Cabrini-Green Projects

Where a tragic past festers into a bloody legend that demands a sacrifice.

Cabrini–Green Homes were a Chicago Housing Authority public housing project on the Near North Side of Chicago. At its peak, the complex was home to 15,000 people, mostly living in mid- and high-rise apartment buildings. The development experienced significant challenges, including high crime rates and building deterioration. "Cabrini–Green" became a metonym for problems associated with public housing in the United States. Beginning in 1995, the CHA initiated demolition of the mid- and high-rise buildings, with the final structure removed in 2011. Today, only the original two-story rowhouses remain. The neighborhood has undergone extensive redevelopment and gentrification, influenced by its proximity to downtown Chicago.

Quick Facts

Location: Chicago, Illinois (Near North Side)
Status: Demolished (final high-rise removed 2011); rowhouses remain

Lore & Background

It does state that in 1992, the horror film Candyman, set in Cabrini–Green, was released. The area known as "Little Hell" was initially inhabited by Swedish and later Irish populations, and by the early 20th century was referred to as "Little Sicily" due to a large Sicilian immigrant population. The Frances Cabrini Homes were completed in 1942, named for Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, an Italian-American nun. By 1962, the majority of residents in the full complex were African American. The physical deterioration of the buildings: boarded-up windows, paved-over lawns, broken lights left unrepaired, and fire-damaged apartments boarded up rather than restored. Gang activity was prominent, with individual gangs controlling specific buildings.

Reader's Guide

It states that demolition of high-rise buildings began on September 27, 1995. On December 9, 2010, the final building of the William Green Homes closed. On March 30, 2011, the last high-rise building at Cabrini–Green was demolished, accompanied by a public art presentation. Most of the Frances Cabrini rowhouses remain, though many are in poor condition or abandoned. A total of 150 Frances Cabrini Rowhouses, located south of Oak Street, north of Chicago Avenue, west of Hudson Avenue, and east of Cambridge Street, have been renovated and remain occupied. The area now includes a mix of market-rate and CHA-owned housing, forming a mixed-income community consisting of high-rise buildings and townhouses.

Did You Know?

From March 26 to April 19, 1981, Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne temporarily moved into Cabrini–Green to draw attention to crime in the area.
The television sitcom Good Times used exterior shots of Cabrini–Green in its opening and closing credits from 1974 to 1979.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the location still active today?

Historically, the Chicago Housing Authority demolished most of the high-rise structures between 1995 and 2011. However, some original two-story rowhouses remain on the Near North Side despite the fictional legend persisting in pop culture.

What happened to the buildings after the events of the story?

Most of the high-rise apartment blocks were torn down starting in 1995, with the final structure removed in 2011. Today, only the original two-story rowhouses remain standing on the site where the legend began.