The Pullman Community Center is a 135,000-square-foot indoor sports, recreation, and education facility on Chicago's Far South Side — built on 12 acres that sat vacant for two decades at 103rd Street in the historic Pullman neighborhood. Developed by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI) and championed by 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale, the $20 million facility opened in 2018 as the largest indoor sports and recreation center on Chicago's South Side.

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zpd+a served as architect for the design-build team alongside Raffin Construction, developing the schematic plan and leading the City of Chicago Planning Department approval process — preparing the renderings, elevations, and zoning documents required to advance the project through regulatory review.

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The program includes three full-size indoor turf fields for baseball, soccer, football, and lacrosse; three hardwood courts for basketball and volleyball; four batting and pitching cages; 1,200 square feet of classroom space; and a flexible event space accommodating 400 or more people. The facility operates year-round, serving youth and adults across sports training, league and tournament play, after-school programming, college prep, and community events.

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The community impact has been immediate and measurable. The center serves more than 120,000 people annually and draws more than 2,000 visitors per week. The PCC's 5:30 Scholars program has facilitated more than $7 million in college scholarships for local high school seniors, whose average SAT score of 1437 reflects the program's academic rigor. A 130-plus college football scouts' combine has taken place at the facility, connecting South Side athletes with collegiate recruitment opportunities. Weekly healthy living programming, developed in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago, and recurring 9th Ward Resource Fairs connecting residents to healthcare and employment services have established the PCC as a year-round civic anchor — not just a sports facility. The center created 100 full- and part-time jobs, including positions through Chicago Creating Real Economic Diversity (CRED).

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For a neighborhood previously without a community center, the Pullman Community Center represents what civic-scale architecture can deliver when design, development, and community need align.