Hazel Crest Creative Arts Center

In 2023, the village of Hazel Crest residents voted by referendum to establish a Creative Arts District in the historic downtown area. The project aims to revitalize the downtown area, reusing a vacant retail building and introducing a space where artists can share their talents and novices can tap into new skills.

Work is underway in creating this vibrant, creative community facility. The project involves the adaptive reuse of a vacant retail space located at 170th Street & Dixie Highway by transforming the former Higgins Plaza into a hub for artistic creation, emphasizing a distinct part of the village’s history and contributing to the overall plans for an Arts District. 

The first phase included a facade revitalization, lighting, a garden with native plants and walking path where art exhibits, musical performances and retail pop-ups have taken place. As work continues into the next phase, the 7,400-square-foot facility interior build-out will create a downtown anchor for Hazel Crest, setting the artistic stage for long-term growth and creating opportunities for creativity and community engagement. It is envisioned as a flexible space for different artistic disciplines, such as dance, painting, ceramic and gallery space, followed by streetscaping and wayfinding signage.

For information on upcoming events, check out the calendar at VillageofHazelCrest.org.