The Chicago City Council on September 23, 2026, approved a $10.5 million Community Development Grant for the Deeply Rooted Dance Center, a $20.9 million home for Black dance at 5339-45 S. State St. in Washington Park. Construction can begin now that the project holds a full building permit.
Key Takeaways
- The $10.5 million grant comes from the City’s Housing and Economic Development Bond and was championed by Mayor Brandon Johnson and Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd).
- The project budget has grown from a $15.6 million capital campaign launched in 2023 to $20.9 million today.
- In 2023, the City sold the two vacant parcels to Deeply Rooted for $1 each; the combined lots had been appraised at about $260,000.
- The 33,270-square-foot center will include six dance studios, a black box theater, a costume and set design shop, a library and resource center, and a rooftop garden.
- Toro Construction Corp. is the general contractor, and Johnson & Lee Architects designed the building.
- Deeply Rooted Dance Theater marked its 30th anniversary in 2026 after three decades without a permanent home of its own.
City Council Closes the Funding Gap on a Long-Planned Project
The Deeply Rooted Dance Center has been close to reality for several years. The City Council’s September 23 vote gives the project the largest single public commitment in its history. The $10.5 million Community Development Grant, first proposed by Mayor Johnson in July, is funded through the City’s Housing and Economic Development Bond and applied directly to construction costs.
The grant arrives as the project’s price tag has climbed. When Deeply Rooted launched its capital campaign in 2023, the goal was $15.6 million. According to the City’s planning department, the full project now stands at $20.9 million. That increase reflects the rising cost of building anything in Chicago, including a performing arts center designed for sprung floors, high ceilings, and theater-grade technical systems.
Ald. Pat Dowell, whose 3rd Ward includes the site, has long been one of the project’s steadiest supporters. Deeply Rooted leaders have described her as a hands-on advocate who helped the organization work through City processes when they stalled.
A $1 Land Sale Laid the Groundwork on South State Street
The Deeply Rooted Dance Center traces back to a 2023 land write-down. That year, the City Council approved the sale of two City-owned parcels at 5339-45 S. State St. to Deeply Rooted Dance Theater for $1 each. The combined .54-acre site had been appraised at roughly $260,000.
The site sits at the northeast corner of South State Street and East 54th Street, a stretch of the State Street corridor with vacant lots and long-deferred investment. Early public funding included a $5 million Chicago Recovery Plan grant, $3 million from the state’s Rebuild Illinois program, a $500,000 Together We Heal Creative Place grant from the City, and $2 million from the Mellon Foundation.
This month’s building permit clears the final regulatory hurdle. General contractor Toro Construction Corp. can now start work on the vacant lot. Deeply Rooted and the City have not yet announced an opening date.
Inside the Deeply Rooted Center for Black Dance and Creative Communities
The building, formally named the Deeply Rooted Center for Black Dance and Creative Communities, is designed as both a training facility and a neighborhood gathering place. Plans call for six dance studios, a black box theater for performances and rehearsals, a costume and set design shop, offices, meeting rooms, a library and resource center, and green space, including a rooftop garden available for community events.
Renderings by Johnson & Lee Architects show a large corner window wall, a statement mural, and textured concrete panels. The design is meant to make the building visible to people passing on State Street, not tucked behind blank walls.
Three Decades Without a Permanent Home
The funding milestone carries extra weight because of how long Deeply Rooted has waited. Co-founders Kevin Iega Jeff and Gary Abbott introduced Deeply Rooted Dance Theater to the public in the mid-1990s. Since then, the company has trained dancers, toured, and built a national reputation while working out of shared studio space in the South Loop.
The company celebrated its 30th anniversary season in 2026 with a performance at the Auditorium Theatre. Today it is led by artistic director Nicole Clarke-Springer and executive director Makeda Crayton, making Deeply Rooted one of the few major Chicago arts organizations co-led by two Black women.
The broader funding picture shows why a building of this kind has been hard to finance. A 2019 study, Mapping the Dance Landscape in Chicagoland, found that more than 56% of regional dance grant dollars went to three majority-white institutions, while non-white and ethnic dance groups received about 9%. A permanent, owned facility changes that math for Deeply Rooted. It gives the company a stable base for programming, rental income, and long-term fundraising.
What the Deeply Rooted Dance Center Means for Washington Park
For Washington Park, the Deeply Rooted Dance Center is part of a larger shift along the State Street corridor. The site sits across from the XS Tennis campus, which has its own hotel and residential development planned. Together, these projects are filling long-vacant land with cultural, recreational, and community uses.
The economic case goes beyond construction jobs. A working dance center brings students, families, audiences, and visiting artists to the neighborhood on a regular basis, and that foot traffic can support nearby businesses. For a South Side community with a deep cultural history, the building also carries symbolic weight as a permanent institution for Black dance, built and owned in the neighborhood it serves.
FAQs
Where is the Deeply Rooted Dance Center being built?
The Deeply Rooted Dance Center is being built at 5339-45 S. State St. in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood, at the northeast corner of State Street and 54th Street.
How much will the Deeply Rooted Dance Center cost?
The project is now budgeted at $20.9 million. The City Council approved a $10.5 million Community Development Grant toward construction on September 23, 2026.
What will the Deeply Rooted Dance Center include?
Plans include six dance studios, a black box theater, a costume and set design shop, a library and resource center, offices, meeting rooms, and a rooftop garden for community events.
When will construction begin on the Deeply Rooted Dance Center?
A full building permit has been issued, allowing general contractor Toro Construction Corp. to begin work. An opening date has not been announced.
What is Deeply Rooted Dance Theater?
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater is a Chicago-based Black dance company founded by Kevin Iega Jeff and Gary Abbott. It celebrated its 30th anniversary season in 2026.
