Welcome to our e-newsletter, which highlights LISC Chicago’s Campaign for Stronger Neighborhoods. To date, our donors have committed $33.8 million toward the $40 million campaign goal to make communities stronger and healthier, including recent commitments from Wintrust Financial; The Robert R. McCormick Foundation; Urban Partnership Bank; and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. |
At City Club, Vasquez calls for ‘new vision’
Laying out a new vision for Chicago and its neighborhoods, LISC Chicago Executive Director Susana Vasquez used her October 16 speech at the City Club of Chicago to describe the “civic infrastructure” necessary to build a stronger city. Vasquez painted a clear-eyed picture of the challenges faced by organizations working to improve city neighborhoods, and acknowledged the hard work it takes to create change. But the heart of the speech was a focus on new methods and tools that build on road-tested programs by LISC and its community partners. Check it out... |
Shops & Lofts: Never give up
The completion of Shops & Lofts at 47, the apartments-over-Walmart complex on the southwest corner of 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, shows what can happen when a community gets organized, aims high… and never gives up. The development, nearly a decade in the making, is a reflection of the determination of the Quad Communities Development Corporation, which hatched the idea and hand-held it through a lengthy obstacle course that included the most serious economic downturn since the Great Depression. It's a case study in perseverance. Read all about it..... |
Cubs Charities Diamond Project a home run for neighborhood baseball
Eight community groups from around the city are getting funding and training to improve their youth baseball facilities thanks to $331,000 in grants awarded by Cubs Charities Diamond Project. LISC Chicago helped the Cubs develop a framework for the program, market the opportunity and select the eight applicants that best fit the project’s goals. The organizations are using their grants to purchase indoor equipment such as pitching machines, sliding mats and motorized, drop-down net batting cages. In September, the Cubs' head groundskeeper spoke at Wrigley Field to neighborhood representatives about turf maintenance and other matters. Here's what happened... |
Keeping it real
LISC’s partners, programs and ideas about neighborhood vitality were woven into this year’s UIC Urban Forum. Through panel discussions and presentations, it was evident that a new generation of city leaders with fresh ideas is making solid progress on tough urban challenges by rediscovering an old truth: neighborhood matters. Check it out... |
Businesses reap dividends of ‘special’ tax zones
Around the city, LISC is helping communities establish and run Special Service Areas to cover the costs of security, beautification and special events for local small businesses. The locally established taxing district allows them to impose a small property tax levy on themselves to fund additional services and cultivate more vibrant commercial districts. For business owners who now benefit from private security patrols, maintenance services and landscaping crews, SSAs have paid tangible dividends. Here's how it works.... |
Blight ‘squashed’ on Cottage Grove by Woodlawn Park partners
A groundbreaking for senior housing and a squash facility signals the next stage of a Woodlawn redevelopment fueled by POAH, LISC and their partners. The two projects at 61st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue are the latest phase of Woodlawn Park, one of the more ambitious and unusual community redevelopment efforts in the nation. The diverse, mixed-income community is the most visible of efforts that LISC Chicago has supported over the past few years in the wider Woodlawn neighborhood. Read all about it... |
Rubin speaks to campaign supporters
LISC's National Board Chair Robert Rubin was in Chicago on September 30th, when he met with leadership-level donors to LISC Chicago's Campaign for Neighborhoods. He spoke and facilitated a dialogue among the guests about how local, regional and national economies are affected by the health and strength of neighborhoods. See photos here... |
Donations of any size, from $10 to $10,000, will help LISC fulfill its mission. Designate Chicago LISC as the recipient of your donation. |
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