Quad Communities Development Corporation - Latest news

NEW VIDEO: From Civil War to Civil Rights and Beyond

11/4/2009, 4:32 PM

Monday, November 2, 2009

Lisa Glass

Tour the Black Metropolis, a corridor rich with the cultural history of African-Americans in Chicago. The Quad Community neighborhoods of North Kenwood, Oakland, Douglas and Grand Boulevard are home to famous artists, poets and musicians. Visit the the Chicago Blues Museum and then take a spin by Little Black Pearl Workshop, where talented kids blossom into full fledged stars. As you continue your stroll, you’ll hit barricades, of hope not despair: They signal the home of Quad Communities' most famous neighbor — President Barack Obama, who lives at 51st and Greenwood.

You can also view a photo slideshow version of the presentation narrated by QCDC's own Lisa Glass.

Connect 4

11/2/2009, 11:10 PM

Monday, November 2, 2009

Lynn Kardasz

On Saturday the same venue, The Gabriela, located at 4315 S. Cottage Grove, opened its doors to the community to view a visual art exhibit, sample food from local eateries, hear a host of guest speakers expanding on topics such as community and retail development and an opportunity to shop at neighborhood businesses by way of a free trolley. QCDC has embarked upon many projects throughout the four communities including new murals, planters, banners, acorn lighting, bike racks and the weekly Bronzeville Community Market.

Through its partners, QCDC provides technical assistance to local business owners, helping them sustain and grow their businesses. In the fall of 2009, QCDC, along with the City of Chicago will open a neighborhood park on 43^rd Street, creating warm and welcoming space for community residents.In addition, QCDC works with Dyett High School and Chicago Botanical Gardens to create Dyett’s Green Youth Farm and spearheads the innovative Elev8 program at Reavis Middle School which provides creative after school programming and integrated services for its students.

The Connect 4 Event also served as a catalyst to relaunch CG43, the Cottage Grove Retail Association under its new name, United Bronzeville Businesses. This group of entrepreneurs is located in the 4 communities and works collectively to ensure the success of one another, the corridor and the community.

Please visit http://www.connect4qcdc.webs.com/ to see pictures of the event and view our slide show celebrating our local retail corridor.

1st Annual Connect 4 Event; Promoting Community Togetherness

9/24/2009, 1:52 PM

Friday, September 18, 2009

QCDC/CCV/United Bronzeville Businesses

On Saturday, September 26^th, from 12 to 5pm, QCDC is hosting a community forum to invite stakeholders and the greater Chicagoland area to celebrate and thank the contributors of the community while reintroducing the surrounding neighborhoods and broader Chicagoland area to our retail corridor.

The mission is to create a visual event that highlights and documents the important contributors and contributions, achievements and achievers of the 4 components that make a successful community; business, political will, community, and beautification.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please view our sponsorship packet to learn how or donate to our site and make your donation, Connect 4.

Bring your friends and family and help us celebrate our communities! Hope to see you there!

Click here for the sponsor package.

Groovin & Gospel on the Grove Festival Featuring Movie in the Park!

8/24/2009, 9:12 PM

Monday, August 24, 2009

Yvette Kelly

Come and enjoy the different cuisines and all of the awesome food vendors, a senior pavilion featuring bingo, chess games, gifts and prizes for the winners, youth pavilion with an inflatable playground & activities, teen entertainment and some of Chicago's most talented music artists, poets and bands representing all genres of music and entertainment.

This 2-day festival will take place on 4400-4500 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago:

Saturday, September 12th, 2009 (2pm-7pm)
&
Sunday, September 13th, 2009 (12noon-6pm)

RAIN OR SHINE!!!!

PLEASE BRING YOUR FURRY FRIENDS ALONG FOR A GREAT DAY OF EXCITEMENT!

All are welcome! Please come and bring your pet to our area designed just for them!
Come and recieve free information from PAWS INC. for those special additions to your family.

Visit the our website (http://www.qcdc.org) for more information.

Join us on Saturday at 8pm for our special feature "Movie in the Park" screening of "The Long Shots" starring Ice Cube and Chicago's very own Ke Ke Palmer.

Click here to view the movie preview

Faie's African Art Featured in BlackChicagoOnline

8/3/2009, 9:06 AM

Monday, August 3, 2009

BlackChicagoOnline

You can learn more about Faie's African Art in Bronzeville by visiting the website: http://www.faieafricanart.com/

Excellent Cut Award Winners Announced

8/2/2009, 6:29 PM

Sunday, August 2, 2009

QCDC

Reavis Elementary announced the Excellent Cut Award winners on Tuesday April 21, 2009 at the Extended Day Spring Showcase.

Over 200 community guests and Reavis families learned about the great partnership between QCDC, Reavis and local business owners and stylists of Signature Hair Salon, Rosalind Goodwin and Cernora Johnson and Another Barbershop, Bwati Davis.Their continued generosity and commitment to our community makes them our community barber and hair salon.

The awards and coupons for free haircuts and styles were given to students who received the best grades from each classroom. A pink coupon was given to the girls for Signature Hair Studio and the boys received a green coupon to match the color palette of Another Barber Shop.Both hair studios are located on Drexel and 47th.

Students were excited because the 8th grade dance was near so this provided the opportunity for a nice hairdo for the fancy event "A Night in Paris". Since then, Prinicpal Johnson of Reavis and other staff have inquired about the hair shops in hopes of visiting them for a stylish do for themselves.

Hair Cut Honorees are Brandon Nevils, Trenyada Kittler, Brian Nevils, Jasmine Harris, Sarah Marquis, Taniya Johnson, Briana Reed, Brandon Smith, Christian Williams and Aliyah Travis. Big congratulations for all your hard work! Keep it up!

Please be sure to stop by and thank Rosalind, Cernora and Bwat for all that they do to keep our community looking good!

WLS-TV profiles Hooked on Drums

7/1/2009, 11:26 AM

WLS-TV recently profiled Hooked On Drums, the South Side-based organization that brings the upbeat, inspiring rhythms of African djembe drumming from the Malinke people in Guinea , West Africa to kids in urban Chicago. The group offers classes and youth drum performances through the Chicago Park District, local schools and community organizations. To see the video, click here.

More than just a way to “blow off steam” or “keep kids off the street,” the program gets kids hooked on authentic, traditional music, allowing them to explore African heritage while sharpening their minds on a complex musical idiom.

Saturday in school no drag for students

2/2/2009, 1:15 PM

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Richard Muhammad

Saturday and school could be the worst two-word combination ever for youngsters eager to get away from teachers, homework and cafeteria food. But these unspeakable words sparked excitement at Reavis elementary on the south side as energetic students devoted time to beautifying classrooms.

Pencils, notebooks and pens were put aside as students, volunteers and staff lugged brushes, drop cloths and painter’s tape—alongside paint cans labeled “Niagara Falls” and “Utah Sky”—from room to room. “Fun. Interesting,” said Kayla Barrett, a 12-year-old 7th grader describing her feelings about the Saturday session. She hadn’t wanted to stay home and enjoyed meeting new people and bonding a little more with teachers.

Kayla Pratt, a 7th grader, devoted a Saturday to painting classrooms at Reavis elementary school. Helping out at her school was fun and interesting, she said.

Richard Muhammad

For Joseph A. Kemp, another 12-year-old in the 7th grade, the service day was a way out of punishment and staying cooped up in the house. But, he added, spending the day painting, eating and relaxing was great. Volunteering will also look good on a high school or college application, he said.

Volunteers from the Quad Communities Development Corp., Alderman Toni Preckwinkle’s 4th Ward office, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints congregation in Hyde Park, the University of Chicago, Expeditionary Learning Schools and Chicagoland alumni from Stanford University lent a hand.

Joseph Kemp found Saturday volunteering at school exciting and enjoyable.

Richard Muhammad

But plenty of students dressed old clothes and shoes signed in at the front desk of the school and were dispatched to classrooms.

“We just don’t want to wait for people to do stuff for us,” explained Principal Michael Johnson, who sees the beautification project as another chance to teach students about community-building and a way to strengthen neighborhood partnerships. The day was a balance between having students see the value of doing things for themselves and working with others—not having others simply do a job and go home, Principal Johnson noted. “It’s really exciting to see how excited they are. It gives students the opportunity to take on leadership roles,” he said. Nearly 70 students signed up for morning and afternoon sessions and by the time workers took a midday break, half of all the students who signed up had showed up for work.

School staff used two-radios and the school intercom system to manage the operation and direct the troops. Ed Stratford, of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, joined about 30 members of the congregation volunteering at the school. Students are taking ownership and the outside help shows people care, he said.

“We know that Reavis has a very dedicated staff and they love their students, but they could use some help. We’re very happy to provide the manpower and service for that,” said Sara Stevens, who added that volunteering is fundamental to her religious beliefs.

Latifah Allen, of CleanSlate, gripped a paint brush and applied a fresh coat of yellow paint near a chalkboard in a kindergarten classroom. “The children are like motivating me too because they could be anywhere else but they are here. There are a lot of children here, it’s surprising,” she said.

The work was done over two days and in different shifts, with desks and equipment pushed into the center of classrooms. Baseboards, electrical outlets and door frames were taped and peeling paint scraped away. Teachers and students chose classroom colors based on research that showed which colors complement learning.

Principal Michael Johnson hands out supplies to Reavis students eager to get to work painting classrooms at their school. We don't just want to wait for people to do things for us, said Principal Johnson.

Richard Muhammad

Genise Smith, a 7th and 8th grade math and science teacher sacrificed part of her weekend because of her students’ willingness to sacrifice. “Since they were coming I had to come too,” she said. “Some kids, especially at the middle school age, are like ‘all about me, what am I going to get out of it?’ That’s not the question they (students) asked. They were like ‘we’ll do it,’ no questions asked. It shows that the work that we do they really do care and they care about their community,” she said.

“This year has been all about change, that’s the big campaign thing. Since I’ve been here I’ve seen a lot of change in them and even just giving of themselves. Just being able to do for others is one of things I believe they will take from this experience,” Smith added. She has been at Reavis for nearly a year and has been teaching for five years.

Food, fun and a healthier Bronzeville

11/11/2008, 1:01 PM

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Richard Muhammad

(Editor's note: The Bronzeville Market has closed for the season, but it helped build community and improve healthy choices for south side residents. The article below tells the story of the market and its impact.)

The Bronzeville neighborhood exists in a "food desert" where burgers, canned soup, cigarettes and alcohol are plentiful while fresh fruit and vegetables are scarce. The Bronzeville Community Farmer's Market is helping to fill the fresh food void, but the Sunday gathering aims to improve community health in more ways than one.

Families are able to spend Sundays shopping and enjoying time together.

Richard Muhammad

"We're trying to promote a healthier community, and one of the ways to do that is through food," said Lynn Kardasz, the New Communities Program director for the Quad Communities Development Corp.

"Healthier can mean healthier economically, healthier through education and arts programming, and also food," said Kardasz. "Those are the components that our organization tries to provide to the local community."

And they can all be found at the market.

The Bronzeville Market, one of several on the south side of Chicago, started June 15 and will shut down Oct. 26. It operates a little differently from usual outdoor seasonal markets.

Some goals are to promote "positive loitering" for neighborhood residents and visitors, connect existing businesses with market goers, and use the market to help inspire vendors to open shops in Bronzeville.

Entrepreneur Lisa Brooks is using the market to help build her business and is looking to open a shop in Bronzeville.

Richard Muhammad

The market fits with QCDC's strategy to build a socially and economically healthy Cottage Grove Avenue corridor. Local businesses offer coupons to lure market-goers into their shops, and music is often used to attract attention to the grassy lot on "the Grove," at 44th Street.

Local restaurateurs often drop by to see if they can use fresh produce, and vendors provide tips on preserving and preparing fresh vegetables, said Kardasz.

The "hybrid" market, however, has more than sweet potatoes, watermelon, butter beans, peaches, bananas and broccoli.

Walking onto the lot, visitors can find everything from fresh fruit and produce to antiques, baked goods, barbecue, artwork, handmade clothing, natural body products, publications and information tables – like Mayor Daley's Bicycling Table, which on a recent Sunday promoted the virtues of biking while offering tips, maps and patch kits.

New condo developments and rehabbed buildings have brought changes in Bronzeville, and it isn't always easy to keep track of people.

Darian Crawford of Growing Power displays organic products.

Richard Muhammad

It's hard to know who moved into the new condo or the rehabbed building, said Matiati, a neighborhood resident, cradling one-year-old Satipi in her arms. The market "brings everybody out and you can actually see your neighbors," she said. "We've had a great opportunity to meet our neighbors that we wouldn't have otherwise."

"It's a pretty good market; we get a lot of customers," said Darien Crawford, of Growing Power, an organic produce company headquartered in Milwaukee. Growing Power operates local farms in Grant Park and Jackson Park and has a garden in Cabrini-Green.

"We just want to give people a healthier choice in our urban communities," he said. "I think it's very important because there's not a wide variety of organic foods or farmers markets around. It brings a healthier tomorrow."

Growing Power offers produce each week, along with information about a variety of foods and food prep tips.

Music helps make the Bronzeville Farmers Market a community gathering place.

Richard Muhammad

"It's actually really nice because it gets really tiring and exhausting to have to drive all the way up to the north side to do something," said Lisa Brooks, owner of Madeline's Bake Shop. Her six-month-old business mainly operates online, with the entrepreneur churning out baked goods in 24 to 48 hours.

The Bronzeville Market created an opportunity for greater visibility, a place to test products and add to her customer base. The customer response has been good, and Brooks is considering opening a storefront in Bronzeville.

Not only does Brooks sell products at the farmers market, she also takes orders. "I like the idea of letting people know there is an option for them on the south side," she said.

The market is a place to gather signatures for petitions, enjoy a band, or simply sit at small tables or on blankets after navigating product-filled tables and tents.

Market master Zuri Thompson makes sure things run smoothly.

Richard Muhammad

Market master Zuri Thompson recruits vendors, makes sure their needs are met and oversees market setup and breakdown. She has been working with QCDC for three years and is majoring in marketing and event planning in college.

Thompson easily rattles off the products offered and vendors—there's a woman offering 20 different types of cookies, a soul vegan lady, a cook who does jerk chicken and tilapia fish, and a pickle guy.

The market offers "a sense of community," she said. "It's a place that is open to the public, and families, and dogs, and just a good time for Sundays. It's very relaxed."

Thompson estimates more than 50 vendors will have participated when the market closes in October. About 15 to 20 vendors are present each week, attracting on average about 200 people and 400 people on busy Sundays.

"The support we have been getting has been amazing," she said. "The people are just really excited to see it. For it to be our first year, I think it's going great."

Quad Communities Development Corporation SSA #47 Established

9/24/2008, 10:41 AM

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Quad Communities SSA #47 Established

After months of community planning, Quad Communities Special Service Area #47 was approved by City Council on September 8, 2008.

Special Service Area #47 is charged with the responsibility of using this economic development tool to assist in cleaning, beautifying and revitalizing the Cottage Grove and 47th Street Retail Corridors.Advisory Commissioners typically review budgets and contracts that help to better the retail corridor of Quad Communities.

Quad Communities Development Corporation, the Sole Service Provider, is currently accepting Advisory Commissioner applications to fill the non-paid role of appropriating SSA funds.

Qualifications:

Every Commission member should be prepared to serve for at least 2 years with the ability to renew at the end of that time.

Rationale: To ensure that the Commissioners cycle off of the SSA Commission in a manner that is not disruptive and preserves the institutional knowledge of the Commission.

No more than two SSA Commission seats will be occupied by non-property or business owners at any one time.
Of the two seats available to non-property or business owners, one will be open to a residential property owner within the SSA boundaries.

Rationale: To ensure that the Commission remains focused on the needs of the commercial/retail district.

Please view the map provided to see if your property is located within the boundary. If so, and you have an interest in serving on the Advisory Commission, please fill out the application provided and return to QCDC by October 20, 2008.

If you have any questions, please call Lynn M. Kardasz at 773.268.7232.

QCDC is located at 4659 S. Cottage Grove, Suite 204.We at QCDC look forward to working with you.

Capoeira Teaches History, Music and Culture

7/4/2008, 5:10 AM

Friday, July 4, 2008

Richard Muhammad

As you get closer to the gym at Reavis Elementary School in Bronzeville, the music, singing, clapping and chanting swells.

Inside, Marisa Cordeiro, a capoeira senior instructor (or “contra-mestre”), is leading schoolchildren through exercises and lessons designed to teach the Brazilian martial art—using music, a touch of a foreign language, and some history.

The sounds of cow bells, drums, tambourines, the berimbau (a stringed instrument), and rattling gourds fill the gym as the “capoeirista” claps her hands emphatically. Children scurry from chair to chair exchanging instruments. “One, two, three! Boom, boom, boom!” chants Cordeiro, a slender, dark-haired woman who is a world-class martial artist and founder of Gingarte Capoeira, a Chicago-based non-profit.

Assistant instructor Bianca Aviles leads students at Reavis in an exercise.

Eric Young Smith

She claps her hands, helping students capture a rhythm important to movements to be executed later. She walks around the circle of students in chairs like an orchestra maestro, coordinating singing and clapping and demonstrating proper use of the instruments. Finally, she calls the clamor to a halt, collects the instruments and places them in the center of the circle.

The six-week program, which was getting started as regular school was coming to an end, will run during the summer as part of the Integrated Services in Schools (ISS) program, an innovative approach, funded with a major grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies, that seeks to transform education and improve the lives of disadvantaged middle school students.

The effort involves extended-day, weekend and summer activities, in-school health centers and special programs designed to expand the experiences of students at Reavis and four other Chicago Public Schools that partnered with groups in LISC/Chicago’s New Communities Program. The Quad Communities Development Corporation, a Bronzeville-based neighborhood organization and NCP lead agency for the community, is administering the ISS program at Reavis.

“You are learning how to sing in a different language,” Cordeiro tells her students. “First you have to listen.”

She teaches the students to sing using a call-and-response that reflects the African roots of her art form, similar to what’s heard in African-American churches.

As she sings, she beats a tambourine and the restless children sing and clap. Then students remove their shoes and place them against a gymnasium wall. They form a few single-file lines to practice the basic “ginga” movement, constantly sliding legs and arms backward and forward. They move from side to side and alternate legs and arms.

A student readies for a handstand.

Eric Young Smith

Mimicking their teacher, the students stretch their hands and wrists. Next they push up like crabs from the floor, pressing their soles and palms against the hardwood surface and arching their bodies upward.

Cordeiro outstretches her arms under the back of each child, helping each one flip from the position. “You have to land on your feet,” she says, “and don’t fall.”

Move around and adjust for space, don’t get too close, she adds as children tumble across the gym floor.

The session ends with the children sitting in a circle, a small ensemble sings and plays a drum, cow bells and the twangy berimbau, providing music for classmates to follow.

One by one the children are invited into the center to “play the game” of capoeira with a second “capoeirista” assisting Cordeiro with the class. The instructress makes fluid moves, walks on her hands, and passes kicks over the heads of the students, who follow her movements, trying to kick, do handstands, squat and flip—often tumbling to the floor with a giggle.

The children are quickly picking up the movements, the music, the new language, she says. Learning about capoeira means learning about Afro-Brazilian culture, playing music, and walking handstands, which were designed to deceive slave masters into thinking slaves were simply “hanging out,” not practicing an art for self defense, said Cordeiro.

Students pound out a rhythm.

Eric Young Smith

"It’s a new innovative way to learn and still have fun,” said sixth-grader Michael Isaiah Daniels, when asked to compare capoeira to other classes.

“Basically what we’re doing is a form of kung fu, but it’s not as hard because it’s not as pressured,” added Demarcus Fisher, 12, who enjoys learning new ways to express himself in a physical way and through music. “It’s a way to learn without involving severe violence,” he adds.

Deondre Fitzpatrick recites lessons about the struggle of Afro-Brazilians against slavery and oppression and expresses an appreciation for exploring a new culture — but a culture he can easily relate to.

“I learned that some of the Africans died trying to do it (capoeira) or got in jail,” he said. “So we praise their sacrifices, and the music about it is not like enslavement. It’s happy music.”

What will he take from the class? “The African culture, the music and the signature steps to help me remember about Africa because I wasn’t born yet, to remember my great-great grandparents and my great-great grandfather,” said Deondre.

campusCATALYST comes to QCDC

5/6/2008, 10:44 AM

Nonprofits are notoriously short on resources. Universities are long on idealistic students.

Ms. Kindle

Seems a good match — and indeed, college students are volunteering for community service in growing numbers.

But it took the ingenuity and initiative of two recent Northwestern University graduates, Molly Day and Kunal Modi, to go beyond volunteerism and create a program without a model on any American campus.

Both had volunteered extensively and were “increasingly frustrated with the staffing, funding and resource shortages at nonprofits,” says Day, who majored in social policy, international studies and Spanish and earned her degree last year. “Regardless of our best intentions or dedication, we were always putting out fires instead of attacking our long-term missions.”

“We felt that campus-led volunteer activities offer a great learning experience but that innovative student minds could be used in a more powerful way to drive social change,” adds Modi, a 2006 graduate in economics and political science. “So, the challenge was to create campus-driven pro-bono projects that capitalize on the strengths of students as energetic, collaborative, tech-savvy, resourceful researchers and thinkers.”

The program Day and Modi founded in 2007, campusCATALYST, matches community nonprofits with five-member teams of undergraduate “community analysts” supervised by a Kellogg School of Management MBA student and a professor. The teams act as pro-bono business consultants for a 10-week academic quarter to help the nonprofits develop partners in the community, strengthen infrastructure and improve marketing, communications and development. Team members receive academic credit.

This year, campusCATALYST expanded to the University of Chicago and QCDC was one of three organizations identified by the inaugural teams. QCDC’s team members include Tom Blaser, Elizabeth Stolarczuh, Hui Ying Char, and Brittani Baxter.

They will be supervised by two University of Chicago School of Business (GSB) students, Matt Kudla and Tashfeen Ahmed.

The QCDC team will spend the next ten weeks developing a “Needs Assessment” survey and meeting with eight small business owners to identify the strengths and challenges of each operation.

Students will submit recommendations and QCDC will identify sources to provide specific technical assistance to each business.

The students had the opportunity to meet seven of the eight business owners and were thrilled by the warm reception and enthusiasm of the owners. “The atmosphere of the businesses is great and the owners have such passion”, said Tom Blaser, a third year student from Iowa.

Please join me in welcoming our campusCATALYST team!

Through The Roof

3/28/2008, 10:52 AM

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Chicago Sun Times

When Amy Williamson bought her modest house 10 years ago, she never realized that behind the fake stone paneling, plastic plug-in fire place and crumbling plaster she'd find a hidden treasure - a house in a neighborhood that would become hot property. To read the full article published by the Chicago Sun Times on August 14, 2005 and written by Cheryl L. Reed, click here.

Quad Communities Food Survey Shows Overwhelming Support for a local Farmers' Market

3/18/2008, 11:31 AM

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Bernita Johnson-Gabriel

Over the last 4 years, Quad Communities Development Corporation (QCDC), a local non-profit organization that oversees neighborhood planning and development, has actively worked with the City of Chicago, 4th Ward Alderman, and local developers to improve the quality of life in the Quad Communities of North Kenwood, Oakland, Douglas and Grand Boulevard. The development of a market in Bronzeville is part of a broader effort that QCDC has been leading to expand retail and entertainment options in the community.

Currently, the vast majority of food related businesses within the Quad Communities are limited service and low-end grocers and fast food restaurants. While the supply of quality food is low, the demand is high. In 2004, according to a study completed by LISC/MetroEdge, an urban market research firm, $26.8 million in food related spending by local residents was done outside of the Quad Communities of North Kenwood, Oakland, Douglas and Grand Boulevard. Also, two of the four neighborhoods within the Quad Communities, as well as four adjacent communities, have been identified as food deserts - having little or no access to grocery stores - in researcher Mari Gallagher’s report, “Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago.”

After years of aggressive, unsuccessful marketing and outreach to high-quality regional grocers, QCDC decided to lead the creation of a local market where residents and visitors can purchase healthy fresh and prepared foods. QCDC began the market planning and development process in August of 2007 by partnering with Sustain, an organization that works to connect local farmers and consumers, and O-H Community Partners, an economic development consulting firm. Together they conducted two focus groups and administered nearly 200 surveys to local residents and daytime workers. The results of this survey are presented here.

Key Community Survey Findings:

There is a tremendous unmet need for fresh, quality food in Bronzeville

Approximately 200 respondents were surveyed and at least 400 persons potentially impacted
The vast majority of respondents are African American women that reside in Bronzeville
Only 6% of respondents selected community area stores as their top produce provider
Most respondents regularly purchase poultry, dairy and eggs, fish/seafood, and beef
84% of respondents drive to their shopping destinations
73% of respondents have shopped at a farmers’ market; however , 27% of respondents have not largely due to inconvenient locations and lack of awareness. 36% of foods purchased from farmers’ markets are organic.
Respondents across all income segments reported that they would shop at a farmers’ market in Bronzeville. Only 2% of respondents reported that they would not shop at a farmers’ market in Bronzeville

The local customer base is economically diverse and spends frequently and handsomely on groceries

Nearly 50% of respondents report HH incomes of $50,000 or above, of which nearly half report incomes of $100,000+
African Americans are well represented across all income segments
53% of respondents shop on weekends and 68% shop at least once a week
Approximately 47% of respondents spend $31 or more per week on produce
The majority of respondents prefer the cash payment option; however, 50% of respondents would like the option of paying with credit

Customers overwhelming prefer fresh foods; however they also require a mix of locally and non-locally grown produce

93% of respondents prefer fresh produce
The top 10 regularly purchased vegetables are locally grown; however, 3 of the top 5 regularly purchased fruits are not locally grown

Customers will shop at a farmers market located in the community that operates on Sunday with a diverse array of educational and entertainment activities and events

Respondents prefer 35th and King Drive and Cottage Grove Avenue locations for a farmers’ market
Only12% of respondents reported that they will not shop on Sundays
20% to 40% of respondents would like to see kids activities, an antique market, music, and cooking demonstrations

Please click here to download the full report.

QCDC is looking for high quality vendors of produce, prepared foods, crafts, and more! Please click here to download an application.

WBDC offers Sessions for Businessess

2/13/2008, 5:26 PM

Monday, November 5, 2007

The Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), a nationally and internationally recognized not-for-profit organization established in 1986 to work with women to launch new businesses and strengthen existing businesses in the Chicago area, is facilitating a series of information and training sessions in the month of November.

Over the past 21 years, the WBDC has become a leader in providing direct services to women business owners and in effecting changes in public policy which reflect the needs of women entrepreneurs and their families. Over the past two decades, the WBDC has grown from a two-woman operation to a full-time staff of 24, which, along with a team of talented consultants, serve over 3,000 women annually. Find out more at http://www.wbdc.org/.

Check out the November schedule events below:

Increase Revenues, Attend Guerrilla Marketing, Search Engine Optimization & Blog Seminar

Give your business the boost it needs to get it noticed in the marketplace. Learn how-to sharpen your key messages, create outstanding marketing & PR campaigns and then how-to leverage them on the internet with search engine optimization (SEO) and blogging. Lennie Rose and Brad Shorr of Rise Public Relations & Marketing Partners will cover the key elements in Guerrilla marketing techniques, the fundamentals of super-charging your website copy to make it attractive to search engines, and the basics on blogging and why they act as a magnet on the web.

November 8, 2007, 6:00 - 8:00 pm at 8 South Michigan Avenue, 4th Floor, Chicago

Cost: $45.00 To register: Call 312 853 3477

November 7 & 8: Market Research ( Part Of Jumpstart Series)

Learn the importance of knowing and analyzing the sources of your business revenue. Learn how to project sales and what the impact of the target market's characteristics could be on cash flow and sales projections

November 8: Guerrilla Marketing, Search Engine Optimization & Blog Seminar

November 14 & 15: Financial Analysis I ( Part Of Jumpstart Series)

November 20: Business Exchange

Meet with other women business owners to discuss issues and challenges being faced as you continue to grow your business. Use the group as a continuing resource and peer-support group. At each meeting, WBDC staff will provide additional guidance and access to resources.

November 20: Insider Tips on Purchasing or Selling A Business

This seminar will focus on the life cycle and elements of the business transaction beginning with the steps to take in anticipation of the sale or purchase of a business and ending with the successful conclusion of the transaction.

November 28 & 29: Financial Analysis II ( Part of Jumpstart Series)

Learn how to interpret and project business financial statements. Learn how to determine start-up and expansion costs. Learn how to develop projected cash flow and income statements.

November 29 : Are You Ready for A Government Contract?

The workshop focuses on determining if your business is at the right stage to pursue opportunities with government agencies and major corporations, and how to market your business to them. Learn the steps to identify contract opportunities, including the websites to find bid opportunities.

November 15: National Association of Women Business Owners Neighborhood Networking

Attend this informal gathering to network with business owners who live and work in the area — and to learn what's happening at National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Chicago. Complimentary to current and prospective NAWBO members. Refreshments served.

November 15: Chicago United's 4th Annual Changing Color of Leadership Conference and Bridge Awards Dinner

Chicago United honors exemplary leadership in supporting multiracial participation at the board of directors' level with the National Bridge Awards. Join us for a gala salute as Jim Skinner, vice chairman and CEO of McDonald's Corporation and 2006 Bridge Award honoree, presents the 2007 Bridge Awards to Ronald A. Williams, chairman, CEO and president of Aetna Inc., and Robert W. Lane, chairman and CEO of Deere & Company.

November 28: Mega Networking Progressive Dinner

Take the work out of networking at this dinner event designed to meet people — lots of them. Attendees switch tables at each course meeting a new group each time. Facilitators ensure that everyone has the opportunity to introduce herself and her business. Bring plenty of business cards!

New Farmers' market for Bronzeville?

2/13/2008, 4:50 PM

Sarah Morton

QCDC executive director Bernita Johnson-Gabriel speaks Oct. 27 to focus group about farmers' markets and research led by Sustain.

Quad Communities Development Corporation (QCDC), along with Sustain, an organization that works to connect local farmers and food producers with consumers, will be conducting a market study and community analysis with the intent of opening a year-round public market and farmers market in the Quad Communities. A public market would bring significant assets to the community by providing fresh, healthy food at reasonable prices, helping entrepreneurs to start small businesses, and giving the community a safe, vibrant public gathering place.

It is essential that we get community input as we plan this public market.

The purpose of this survey is to obtain information that will help to establish a farmers market that will serve Bronzeville, North Kenwood-Oakland, and the surrounding communities. Please take a few minutes to share information about your food shopping habits, and then mail the survey to the address below no later than December 10th:

Quad Communities Development Corporation

4659 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Suite 204 Chicago, IL 60653

Or fax the survey to:

773-536-7296

Thank you for helping us bring

good food into the neighborhood.

QCDC Featured in Chicago Tribune Article and Cottage Grove Audio Slide Show

1/17/2008, 10:44 AM

The Chicago Tribune reports that Cottage Grove is the focus of Bronzeville's retail recovery. Please follow these links to read the article and see videos featuring local retailers and 4th Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon_baidu_1217dec17,0,3959783.story

http://www.chicagotribune.com/video/?clipId=2018475&topVideoCatNo=undefined&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv

Producer Amadi Jordan-Walker also put together an amazing audio slide show that highlights the commercial development initiative currently underway on Cottage Grove. To view "Cottage Grove Commercial Corridor: Bringing Life to the Grove," click link, http://tumultimedia.org/NCP/slides/Amadi/index.html

DCEO Offers Training on New Ordinance

1/17/2008, 10:41 AM

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Avoid steep penalties by understanding Chicago's new construction and demolition waste recycling ordinance through workshops sponsored by the Illinois Department of commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). DCEO offers Illinois and city of Chicago construction contractors and private developers critical information to both earn valuable incentives and avoid steep penalties for present and future projects.

The Green Building Expedited permits sessions are planned for Nov. 28, on the westside at the Chicago Center for Green Technology and Dec. 12 on the southside at the Chicago Urban League offices. Register today at www.utilivate.com/registration.htm.

Black Contractors United (BCU) and the Chicago Center for Green Technology are important partners in this program. Utilivate Technologies will conduct the workshop, under a DCEO contract. Click here for more information.

Aldermen Discuss South Side Redevelopment

11/26/2007, 4:35 PM

Richard Muhammad

Aldermen from four wards assembled in the Grand Ballroom on Cottage Grove Avenue in the heart of Woodlawn recently to talk about issues related to South Side development, offer some hope, and share thoughts on obstacles to progress.

ShoreBank, a South Side lending institution, sponsored the forum, held Sept. 11, as part of its "ShoreBank Knowledge Exchange," a series of gatherings devoted to real estate and development issues. After participants milled around, had cocktails and posed for photos, the gathering was called to order.

Joseph Hasten, ShoreBank's new CEO, opened by sharing his bank's plans to stem foreclosures sparked by increased home loan interest rates. Sub-prime and adjustable rate mortgage loans, usually with low teaser rates that increase over time, have pushed many homeowners into financial trouble as mortgage payments explode and refinancing is difficult because of pre-payment penalties.

South Side foreclosures called threat to neighborhoods

ShoreBank will fight to keep foreclosures from stopping progress made in South Side neighborhoods like Woodlawn, Bronzeville, South Shore, Englewood and South Chicago, Hasten said. Everyone might not be able to be helped, but ShoreBank is committed to tackling the problem, he said. The bank hopes to rescue thousands of homeowners on the south side of the city.

The mortgage crisis isn't over Hasten warned. Two-thirds of loans with adjustable mortgage rates haven't changed yet, he said.

People were given loans they didn't understand, said ShoreBank's CEO. But if the predatory lenders lose in the shake-up, that's a good thing, he said.

"It's taken 30 years to revive these wonderful neighborhoods by increasing the value of housing stock, home ownership and generally improving the neighborhoods," Hasten noted. "We don't want to see that fall back at all."

Hasten appealed to real estate agents, mortgage brokers, city agencies and alderman to help let people know that they can get help and need to move quickly. Aldermen Willie Cochran (20th), Pat Dowell (3rd), Freddrenna Lyle (6th) and Sandi Jackson (7th) sat on a small stage, made brief statements and took questions from the audience.

Aldermen share hopes, challenges to redevelopment

All talked about efforts to bring development projects into their wards and spoke favorably about the Olympics – though concerns about how to make sure their constituents benefit remain.

Alderman Sandi Jackson

The forum was orderly though one protestor shouted questions at Dowell about jobs and opportunities for blacks. Michelle Collins, a ShoreBank senior vice president, was the evening emcee and read questions to the panel.

Jackson and the other aldermen urged homeowners to call 311, the city service number, at first sign of trouble in making a mortgage payment. Operators from 311 will put homeowners in touch with housing counselors, she said. Neighborhood Housing Services is also a resource for people who need assistance, the aldermen added.

This is a nationwide problem but hits our community harder, said Jackson. Call non-profits and aldermen, who are bringing in experts for forums on homeownership and foreclosures, she said.

Lyle responded to questions about plans for the old site of Kennedy-King College in Englewood and another site in her ward, near 83rd Street. Discussions about the old Kennedy King site are starting, but no definite plans have been made, she said. Lyle said future meetings to get community input are coming.

Alderman Pat Dowell

The future of 83rd and Stewart, at the last briefing for aldermen, focused on Lowe's, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, and two or three other small retailers, she continued. But, Lyle added, it has been difficult getting a major retailer.

There are talks about maybe having a Wal-Mart nearby, but residents are terrified about having an additional 25,000 cars a week coming into the neighborhood, she said. Lyle opposes the Wal-Mart.

Dowell said her ward's 3,000 vacant lots were the most in Chicago, and most are city-owned lots. Land should be freed up for use, whether commercial development or acquisition of lots adjacent to homes, she said. There is also the possibility of creating a program that has a not-for-profit hire ex-offenders to clean and maintain the lots, Dowell said.

Jackson talked about development plans for the 580-acre former USX Steel site in South Chicago. MacCaffrey and Associates has pretty much bought the entire area, with 100 acres going back to the city, she said. City streets will extend into the site to provide access to the lakefront, Jackson said.

It's projected that over 10 years some 17,000 homes will be constructed along with a mall, high school and health facility, she said. The mall should include the likes of Macy's, Carson's, Whole Foods, Starbucks, and the Cheesecake Factory, Jackson said.

Alderman Freddrenna Lyle

The developers aren't going to do everything themselves and will parcel off sections for others to handle, she said.

Development will move forward in four stages, with the first stage focused on street construction followed by development of the mall, nearby houses, the school and medical facility, she said. That will take about two years, Jackson said.

Affordable housing must be in the mix to keep old residents from being priced out of the neighborhood, she said.

Some of the Olympic construction and activity should take place at the USX steel site, Jackson added. We don't have to tear up existing neighborhoods or landmarks, she said.

A 7th Ward market analysis is underway to help figure out what businesses should be marketed and would appeal to the community and surrounding areas, Jackson added.

Lyle stressed the need for African Americans to engage in entrepreneurship and support entrepreneurship. The old large-scale manufacturing jobs are gone and aren't coming back, she said, and most jobs are created by small businesses anyway.

Jobs, services critical for ward progress

Institutional racism remains a barrier when politicians want to move black neighborhoods forward, said Lyle.

All of the aldermen on the panel serve wards where jobs and services are critical needs, Cochran noted. Money that should be kept inside the community is seeping out and spending is going to other retail areas, he said.

Alderman Willie Cochran

Cochran said a federal program that does railroad improvements and will allow passenger and freight to move at the same time is coming to his ward. It will create some jobs, he said.

With plans for an Olympic stadium in Washington Park, Cochran would love to have the games in his ward. Still, he added, development must result in opportunity for neighborhood residents. There are "angry men who want to work," said Cochran.

"It is not acceptable not to have a percentage of black men and women on these jobs sites," he said. "We need you business people, bankers and contractors to understand this is important."

Parade of Cottage Grove Retail

11/26/2007, 4:23 PM

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Sarah Morton

Nearly 50 small business owners, community partners, and financial institutions participated in the Quad Communities Parade of Retail Tour on August 2, 2007. The purpose of the tour was to promote the Cottage Grove Corridor to potential business owners from around the Chicagoland area.

The Partnership for New Communities and the Women’s Business Development Center helped to fund and organize the event.

Nearly 50 small business owners, community partners and financial assistance providers attended the QCDC Parade of Retail Tour which began with presentations by representatives from Mahogany Ventures, Citibank, WBDC, the Partnership for New Communities and QCDC.

The tour began at the Bronzeville Coffee House, where participants had time to network and hear informative presentations by representatives from Quad Communities Development Corporation (QCDC), Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), Citibank, the Partnership for New Communities, and Mahogany Ventures, the real estate developer that is building the Shops and Lofts at 47 shopping center and residential condo project.

This development, which will include over 150 residential units and nearly 100,000 square feet of retail and office space, will become the crown jewel of the Cottage Grove business district.

From left to right; Sonya Prear of Citi Bank, Alaina Harkness, Partnerships for New Communites; Kandance Watkins Mahogany Ventures; Alderman Toni Preckwinkle 4th Ward and Bernita Johnson Gabriel of Quad Communities Devlopment Corporation gather in Sensual Steps Shoe Salon, One of the several businesses highlighted on the tour.

Business owners featured on the tour were candid and engaged, and shared with tour-goes information about the area and personal accounts about their experience as a business owner in the Quad Communities. “I knew the development in this neighborhood was going to explode, and I knew I wanted to be in on the ground floor and established when it did happen. And it is happening,” said Margo Strotter, co-owner of Ain’t She Sweet Café, one of the featured businesses on the tour.

Other business owners described their commitment to the community. Scotty Davis, the proprietor of Competitive Edge Fitness, explained that he had clients in the north suburbs, but chose to open a studio in Bronzeville to provide services to the community that had previously been lacking. Nicole Jones, owner of Sensual Steps, talked about the efforts she and her staff are making to be as involved with the community as possible, including making regular donations to local charities and collecting new or gently worn shoes to donate to women in need.

This tour showcased the commercial and residential development opportunities in the Quad Communities, celebrated pioneering business owners and investors and raised the visibility of the commercial development and retail attraction work of QCDC. It also piqued the interest and attention of dozens of prospective retailers. QCDC will be following up with each of the retail entrepreneurs that attended this tour, and will set up private meetings to discuss specific available retail site opportunities.