CBA-City Colleges Bus Tour Provides Insight on Economic Development Opportunities in 6th and 8th Wards

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by Lesley R. Chinn

With business construction poppingup on the south west corner of 87th andCottage Grove in the 6th Ward to aconstruction of a new South ShoreHigh School on 76th and Jeffery in the8th Ward, Aldermen Freddrenna Lyleand Michelle Harris concluded thatthere is a need for more economicdevelopment opportunities in theirrespective wards.

Through a partnership between theChatham Business Association (CBA)and City Colleges of Chicago, a bustour was hosted throughout the twowards last Friday to get some insightinto what areas need to be tapped intofor economic growth and job opportunities.

This tour, which somewhat mimickedone that the CBA hosted in partnershipwith Congressman Bobby Rush of theFirst Congressional District about twoyears ago, stopped between areas from71st Street to 95th Street from StateStreet to Jeffrey.

We have quite a few businesses inthe areaand we want to have thatpartnership where the businesses canwork with our young people anddevelop the entrepreneurial skills andcreate a corridor so that it representsthe businesses that are here, saidMelinda Kelly, CBA executive director.

Several propertiesincluding a tallvacant building on the southeast cornerof 78th and Cottage Grove; the formersite of Kennedy-King College on68th and Wentworth; and the formersite of Stony Island Food Market on83rd and Stony Islandwere justsome of the sites just to name a fewthat the tour highlighted that had possibilitiesfor potential redevelopment.

While there is a plethora of nail shops,fast food establishments, liquor stores,gas stations, grocery stores, and dollarstores, which are predominately notBlack-owned, some of the tour attendeesexpressed concerns for more varietyof businesses that they would liketo see in the community.

Years ago, there were Black-ownedfamily businesses up-and-down thesearterial streets, but when the mallscame in, they closed down, but recentlyweve seen a lot of young peoplecoming back going into business andits a very positive thing, said Ald.Lyle.

Ald. Lyle suggested to the CBA that itwould benefit them greatly if theycould obtain copies of city businesslicenses. From there, she thenexplained to them that letters should besent to these owners about their concernsabout how business should bedone in the community and how certainactions impact the neighborhoodand business districts.

They need to know that it is notacceptable so that it just wont be meand Ald. (Michelle Harris) fightingthis battle, said Lyle, while speakingof a new development that will takeplace on the southwest corner of 87thand Cottage Grove.

Some business leaders and CBA

members then asked what types ofbusinesses will the community support.In response, Lyle said that businesseslike Target and Nike are suitablechoices, however, she later saidthat they could work hand-in-handwith smaller businesses without completingshutting them down.

But before anything has to be builtand depending upon the size of thenew construction, Lyle and Harris saidthat the community is landlocked andother properties have to be torn downin some cases just to get started. Theysaid that it is costing some of thesebusinesses not to come here.

As the tour continued to 95th Street,Harris updated CBA members andother business supporters about developmentopportunities that included acharter school on 95th and CottageGrove operated by Trinity UnitedChurch of Christ. She said that whileTrinity is currently using the facilitythat was a previous site for the Houseof Kicks amusement park, they areplanning to build a charter school fromthe ground up to expand. However, shedid not specify a location, but did reiteratethat the Trinity needs a buildingfor expansion.

Embedded near a primarily residentialcommunity near East 93rd Street nearKenwood, Harris gave an update on A.Finkle and Company which is currentlyin a rehab process. It is a steel companybased in the Lincoln Park communitythat produced products forChrysler Durango. Currently, they have350 employees, but when they moveinto the community, an additional 150jobs will be created, according toHarris.

City Colleges Chancellor WayneWatson said he wants to start off withthe Chatham area for the partnershipbefore starting with other communitiesin Chicago for redevelopment and jobopportunities.

"Our interest is to work with theChatham Business Association to identifytheneeds of the business communityof Chatham and its citizens. Wewant to be one of the stakeholders thatwill help the Chatham business communityredefine itself to enhance itsbusiness opportunities.

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