Critics of the Invest South/West Initiative have rushed to an unfair verdict that the ambitious program to bring investment to the South and West Sides is moving too slowly and under-delivering. These criticisms overlook the transformational progress made as a result of the city selecting locally based and minority-led teams and then requiring those teams to work collaboratively with the surrounding communities.
As one of the 11 development teams selected by the request for proposals, we believe it is important to set the record straight. We are the developers of the United Yards project in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, which is one of the success stories. Initiatives with the vision and determination to truly impact historically under-invested communities do not happen overnight.
