First round of community development grant funding announced for 2023 will support expansion and new construction of local businesses, mixed use developments, and nonprofit organizations
CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced today that twelve neighborhood businesses and nonprofit organizations are set to receive more than $27 million in Community Development Grants. Ranging from approximately $54,000 to $5 million, the grants will support neighborhood investments for local cooperative grocery stores, health centers, music education centers, and locally owned restaurants. Grants will be used to fund interior renovations, new construction, and other eligible costs.
“I’m thrilled to announce this year’s first round of community development grant awards that will ensure our city’s economic recovery while revitalizing our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “The recipients of these awards will bring much-needed grocery stores, office and retail spaces, and community hubs to neighborhoods across Chicago, expanding our residents’ access to nutritious food, healthcare, education, and job opportunities.”
The Community Development Grant program is part of Mayor Lightfoot’s Chicago Recovery Plan, the City’s $1.2B new investment strategy to enable Chicago’s economic recovery post-Covid. The program has committed more than $150M toward more than 170 projects across the city since the beginning of 2022 and leverages additional funding sources to better support catalytic growth. The grants are designed to support neighborhood vitality, economic development, community wealth building, public health, and local planning goals.
Funding sources include City of Chicago bond funds and proceeds from the Department of Planning and Development’s (DPD) Tax Increment Financing program.
“These grants are being strategically allocated through a competitive application process that considered multiple criteria, including community needs, project viability, team diversity, and other factors,” DPD Commissioner Maurice Cox said. “The selection process and the City’s ongoing technical assistance will collectively ensure these investments have a maximum impact at the neighborhood level.”
Recipients and grant amounts include the following:
|
Project Name |
Community Area (Ward) |
Description |
Funding Amount |
|
BandWith |
East Garfield Park (27) |
Adaptive reuse of an existing industrial building for a community performing arts center and youth music education non-profit organization. |
$5.0M |
|
Demera Ethiopian Restaurant |
Grand Boulevard (4) |
Adaptive reuse of an existing building for a ground floor restaurant with rooftop dining space, second floor office space, and second- and third floor residential units. |
$3.1M |
|
Revive 360 |
Woodlawn (20) |
Redevelopment of the Washington Park National Bank Building for Class A office and retail space, including co-working space and a food hall, and complete renovation of the historic façade. |
$5.0M |
|
Yellow Banana – Altgeld |
Riverdale (9) |
New construction of 10,000 SF grocery store. |
$4.87M |
|
Sunshine’s Place |
North Lawndale (28) |
Build out of a new restaurant in a currently vacant building in an INVEST South/West and Community Safety focus neighborhood. |
$54,375 |
|
Circle Foundation |
Bridgeport (11) |
Build-out of a new student-run café in an existing community center. |
$154,875 |
|
Chatham (6) |
Buildout of a micro-grocery co-operative. |
$239,826 |
|
|
Kilwins |
Hyde Park (4) |
Expansion of an existing chocolate and ice cream shop to include private outdoor patio space. |
$250,000 |
|
88 Plates LLC |
Uptown (48) |
Buildout of new Asian restaurant/café in recently vacated restaurant space. |
$156,750 |
|
La Catrina LLC |
East Side (10) |
Renovation of vacant property to create a new small banquet hall and event space. |
$250,000 |
|
Tapestry 360 Health |
Uptown (46) |
A new community health center to replace the current location, which will provide primary care, behavioral health, and dental services with expanded healthcare offerings and increased patient capacity. |
$3.8M |
|
IMAN Health Center |
Chicago Lawn (16) |
20,053 sf expansion to provide critical holistic healthcare services and further stabilize the 63rd/California intersection. |
$5M |
|
|
|
TOTAL |
$27.9M |
Applications for City financial assistance are currently being accepted by the DPD. Opportunities for funding include projects focused on business expansion, community development, community wealth-building, equitable transit-oriented development, and climate infrastructure improvements. The next application due date is Friday, Feb. 24th, 2023.
To apply or for more information, see the Chicago Recovery Plan web site.
