DEADLINE: Noon on Thursday, June 29, 2017 Application form: RTA Community Planning Program and CMAP Local Technical Assistance Program This application form is online at www.rtachicago.org/applications. You may submit the form by email to applications@rtachicago.org. Upon receipt of application, you will receive an e-mail verifying that your application has been received. 1. Name of Applicant City of Chicago, Department of Planning and Development Alderman Greg Mitchell, Ward 7 2. Main Contact for Application Name: Erika Sellke Title: Coordinating Planner Phone number: 312.744.9146 Email: erika.sellke@cityofchicago.org 3. Type of Applicant (please check any that apply) _X Local government Multijurisdictional group* Nongovernmental organization* Please list the members of the group (including government and nongovernmental organizations): Name of local government partner(s): *Applications submitted by multijurisdictional groups and nongovernmental organizations must include a letter indicating support from each relevant local government. See the FAQs for more information.
Nongovernmental applicants are strongly encouraged to contact CMAP or the RTA prior to submitting their application to discuss their project and the demonstration of local support. 4. Project Type (please check any that apply) Please check all statements below that describe characteristics of your project. X_ My project involves preparation of a plan. My project involves updating an already existing plan. My project helps to implement a past plan. X_ My project links land use, transportation, and housing. My project has direct relevance to public transit and supports the use of the existing transit system. My project is not directly related to transportation or land use, but implements GO TO 2040 in other ways. 5. Local Match Requirement (please initial to indicate you are aware of the local match requirements) I am aware that a local match will be required for most projects, and understand that if my project is selected it is up to the project applicant to contribute a local match. (See the program guide for further details on local match requirements.) X_ Yes, I understand that applicants will be required to contribute a local match. 6. Project Location Please provide a brief description of the location of your project. You may include a map if that helps to describe location, but this is not required. If your project helps to implement a past plan, please include a link to that plan. The planning process would focus on two of the commercial corridors in the South Shore neighborhood: East 75 th Street and East 79 th Street between Stony Island Avenue and the lakefront. 7. Project Description Please tell us what you would like to do in your community, and what assistance is needed. If you have more than one idea, please submit a separate application for each project. Please be specific, but also brief (less than two pages per project idea) we simply want to have a basic understanding of what you want to do. For plan updates please tell us how you will be building upon (or replacing) the previous work. Program staff will follow-up with you if we need any additional information to fully understand your proposed project. South Shore is a unique neighborhood in its many built and natural assets. The neighborhood is adjacent to Lake Michigan, and new lakefront paths and parks in the area have increased connectivity to the lake. It is also well-served by local and regional transit, including Metra and express CTA bus service. Older brick commercial and residential building stock gives the area a strong character. In addition, many historic buildings exist in South Shore including the New Regal Theater on 79 th Street and the South Shore Cultural Center. However, increases in commercial and residential vacancies throughout the South Shore neighborhood, particularly along the East 75 th Street and East 79 th Street corridors and adjacent blocks, have highlighted the need to develop a plan to stabilize the area. The Department of Planning and Development, with Alderman Mitchell, would like to work with CMAP through the LTA process to facilitate community engagement and develop an actionable plan that
focuses on land use, business retention, housing development and connectivity along East 75 th Street and East 79 th Street and adjacent blocks. Several recent and future programs and projects within the area have also necessitated community outreach and a planning process. The City s Retail Thrive Zone initiative makes available the Class 7 incentive which allows business or property owners making improvements to commercial property to lower their property taxes for the next five years, and up to ten with a renewal. East 79 th Street between South Cregier Avenue and South Coles Avenue has been designated a Retail Thrive Zone. Also focused on commercial improvements, the City s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund program provides funding for businesses and cultural organizations that improve or expand their sites and strengthen commercial corridors. Both East 75 th Street and East 79 th Streets are eligible corridors. In fact, two organizations along East 75 th Street, Sisters in Cinema and The Quarry Event Center, have recently been awarded grants through the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund to rehab or expand their locations. A plan would help guide funds to appropriate, community-supported locations and businesses moving forward. Future projects in the area, including the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park and the golf course renovation at Jackson Park and the South Shore Cultural Center will increase visitors to South Shore. A plan must be in place before they open to best leverage economic development opportunities that may arise from these new projects. Completing community outreach and a plan today can prioritize the needs and the wants of the community so they can best respond to any future proposals, be they commercial or housing. Given the existing neighborhood assets and the recent programs and future projects in the area, performing community outreach and developing a plan for South Shore with CMAP would stabilize and strengthen the housing and commercial markets, and guide future City funding and private development. The South Shore plan would further advance CMAP s GO TO 2040 plan, particularly the section on Livable Communities, by working with the community to outline goals for land use, business retention, housing development and connectivity. 8. Previous Plan Implementation Efforts Please describe actions you have taken to implement previous plans in your community whether your efforts were successful or not to achieve infrastructure improvements, development investment, policy changes, advocacy, volunteer involvement, or other actions. If you do not have experience implementing previous planning work, please describe what you will do to make sure that your plan is implemented. Illustrating a commitment to implement plan recommendations is very important to both agencies as we consider new planning projects. In May 2017, the Chicago Plan Commission approved a framework plan for the North Branch Industrial Corridor that was completed by the Department of Planning and Development. Included in the framework plan were specific actions for implementation. An ordinance for proposed zoning text and zoning map changes was introduced to the City Council on June 28, 2017. This is an example of the Department focusing more on actionable planning projects that demonstrate clear outcomes to the community. 9. Additional Strategic Partnerships Please list any additional partners you may want to include in this planning project. Please specify if you have made contact with them in advance of submitting this application.
In addition to Alderman Mitchell, DPD would want to work closely with local community groups, SSAs and block clubs. We have not made contact with the local community as of yet. (Please include any additional information that is relevant, preferably by providing links to online documents.)
YATES BLVD LAKE MICHIGAN Cheltenham 71ST ST Stony Island Bryn Mawr South Shore L MIC 75th St 75TH ST SOUTH CHICAGO AVE Windsor Park CHICAGO SKYWAY EXPY 79th St 79TH ST ELLIS AVE WOODLAWN AVE 90 JEFFERY BLVD EXCHANGE AVE BRANDON AVE 87th 83rd St South Shore LTA Application Map Key Proposed Planning Area Interstates Metra Line & Station Bike Lanes STONY ISLAND AVE Land Use Residential Mixed Use (Residential + Commercial) Commercial Public Facilities + Institutions 83RD ST Industrial + Manufacturing Transportation + Utility Parks and Open Space Vacant Land 83rd St NORTH Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning s 2010 Land Use Inventory for Northeasetern Illinois, Version 1.0. Published: December 2014. Map information is not appropriate for, and is not to be used as a geodetic, legal, or engineering base. Map information has no legal basis in the definition of boundaries or property lines and is not intended as a substitute for surveyed locations such as can be determined by a registered Public Land Surveyor. 87th St