Chicago, IL
Neighborhood Planning

Quality of Life Plan: Pilsen Neighborhood
LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) & New Communities Initiative
The Chicago office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) retained Camiros to prepare strategic "quality-of-life plans" to guide programming for three CDCs operating in separate Chicago neighborhoods. The three CDCs and their neighborhoods are: 1) The Resurrection Project in the Pilsen Neighborhood; 2) the Woodlawn Investment and Preservation Corporation in the Woodlawn Neighborhood; and 3) the Southeast Chicago Development Corporation in the South Chicago Neighborhood. Each CDC had achieved some success in promoting residential development within their respective neighborhoods. However, each was fulfilling only a portion of their mission. Lacking in the CDC's activities were initiatives that would improve the overall quality-of-life within the neighborhood, which was needed in order to foster broad-based and sustainable neighborhood improvement. Camiros prepared a strategic action plan for each CDC that presented a specific program of projects to be undertaken. A step by step work plan was prepared to guide each CDC through the multi-year program. Camiros' work emphasized practical, real-world project programming with the understanding that LISC intends to fund each CDC with $3-4 million to carry out the program.

As part of the community planning taking place in the Pilsen Neighborhood, the Pilsen residents, organized by The Resurrection Project, have drafted a vision of a safe, inviting, vibrant and economic viable community. One of the strategies of this vision is to develop a central plaza near 18th Street and the rapid transit station to serve as a place of community gatherings. Anchored by the 18th Street Business District and the former St. Vitus Church, which now serves as The Resurrection Project's main office and community center, the environment of the proposed plaza is reminiscent of those in the residents' native Mexico. The Camiros design transforms a former street right-of-way and parking lot into a community focal point that is filled with music, food, venders, colorful mosaics, fountains and attractive surrounds.

For more information, please visit http://www.newcommunities.org

Quality of Life Plan: South Chicago Neighborhood
LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) & Southeast Chicago Development Commission
This plan was prepared for the South East Chicago Development Commission (SCDCom) under the sponsorship of LISC. It seeks to improve the quality of life within this once thriving steeltown neighborhood that was devastated by the closing of the USX SouthWorks Steel Mill in the 1970s. Recent actions by the City of Chicago have begun to address the issue of SouthWorks reuse. However, the remainder of the community needed a similar planning effort so as to prepare it to accommodate the proposed redevelopment and maintain its current mix of community residents.

To this end, Camiros worked with a local citizen task force to facilitate the preparation of a plan which established six key strategies of action and investment in people and places: economic development, affordable housing, safety, beautification, health, and public/private cooperation. A number of key projects emerged through these strategies including: new housing development; plans to revitalize and redevelopment portions of Commercial Avenue, the neighborhood's shopping street; several key Transit Oriented Development projects; implementation of a job resource center; and, publication of a community newspaper.

For more information, please visit http://www.newcommunities.org

Quality of Life Plan: West Haven Neighborhood
LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) & Near West CDC
West Haven Quality-of-Life Plan, Chicago, Illinois. Camiros worked with the Near West CDC to prepare a Quality-of-Life Plan for the West Haven community. The West Haven area of Chicago surrounds the United Center and is an historic African-American community that has witnessed substantial disinvestments following the riots of 1968, but has nonetheless remained a vital neighborhood over time. Currently, the neighborhood is working to accommodate the redevelopment of the Horner Homes Public Housing redevelopment, part of the Chicago Housing Authority "Plan for Transformation," and, further, is under pressure as gentrification moves west from the City's Central Area. The plan addresses overall community development from the neighborhood's perspective and stresses commercial and housing reinvestment, community image and design, the provision of park programs and infrastructure, safety and security, and family services.

Camiros served the Near West CDC as its technical consultant in this assignment. This involved assembling base data on existing and expected conditions and development trends, citizen participation, preparation of land use and housing redevelopment concepts, formulation of strategies and projects specific to community identity and design, commercial and housing redevelopment and public infrastructure improvements, and preparation of the final plan document.

For more information, please visit http://www.newcommunities.org

Taylor Street
Medical Center Area Economic Development Plan
University Village Association
This plan and program outlined a master development scheme for the redevelopment of the Taylor Street neighborhood commercial development and the select redevelopment of the Taylor Street area of the University Village neighborhood in Chicago. This area is located between the Medical Center campus and the main campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is the heart of the city's Italian community. Camiros, Ltd. assessed the local market for a variety of economic development options, examined the need for additional housing opportunities and suggested ways to maintain current neighborhood housing stock.

A series of neighborhood surveys, shopper surveys and other forms of analyses were undertaken to determine the interest and market for development and redevelopment in the Taylor Street neighborhood and the actions that should be taken to reinforce and maintain the historic nature of the community. A master plan for Taylor Street was developed that identified key redevelopment parcels which would utilize land that either had been cleared or was blighted and abandoned. As a result of these plans, the client attracted a developer and implemented a key proposal of the master plan - development of a shopping facility and housing units in areas which had been cleared and were now owned by the City Renewal Agency.