79th Street Corridor Planning
Initiative Community Meeting
March 19, 2015
Quarry Event Center
2423 E. 75th Street
The Corridor
• Stony Island to Lake Michigan
• Average of 11,600 vehicles per day; eastern
boundary leads right into both S. Lake Shore
Drive and S. South Shore Drive.
• 79th Street bus boasts the second highest
ridership in the entire Chicago Transit
Authority system.
• Anchored by the Regal Theater on the west
and the former US Steel Mill site on the east
• Approximately 80,000 residents live in the
two Chicago community areas that are
connected by 79th Street
• Entire two-mile length of 79th street is
covered by the Avalon Park/South Shore TIF,
serviced by two Special Service Areas - #49
and #50, and supported by Chicago
Enterprise Zone 3.
7th Ward Developers’ Roundtable – 12/16
 Reviewed current development concepts and plans
 Toured the corridor
 Small group discussions
 Planning
 Financing
 Retailers
 Developers
 Report Out
Key Questions
 What does it take to rebuild the traditional
neighborhood retail corridor?
 What are initial thoughts about 79th Street’s position
and potential in the retail, industrial, and housing
markets?
 What seems to be the highest priority sites and
segments of the corridor and why?
 What models and resources should we look at to
redevelop the corridor?
 What infrastructure improvements are needed to
attract better retail, housing, and/or industrial uses
for 79th Street?
 What are good models for community governance
and support?
 What are realistic short-term, mid-range, and longterm goals?
Theme 1: Capacity Building
 Train SSA Program Managers and Commissioners on
how to attract and work with retailers
 Encourage and promote local investment from
residents
 Pursue employment training funding to prepare
residents for related opportunities; develop hard and
soft skills
 Develop entrepreneurial training programs and
business incubation
 Build a strong business support network
 Work with property owners to offer temporary retail
spaces to allow for pop-up retailers; allow them to
“test” the market
 Increase coordination across both Special Service
Areas; get SSA commissioners more involved
 Continue and promote aldermanic cooperation
Theme 2: Development
“Redefine what we mean by traditional retail corridor. Think
about nodes and concentrated activities. Focus on placemaking and rebuilding the community.”
 Key commercial nodes
 79th and Stony Island – cultural district
 79th and Jeffrey – small, mom & pop/convenience retail
 79th and Yates – transit-oriented development, sit-down restaurant,
pedestrian friendly
 79th and Lake Shore Drive – Mixed-use; can provide space for
retailers, restaurants and cafes, and will serve as an entry/gateway
to Lakeside, which will eventually have big box retailers and more
housing.
 Allow for residential in between commercial nodes; the center of the
corridor should allow for residential in order to bring back people and
shoppers.
Theme 3: Design and Infrastructure
79th Street should be pedestrian friendly. 79th should not compete with autooriented areas like 87th Street or Roosevelt Road; create a unique experience
here.
 Look into creating a “P” Pedestrian Street at the two nodes.
 Repair sidewalks
 Façade repair incentives
 Pedestrian lighting
 Clean the street, vacant lots
 Fill and clean up boarded buildings
 Create neighborhood gardens, particularly around residential
areas
 Improve Stony Island intersection; hard to cross
 Accommodate cars and have enough parking, but stores should
face the street
 Road dieting can work to make the area more bikeable and
pedestrian friendly. New, particularly young residents moving in
from other neighborhoods are going to expect these amenities.
Short-term goals (1-2 Years)
 Secure new Special Service Area provider – DONE!
 Keep corridor clean and attractive
 Develop a Corridor Action Plan
 Review and update zoning; provide predictability
 PR and marketing of the corridor and businesses
 Address safety and the perceptions of safety
 Pursue employment training partnerships and funding
 Advance/construct anchor development
 Provide training to SSA Program Managers and Commissioners around business
and retail development
 Banners and other smaller street beautification efforts
 Work with building owners on existing buildings using carrot and stick
approach
Mid-Range Goals (2-5 Years)
 1 more anchor project
 Install gateway signage
 Branding and identity; marketing sites
 Market and sell City-owned lots
 Explore establishment of a community development
corporation
 Complete greening, streetscaping
 Coordinate with the Lakeside Advisory Committee
on improvements
 Use this process as a model to create these same
spaces along other corridors in the ward (Exchange
Ave., 75th St., 83rd St. and 95th St.)
Long-Term Goals (5-10 Years )
 Lakeside Development
 Continue to coordinate with Lakeside
Advisors on types of retail, housing,
academic and entertainment options that
will be viable on the site and benefit the
existing community.
Getting Ready for Phase II:
Panel Discussion with the Experts
 What are some realistic planning goals / options for the study
area?
 What types of geographic, economic, or market issues are
barriers for developers?
 What do investors and bankers need to be incentivized to
redevelop housing and retail?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICPATION!
Don’t forget to fill out your survey!