Brandon Johnson joined city officials and community leaders Tuesday to break ground on a long-anticipated birth center on the South Side, a project aimed at expanding access to maternal health care and addressing long-standing racial disparities in birth outcomes.
The Chicago South Side Birth Center will be the first dedicated birth center on the South Side and the first nonprofit birth center in Illinois. Backed by city funding, the facility will transform a former church building at 8301 S. Shore Drive into a community-based reproductive health clinic featuring three birthing suites and on-site midwifery care.
Today, we come together to lay the foundation for healthier families and stronger support for our mothers, Johnson said at the ceremony. The gaps in maternal healthcare mothers in our city, particularly Black mothers, have faced are not new, they are the result of decades of disinvestment. Shaped by advocates with deep roots in the community who understand both what families need and what has long been lacking on the South Side, this center is a major step forward in our work to address health inequities while reaffirming our commitment to investing in the success and well-being of Chicago families.
The center is designed to provide a wide range of services, including prenatal care, childbirth services, postpartum support, lactation assistance, holistic reproductive health care, and wellness programming. Organizers say the facility is intended to serve as both a medical and community hub, offering education and support to families throughout the birthing process.
Jeanine Valrie Logan, founder and lead steward of the Chicago South Side Birth Center, said the project reflects years of community advocacy and planning.
This birth center represents what becomes possible when community vision and public partnership come together, Logan said. Families on the South Side have long deserved access to midwife-led care in our own neighborhoods, and today marks the beginning of a space built with and for this community.
The $7.4 million project includes $3.3 million in city funding through a Community Development Grant awarded by the Department of Planning and Development in May 2025. The funding is part of Johnsons $1.25 billion Housing and Economic Development bond program and will help cover construction, rehabilitation and landscaping costs.
City officials framed the project as part of a broader effort to invest in neighborhood infrastructure while addressing social and economic disparities.
"So much of what we do at the Planning Department is about community-wealth building and helping residents thrive in their own neighborhoods. So, its uniquely gratifying to support facilities like this because, fundamentally, health is wealth from birth and beyond," said Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright.
Advocates say the need for expanded maternal care on the South Side is urgent. Only four hospitals in the area currently offer maternity services, contributing to limited access to care and higher rates of maternal and infant morbidity. Black women, in particular, face disproportionately high risks during pregnancy and childbirth.
The birth center aims to address those inequities by providing culturally centered, midwifery-led care in a community-based setting. Organizers say this model can help build trust, improve outcomes and remove barriers such as transportation and access.
This birth center reflects what it means to respond to longstanding inequities in maternal and infant health with intention and care, said Carla Kupe, the citys chief equity officer. For too long, Black mothers and babies, particularly on the South Side, have navigated systems that were not designed with their safety, dignity, or lived experience in mind. By rooting care in community, trust, and cultural responsiveness, this space represents both repair and possibility and a meaningful step toward closing gaps that have persisted for generations.
Johnson also highlighted the personal connection he and his wife, Stacie Johnson, have to maternal health advocacy. The first lady, a former doula, has been involved in shaping the project, including participating in a 2024 roundtable that helped guide its development.
This work is deeply personal to not only me, but to my wife and First Lady, Stacie, Johnson said. As a former doula, Stacies care and advocacy for mothers extends past our own family, but to women across our city who need support throughout every step of the birthing process. I am blessed to experience her transcendent love for people every single day.
City leaders say the project reflects a broader strategy to use public investment to drive community development, create jobs and improve quality of life across Chicago neighborhoods.
Construction is expected to move forward in phases, with the birth center ultimately serving as a model for community-based maternal care in underserved areas.