Latent

wer Forty Acres Fresh Market

Project Description

Serving Chicago’s Austin Neighborhood with fresh produce deliveries since 2018, Forty Acres Fresh Market acquired a former Salvation Army on Chicago Avenue to expand its operations into a full-fledged grocery store. Latent worked with Liz owner of FAFM + their community development partner West Side Health Authority to design the new grocery store with a featured Bank tenant space that was ultimately filled by PNC. 

West Side Health Authority will also act as landlord for PNC Bank, a new tenant prominently featured on the Soul City Corridor in Austin.

Photos ©waznyvisual unless noted ©Latent.

Project Details

Date
2025
Location
Chicago, IL
Area
12,000 SF
Typology
Adaptive Reuse | Community Grocery
Client
Soul City Chicago
Client
Forty Acres Fresh Market
Client
Westside Health Authority

Partners

Structural - Rockey Structures, MEP - CCJM, Civil - Engage Civil, TGDA - Landscape, Grocery - Storemasters, Grocery - Retail Planit, IFF - Client Representative

Awards

  • Retrofit Award | Metal Architecture | 2025
Latent elevates the historical references, values + mission of Forty Acres Fresh Market by abstracting them into an iconic representation of 40 acres of crops utilizing inclined Morin Matrix Rainscreen panels by Kingspan to revitalize this adaptive re-use building. ©Latent

Project Gallery

The adaptive reuse of the old Salvation Army building at Waller St + Chicago Ave creates an impetus for continued corridor renewal.
Restoring the historical bowstring trusses. ©Latent
The exposed structure builds the design narrative inside the grocery store.
The renewed street presence of the grocery store communicates an established sense place.
“From a social infrastructure standpoint, a grocery store is part of the community. That’s community cohesiveness and social cohesion that makes the neighborhood better to live in.”

Liz AbunawOwner

  1. 1 Existing Conditions

    Former Salvation Army tied a new addition to a bowstring truss structure.

  2. 2 Chicago Avenue Presence

    Monumental Sign + Facade Study

  3. 3 Chicago Avenue Presence

    Integrating the Retail Tenant Facade

  4. 4 Facade Systems

    Typical Rainscreen

  5. 5 Facade Systems

    Vestibule Entrance w/ Steel Plate Canopy

  6. 6 Facade Systems

    Monumental Signage

  7. 7 Facade Systems

    Two Buildings in One | Bowstring Truss + Open Web Joist

ACTIVATING CHICAGO AVENUE
Facade Installation. ©Latent
“This isn't normal. I can't bank. I can't go to a grocery store. It's not a food desert it's food apartheid.”

- Liz Abunaw, Owner2020 Forbes Article

Entry with Mable the Mule + Backlit Signage. ©Latent
Standard Profiles ©Latent
Standard Colors ©Latent
DPD's Soul City Corridor Streetscape Improvements enhance CTA's Frequent Network Chicago Ave. Bus Route provides public transportation to a documented Food Desert.
Forty Acres architecture becomes legible in the produce aisle on Chicago Ave.
Latent structures reveal community equity.
Early morning semi food deliveries occur during golden hours while you were sleeping...
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Without large scale distribution supply community grocers cannot exist.
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Corridor reinvestment takes time and is worth the wait to facilitate systematic and lasting economic community change.
Discovery WalkNext Project