Overton Center for Excellence

This closed elementary school awaits transformation into a business and technology incubator, led by Washington Park Development Group. The pending redevelopment will turn the landmark structure into the Overton Center for Excellence, a flexible office space for entrepreneurs and nonprofits focused in the areas of CHANGE (Climate, Health, Arts & Culture, Next Generation, Growth and Education). One of 50 schools shuttered in 2013, Anthony Overton Elementary, designed by Perkins & Will, opened in 1963 as a modern facility with three wings linked by striking glass-walled skywalks. The school's namesake was a prominent banker and businessman in Bronzeville, the first African American to lead a major business conglomerate. The school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Since 2017, Overton has been activated by Creative Grounds, an initiative led by Borderless Studio to explore just and equitable repurposing processes. In 2024, the Overton Exchange Public Outdoor Plaza was completed.