WBC, Community Organizations and the Chicago Central Area Committee (CCAC) are Collaborating on a Commercial Corridor Revitalization Effort

On August 5, World Business in coordination with its community partners, kicked-off the corridor revitalization effort with a tour of select Chicago South and West side commercial corridors.

CCAC is a consortium of professionals engaged in urban planning projects. The CCAC team was introduced to a community-led effort to explore corridor revitalization by WBC’s Neighborhood and Strategic Initiatives (NSI) team. CCAC offered to build teams of professionals with specialties in law, design, architecture, real estate development, property title analysis and planning to support and enhance existing corridor revitalization plans for five retail corridors on the South and West sides of Chicago.

“CACC brings the best Chicago has to offer. It is exciting that this collaboration will bring about a more equitable distribution of resources,” said Kim Close, Little Village Chamber of Commerce.

NSI, which is focused on supporting business development in low to moderate income neighborhoods on the South and West sides of Chicago had been providing support to the community-led effort now entitled the Commercial Vacancy Coalition for the last few months. The CCAC corridor revitalization efforts are a spinoff project of that coalition.

“The CACC meeting and partnership represents a welcome sign of hope,” said Malcolm Crawford at Austin African American Business Networking and Association.

The tour featured the following community organizations and corridors:

  • South Shore Chamber of Commerce
  • 71st Street between Jeffery Avenue and Yates Boulevard
  • Little Village Chamber of Commerce
  • 26th Street between Karlov Avenue and Pulaski Road
  • Woodlawn Chamber of Commerce and Washington Park Chamber of Commerce
  • E. 61st Street between King Drive and Vernon Avenue
  • 51st Street Business Association
  • E. 51st Street between State Street and King Drive
  • Austin African American Business Networking Association
  • Chicago Avenue between Austin Boulevard and Central Avenue

General activities within parameters of this engagement include:

  • Analyze up to 50 property PINS within a commercial corridor (ownership, tax status, liens, zoning, etc.)
  • Make recommendations that support energy and modernization efforts
  • Prepare architectural renderings for potential improvements to storefronts, vacant property and redevelopment strategies
  • Prepare renderings for cohesive corridor design i.e. signage/neighborhood markers, streetscape elements, etc.
  • Make infrastructure recommendations (CDOT) i.e. sidewalks, traffic calming features, etc.
  • Research best and highest use for vacant parcels
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