The Record Track

10/09/2026

🌳 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: The Record Track Tree Planting Party! 🌱
Let’s come together to make South Chicago greener!

On Saturday, October 24, 2026, join us to plant trees for The Record Track and other South Chicago residents. We’re helping grow our neighborhood’s urban tree canopy and taking another step toward completing The Record Track’s outdoor community space.

📍 Meet at: 8353 S. Saginaw Ave
🕗 Time: 8:45 AM–1:00 PM
🌳 Everyone who can help is encouraged to sign up!

🌱 Register here: https://cerv.is/0254x3300
📧 Questions: [email protected]

Trees help beautify neighborhoods, provide shade, and support healthier urban environments. Just as importantly, projects like this bring people together to care for the places we call home.

Thank you to Openlands for its work supporting urban forestry and community tree planting. Visit and follow Openlands:
🌐 Website: https://openlands.org/

🌳 Help us grow a greener South Chicago—sign up, share the flyer, and invite a neighbor!

06/24/2026

From vacant lot to vibrant community space.

Construction has begun on a transformational project next to The Record Track.

For decades, this City-owned lot was filled with weeds, debris, and illegal dumping. Rather than allowing it to remain an underused property, we're working to transform it into a neighborhood asset featuring an outdoor gathering space, and community green space.

The goal is simple: create a safe, welcoming place where neighbors can gather, young people can learn, local musicians and artists can perform, families can connect, and nearby businesses can thrive.

This is about community development—not building a large entertainment destination. It's about creating an inviting public space that reflects the creativity, culture, and resilience of South Chicago.

We're grateful to Chicago Mayor's Office, Greg Mitchell 7th Ward Alderman, Senator Robert Peters, State Representative Kam Buckner, City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development, Institute for Justice, Greenwood Archer Capital, Firehouse Contracting, Wallin-Gomez Architects, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Trinity Christian College, The Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music, Audible Edge Music Group, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, SPIN Magazine, August Wilson House, Vanessa Bly Photography, Crystal Vance Guerra, our neighborhood businesses, churches, and everyone who helped move this vision forward. Your support has brought us to this exciting milestone.

The best is yet to come.

02/13/2026

Thank you for highlighting the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses and organizations. Record stores are more than retail—they’re gathering spaces where culture, history, and community stay alive through music. We’re grateful to be included among neighbors doing this work and encourage everyone to keep showing up, digging in, and supporting local well beyond February.

February is Black History Month and there’s no shortage of opportunities to support Black-owned businesses and organizations in the city. Here's our list of record stores and Douglass Park neighbors you can support this month and every month afterward.

01/28/2026

Doing Good Is Worth Doing Well.

On , we had the honor of working with socially driven students from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business who dedicated their time and talent to supporting The Record Track.

These students analyzed financials, revealed economic insights, and helped strengthen our path toward long-term sustainability. Thank you to Megan Cistulli, Shivam Jindal, Filipp Andrianov, William Sandy, and Dami Olonilua for your thoughtful and impactful work.

We are deeply grateful to Terrence Johnson, Laura Garcia Escarzaga, and Christopher Schneider of Greenwood Archer Capital, along with the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, for bringing us together.

This experience reinforced what stands for—service, leadership, and community impact.

12/16/2025

We’re proud to recognize Olivia Oostema, a senior business student at Trinity Christian College, for her outstanding consulting work with The Record Track.

Through the Trinity Christian College × Greenwood Archer Capital student consulting program, Olivia prepared a comprehensive consulting project that included financial models designed to support investment funding and provide meaningful projections for management decision-making.

Our sincere thanks to:
• Professor Sundeep Vira
• Trinity Christian College
• Laura Garcia Escarzaga and the team at Greenwood Archer Capital

This partnership reflects the power of education, mentorship, and community-based entrepreneurship.