The city broke ground Thursday on Andersonville’s first pedestrian plaza, Elise Malary Plaza.
The plaza will host farmers markets, art installations, community events and greenery on part of Catalpa Avenue between North Ashland Avenue and Clark Street. It’s slated for completion next spring.
Its namesake, Elise Malary, was a local Black trans woman who worked to expand mental health care access and economic opportunity for all, especially the trans community, often through her work at the Chicago Therapy Collective.
“I look forward to this plaza completion, as it serves to bridge so many of our independent businesses to our community, and most importantly, all of us to one another,” Vasquez said. “In doing so, it brings us closer to the Chicago we believe in, in Elise’s name.”
Malary pioneered the #HireTransNOW campaign in Chicago, which tried to create pathways to jobs for trans people, who often face discrimination in the workplace. A CDC survey published in 2024 found 10% of trans women had been fired for being transgender while more than 32% had faced harassment for it.
Her work also included advocating for more inclusive and equitable city workplaces for trans workers; her work was cited in a recent report by a city commission making policy recommendations to reduce barriers for trans Chicagoans.
Malary was found dead in Lake Michigan in 2022 after family reported her missing six days earlier.
“While nothing can ever replace Elise’s presence in our lives, in our community, it brings us comfort to know her name and the impact that Elise made on so many lives will have a permanent place in this community,” said Fabiana Malary, Elise’s sister. “Elise dreamed of a world where everyone could belong and everyone could be accepted for who they are, and we hope that this plaza will stand as a symbol of that vision, where everyone is welcome.”
Two years ago, on what would’ve been Malary’s 34th birthday, the street where the plaza will sit renamed Honorary Elise Malary Way.
Channyn Lynn Parker, CEO of Equality Illinois, said dedications to people in the cityscape sometimes can “get lost to history,” and implored people to learn who Malary was so they could keep her legacy alive by carrying on her values.
“The thing about memorials is that they can sometimes trick us into believing that the work is done,” Parker said. “[But] Elise never asked to be remembered simply so we could look backwards. … We can keep going, to keep building communities where people are safe, to keep choosing one another, to keep making room for people to live freely, openly and fully. That is how we honor her.”