A shuttered school is transforming into a community hub.

Our Joanna Hernandez reports on a workforce center in Austin, bringing new opportunities to the West side neighborhoods.

Residents.

>> This or is this year actually the floor from lot of Tory motel over 100 years old also was important to keep some of the the elements of the school.

It was important to keep some of those elements, but we saw it as an opportunity to also.

>> Build off of that history.

Darnell Shields is one of the leaders behind the aspire workforce.

Innovation hub in Austin.

He described the center as a one-stop shop for the community.

It's a full-on collaboration between workforce development organizations.

>> Financial institutions, we have a legal center and the building.

>> The former entry school was one of 50 schools closed by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Chicago.

Public schools in 2013, the Westside Health Authority in Austin coming together, collaborated to redevelop the vacant school.

>> I love that my community stood up and said, hey, no more.

We have gain control.

And that's what they did.

And folks put together a Shields who grew up in Austin, gave us a tour of the space.

Right now.

We are on the second level of this public side of the space rice and mezzanine debt.

And here is where, know, it's more open access seeding.

You can come prop up again to do his own meeting with your laptop or so as well as smaller conference rooms that you can reserve in addition to offering workshops, the three-story building provides a variety of programs and resources to the community through different organizations.

>> One of the services provided by the Jane Addams Resource Corporation Operating Manufacturing training programs inside, ASPIRE Cedrick.

Webb is one of the participants was qualified free training program.

>> Somebody took the time invest in Allston.

Every time I come in, still in awe when I come out parking lot and use the key fob beginning in what jar or any other programs us in here.

This place can change a life.

>> The Austin neighborhood has a long history of disinvestment, but Shields says he's optimistic this initiative will open doors for local youth and adults.

Empowering them with career training and support.

>> It was a great intention with this development.

That's why the design of that is so grand.

It's a service to in because we wanted to make a point that no, we can break that cycle because she was the born and raised in Austin neighborhood.

Alyssa Sherman says.

>> Introducing something new and accessible to residents will start creating a new mindset will top out.

But they also don't think small.

>> The big think more.

His biggest possible, we can work towards a rather China Seo know that they can happen.

Now here no big, big so that when we can learn.

>> process is a new strategies to get to that level.

>> For Chicago tonight, I'm Joanna Hernandez.

>> The organization Austin coming together recently