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It's hard not to love Chicago's MacArthur Foundation because even when they cut funds for something you cherish, they continue to support tons of other amazing services, community programs, and on and on. The newest rabbit with a hat up its sleeve is a boatload of money for sixteen ailing Chicago neighborhoods the Local Initiatives Support Corporation* is concentrating on with its New Communities Program.
In what someone (but who?!) calls "the nation's largest community and economic development effort" the foundation more than doubled its first $21 million investment, this time offering up $26 million for the neighborhoods, which include Chicago Lawn, East Garfield, Englewood, Humboldt Park, Little Village, Logan Square, North Lawndale, South Chicago and Pilsen, among others.
The city has spent the initial funds have been spent on keeping families in their homes despite redevelopment, street festivals, establishing commercial areas in some communities and myriad other things. It really does seem that what's been done with the money is fairly straightforward — allocating funds for community groups who can reccommend best what the area needs and then implement the changes.
Call us cynical (which we know is the least of what you'll call us), but we still have a few questions. Maybe it's because everything sounds so good — to the point that part of the mission seems to be guarding neighborhoods against gentrification. A closer look at the New Communties mission gets us a little excited, because the idea of people determining what their community is instead of being told is positive. We do hope that everyone in these "struggling" communities knows about their chance to be a part of keeping it interesting. Sometimes people just need a little nudge out of the door.
*Thanks Laura!
Image via The Methods Reporter.
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RE: the image used for this story - I wasn't aware that Wicker Park was an "endangered neighborhood" (that mural is at Hoyne and Division).
Logan Square isn't really an ailing neighborhood. Good Restaurants, New Homes, Pleasant Neighbors, and relatively cheap cost of living compared to the Lincoln/Wicker Park communities. I invested $350K for a home there, and there are a lot of nicer places going for more.
"The city has spent the initial funds have been spent on keeping families in their homes despite redevelopment, street festivals, establishing commercial areas in some communities and myriad other things."
How exactly do redevelopment, street festivals, and establishing commercial districts drive people out of their homes?
I would call Logan ailing. It's in danger of losing more of its identity to the likes of other folks who can afford $350k for a roof over their heads.
The neighborhood as is, definitely is in danger of changing (more) drastically & bending to large development companies & businesses.
One of the successes of the MacArthur program allowed the Logan Square Neighborhood Association to help "54 families keep their homes in the face of redevelopment plans."
I think that's helping cure what I see to be ailng Logan Square!
I would call Logan ailing. It's in danger of losing more of its identity to the likes of other folks who can afford $350k for a roof over their heads.
The neighborhood as is, definitely is in danger of changing (more) drastically & bending to large development companies & businesses.
One of the successes of the MacArthur program allowed the Logan Square Neighborhood Association to help "54 families keep their homes in the face of redevelopment plans."
I think that's helping cure what I see to be ailing Logan Square!
How exactly do redevelopment, street festivals, and establishing commercial districts drive people out of their homes?
I am no expert! And I mean this.
Redevelopment is pretty obvious. And street festivals are a reflection of a neighborhood by having local businesses & eateries in every booth. This generally comes after a boom in the commercial district.
And a boom in (presumably) new commerce means mom & pop places get displaced, former residences are torn down to put in a shiny new Chipotle, etc.
Displacement, displacement, displacement. It's not like neighborhoods are empty lots just waiting for someone to slap up a three-flat. Something has to give.
I think investing in what exists is healthier for the integrity of the neighborhood than encouraging all new.
just my interpretation, y'all.
LISC is the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (not Local Initiatives Support Organization!)
pedantic, I know, but still.
Also, it's amazing how long it takes for any neighborhood efforts to get any sort of attention in the mainstream news. LISC and Camiros started this over 3 years ago!
This blog is hilarious. You all moved from the suburbs to live in the nicest areas of the city, then decry people who buy homes as ruining the neighborhoods character. What do you think you did when you moved here? Just because you rent doesn't mean the demographics aren't changing.
If Wicker Park hadn't been made nice through real estate investment you would all be debating which of you has the nicest townhome in Downers Grove. Take a look around when you get home tonight. Anything been remodeled in the past 10-15 years? I thought so.
I'll bet no one contributng to this blog (reader or blogger)lives in public housing, or ever has or ever will. The only problem with gentrification is the suburb idiots it brings in to live here, who then decry it despite enjoying its many advantages. Just look at the restaurant reviews posted here.
I would have to agree with Leah. The point of the monies, at least from the articles in the Trib, etc., seem to be to give monies to communities to allow for the families who currently live there, to continue to do so. Obviously Logan Square is gentrifying - hence the "lots of nicer places going for more" than $350k. The point is to keep the neighborhoods affordable and non big-boxed - for lack of a better term (and not to start a whole other argument) so that Chicago doesn't become one big lame-o Lincoln Park.
@I like Spaghetti:
Whaaaa! I haven't lived in public housing so I'll never "understand"! Whaaa!!! I'm not born and raised in Chicago city limits, therefore I have zero right to ever criticize anything! Whaaa! I need to go back to "Downer's Grove" or wherever it was I came from! Whaaa!
I ain't complaining about gentrification.
5...4...3...2...1...and...
This blog is hilarious. You all moved from the suburbs to live in the nicest areas of the city, then decry people who buy homes as ruining the neighborhoods character. What do you think you did when you moved here? Just because you rent doesn't mean the demographics aren't changing.
If you had taken the time to actually read Alicia's post, you would have seen that she wasn't decrying people who buy homes.
And she doesn't live in Wicker Park. I've been to her house. It's not nice at all! (Sorry Alicia).
That's actually true. I live in a dumpy storefront in Rogers Park. Booyah!
"I would call Logan ailing. It's in danger of losing more of its identity to the likes of other folks who can afford $350k for a roof over their heads.
The neighborhood as is, definitely is in danger of changing (more) drastically & bending to large development companies & businesses.
One of the successes of the MacArthur program allowed the Logan Square Neighborhood Association to help "54 families keep their homes in the face of redevelopment plans."
I think that's helping cure what I see to be ailng Logan Square!"
Logan Square used to be an upscale upper middle class to wealthy WHITE neighborhood, and was that way until the early to mid 70's. THAT is Logan Square's identity. It was dragged kicking and screaming into decline first by the Polish invasion and the Poor-torican one that followed it.
The exact same thing is true, I might add, of Humboldt Park.
Look at the buildings: We're not talking Bridgeport or Pilsen here. These were NEVER intended to be low-income neighborhoods.
All that is happening is that they are in the process of going back to what they used to be. I would hardly call that ailing. If anything, I would call that healing.
Was "displacement" bad when middle class white families had their neighbohood overrun with Polskis and Puertoricans?
http://www.bigfatwhale.com/archives/bfw_306.html
Sometimes i can't even figure out where i am because these places look so different. It's hard to watch starbucks open up across the street from cool coffee houses like it did in wicker park. I've noticed that people in real estate actually promote these areas to yuppies by saying they are artsy and boho. There's no need to move to logan square or the ukraine village because you will only be pushed out of ther to. I remeber when white proffesionals where afraid to go over western. Those were the days.