Neal & Leroy Provides Legal Counsel for New After School Matters Orleans Teen Center in Cabrini-Green

Neal & Leroy is proud to announce its role in the successful completion of the After School Matters Orleans Teen Center in the Cabrini-Green community on the Near North Side. The firm provided comprehensive legal services for the transformational project, which was celebrated at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by city and state officials on November 8, 2025.

The $5 million City-backed project transformed a former Catholic school building into a state-of-the-art youth programming center that will provide approximately 2,100 Chicago teens with paid out-of-school time opportunities annually. The Orleans Teen Center features purpose-built spaces including a culinary kitchen, black box theater, dance studio, gymnasium, skilled trades lab, innovation lab and outdoor urban gardening space.

“We are honored to have supported After School Matters in bringing this vital community resource to fruition,” said Langdon Neal, Managing Partner at Neal & Leroy, who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. “This project represents the best of what's possible when legal expertise, community vision, and public-private partnership come together to create lasting impact for Chicago’s youth.”

Neal & Leroy provided legal services throughout the project, including site selection and negotiations, purchase and sale work and land use and zoning services. The firm’s comprehensive approach helped navigate the complex requirements necessary to transform the historic building into a modern youth development facility.

The Orleans Teen Center joins After School Matters’ three other teen-dedicated facilities across Chicago and will serve as a crucial gathering space for youth development providers throughout the city. The project created 150 construction jobs and met the City’s requirements for resident hiring and minority- and woman-owned business enterprise participation.

Top: After School Matters Orleans Teen Center; Bottom: November 8, 2025 ribbon cutting ceremony