssa @SSKedreporter (editor) @KateGrossman1 plus @AldenLoury

Some examples of #closedschool outcomes: Henson Elementary is city-owned, but vacant and dilapidated graphics.suntimes.com/education/2023…

Here's Mays Elementary, one of the few #closedschools actually returned to community use: graphics.suntimes.com/education/2023…

Key School is now the @the_fieldschool "A Diverse, Classical, Christ-Centered School on the West Side of Chicago" : graphics.suntimes.com/education/2023…

Songhai and Yale were sold in 2017 to @VlvDevelopment. But no progress is visible. When @SSKedreporter and I walked around Songhai, the weeds out front came up to my chest. Yale's neighbor cedillosfreshproduce.com told us stolen cars end up dumped in the parking lot around back.

I was on the ground in 2013, next to @SSKedreporter AND our project editor @KateGrossman1. But am *super grateful* to have learned TONS about property records meanwhile working with @tnovaksuntimes @Suntimes to have sorted through this long list.

Because if you read through #CPSboard reports you'd be under the impression more of these buildings sold than actually did. And the contact on the board report didn't always tell the whole story of the current owner.

Anyway more chapters to follow in the coming weeks. We'd still like to check in with you, @RahmEmanuel.

@SSKedreporter outside Overton with grandmother and activist Irene Robinson

Here's Garrett Morgan, tucked into a park, windows and windows. Neighbors who'd graduated decades who told us all about the namesake Black inventor who gave us the TRAFFIC LIGHT and GAS MASK. @NaderDIssa