The city is doling out $2.7 million to 15 community organizations to bring pop-up businesses to vacant storefronts.
Those organizations will use the money to revitalize commercial corridors across Chicago, including the downtown section of Michigan Avenue and business areas in Garfield Park, Pilsen, Humboldt Park, Uptown, West Loop, Lake View and Chatham.
Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection announced the grant recipients on Wednesday.
Johnson’s administration put out a call for applicants last September as a part of the city’s Small Business Storefront Activation Program, an initiative through the Chicago Recovery Plan meant to grow commercial corridors hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In Chinatown, I hope our storefront activation program is bringing “renao热闹”, a term cherished in Chinese culture for its connotation of a lively and bustling atmosphere, back to the streets,” said Jiaxi Clayton Xu, community manager of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, in a statement.
“I think this program is not just about filling empty spaces, it’s about rekindling the lively spirit that Chinatown is renowned for,” Xu added.
The organizations — which received between $50,000 and $300,000 — will negotiate short-term leases with landlords and work with small business owners to open and run retail spaces in the vacant storefronts, such as a pop-up store, an art gallery or an indoor farmer’s market, according to a city news release about the program.
The city hopes the funding will “boost local spending and draw additional foot traffic to commercial corridors,” according to the release.
“Small businesses are essential components of thriving communities,” Johnson said in a statement. “We need to invest in our small businesses to generate economic activity, and the Small Business Storefront Activation Program will bring to life storefronts across the city and much-needed economic stimulus to business corridors in historically disinvested communities.”
Small business owners interested in applying for the program, can apply online.
The grant recipients are:
- Calumet Area Industrial Commission, up to $200,000
- Coalition For a Better Chinese American Community, up to $200,000
- DishRoulette Kitchen NFP, up to $200,000
- Garfield Park Community Council, up to $149,856
- Greater Chatham Initiative, up to $200,000
- Greater Southwest Development Corporation, up to $100,000
- Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce, up to $50,652
- Midway Chamber of Commerce, up to $200,000
- Portage Park Chamber of Commerce, up to $200,000
- Rogers Park Business Alliance, up to $200,000
- The Far South Community Development Corporation, up to $165,043
- The Magnificent Mile Association, up to $300,000
- The Puerto Rican Cultural Center, up to $200,000
- Uptown United, up to $200,000
- West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce, up to $200,000
More information on the program and the city’s recovery efforts also are available online.
