2. ~Commerce was the glue to the community and
diversity of income and occupation marked each
neighborhood
~Ebony Magazine, Soft Sheen, The Chicago
Defender, The Supreme Life Insurance Company
~Culture and Arts Flourished
~Even though public housing have all been torn
down, there’s still this very established
perception that this is the site of some of the
worst crime and poverty in the city. The process
of redevelopment has been a slow and stubborn
process. It’s attractive to affluent African
Americans, but it hasn’t attracted other
demographic groups.
3. • Bronzeville began to decline in the 60’s and 70’s
• Placement of large numbers of publicly subsidized housing
• Local businesses lost many customers to well-capitalized
downtown and suburban competitors that were newly opening
their doors to black patrons
• Decreased access to opportunity-rich communities west of
Bronzeville, due to the building of the Dan Ryan Expressway,
which acted as an effective barrier
• The overall decline of the Chicago economy including, the
intense difficulties of two major Southside industries, the stock
yards and steel mills
4.
5. Changing/Breaking the Cycle
of Poverty
• Prioritize school involvement
get involved in your local school council
• Family Structure (It takes a community to raise a
village)
Hold your community accountable for creating
less than dynamic environments.
Educate those who don’t know or understand
• Provide jobs to the community by bringing
commercial development to the neighborhood
• Identify new blood and young leaders to run for
elected offices and change the politics of Chicago
as we know it. All systems are broken.
6. Neighborhood Business Development Center as defined by the City of Chicago.
We provide assistance to businesses by connecting them to:
• City Incentive Programs like the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF),
Tax Increment Financing (TIF), TIF Works and Streamlined TIF
• Financial Resources
• Networking Opportunities
• Area Wide Marketing Initiatives
• Technical Assistance for (trouble-shooting) city-related issues for small businesses
• Provider for two Special Service Areas (SSAs).
• Learn more about Chicago’s SSA Program, and click here to learn more about SSA#47
and SSA#56, both managed by QCDC.
