A new outdoor space for culture and entertainment is coming to the Belmont Cragin neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side.

Officials broke ground Tuesday on La Placita, a project to transform the plaza at Grand and Fullerton avenues.

"We're finally going to activate this corner," Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) said.

Villegas said the project to renovate the plaza is four years in the making. The underutilized lot will be transformed into a vibrant neighborhood gathering space. 

"There really isn't like an epicenter in our neighborhood where people can go to and know that things are happening. So, this is really that go-to," said Jason Estremera, executive director of the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation.

Estremera said the new space will provide a pergola, raised stage for cultural programming, and grassy area for people to enjoy.

"One of the things about Belmont Cragin is we have the lowest green space per individual in the city. So that's really burdensome, when you're talking about a population of a little over 80,000 folks," he said.

Officials said the space also will provide access to food trucks and street vendors.  

The organization worked closely with Villegas' office to identify the site and develop a vision to activate and maintain it as a gateway to the Belmont Cragin community.

"There's so much rich cultural tradition and talent, musically and artistically, that we're hoping the plaza will be a gathering space to share all those different cultural traditions," said Kelly Pyzik, grants and communication manager at the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation.

La Placita in Belmont Cragin is the first of three new plaza improvement projects for the Chicago Department of Transportation. Construction will begin this year.

It's part of the city's efforts to expand and enhance public spaces across Chicago.

"A lot of the work here that you're going to see in construction coming in the forward months are going to echo the symbols and meaningful elements of the community culture," said CDOT managing deputy commissioner Vig Krishnamurthy.

La Placita is expected to be finished in the spring of 2026.

In addition to La Placita, CDOT will soon begin construction on plaza improvement projects in the Pilsen and Wicker Park neighborhoods.