West Pullman is set to debut Chicago's first Kroc Community Center— a union of the Salvation Army mission and a McDonald's fortune. When Joan Kroc, widow of McD's founder Ray Kroc, passed away in 2003 she left $1.5B to the Salvation Army for growing its, well, army of rec centers across the land. Fifteen have been built thus far but this is the first to stake ground in Chicago, and its also the largest yet. Occupying 33 previously vacant acres, the 160,000 sf center has an indoor pool with loads of kid-centric waterworks, basketball courts, tennis courts, a snazzy gym, a golf training center, and football and baseball fields (all of it emblazoned with the SA logo). For non-sporting occasions, there's a 600-seat theater, recording studio, cafe, and classrooms. Preoccupation with health and fitness is nice and all, but this is also about jobs: the center will employ 65 full time and 185 part time staff when it opens June 16. [Crain's]
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