As we continue construction as part of the ongoing transformation of the former St. Laurence Elementary School into an incubator for the arts and creative entrepreneurship, we were delighted to welcome a group of alumni to experience the space again for the first time since the school was shuttered in 2002. This summer, former students, teachers and family members gathered to share memories, friendship and memorabilia from their time as young students at the primary school. Many of the alumni - including the school's beloved former lunch lady - still live in the neighborhood and hold fond souvenirs and impressions of their time at the school. Back in May, we celebrated the historic groundbreaking of the former St. Laurence Elementary School. Through the incubator, we hope to increase access to social, cultural and financial capital for arts and creative entrepreneurs on Chicago’s South Side. The emerging incubator will breathe new life into this treasured asset and become our largest renewal project to date. St. Laurence will offer the South Side over 40,000 square feet of artist studios, makerspace, creative entrepreneurship classrooms, a host of culinary and hospitality seminars, an archive laboratory and more. This tour demonstrates that placemaking is also rooted in placekeeping, both before and after the transformations and reactivations that take root at these sites. It is evident that the histories and memories contained within a space are as important to the active preservation of our communities as the physical and architectural conservation efforts. We are grateful to our partners and supporters at @mellonfdn, @clayco_inc, @crg_real_estate, @chicagosmayor, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Builder’s Initiative, Jennifer and Alec Litowitz, @macfound, @miamifoundation, @wallacefdn, @artsallianceil, and Powers and Sons, for helping us move this project forward for our neighbors and creative communities on the South Side.