Finished by the late 1950s, Stateway Gardens was plagued by a large amount of gang violence, organized crime, and drug abuse.

The area gradually became more neglected and underserved by city authorities and the Chicago Police Department which led to mass abandonment and urban decay.

[3][4] The federal government created Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (known as HOPE VI) in 1993 as a way to provide funds for cities to demolish dilapidated public-housing units and replace them with mixed-income communities.

In 1987, federal officials seized control of all Chicago Housing Authority holdings and property amid allegations of corruption and graft.

[1] The building was finally demolished in June 2007, making way for Phase 1 of the mixed income development Park Boulevard, half of which was already completed prior to the demolition and resident relocation processes.