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The Calumet Rivers Development Project is a unique planning
project that will stimulate economic development and investment in the seven
communities linked by the Calumet River system, including Burnham, Calumet
City, Calumet Park, Dolton, Riverdale, Robbins, and Blue Island. The project
focuses on the Calumet River system as an important environmental amenity and
economic asset. It is based on the assumption that by strategically working
together, the communities will be able to accelerate and expand the potential
economic impact of their individual efforts.
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Goal: The goal is to catalyze economic development that will create jobs
and enhance community and environmental quality.
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Products: Key products will include a shared economic development and
land-use vision, identification of priority projects and development sites,
recommended actions to implement the vision and projects, and an outline of
steps to build the necessary planning and development capacity.
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Approach: The project will:
• Build on and integrate existing planning and development activities, e.g. the
South Suburban Brownfields Assessment Project, Chicago Southland Corridor
Initiative, South Suburban Tax Reactivation Project, Common Ground, and the
South Suburban Calumet Area Open Space Initiative
• Engage public and private stakeholders and leaders in developing and
promoting the vision through a series of roundtables and interviews
• Draw on best practices in developing “working” rivers and creating planning
development mechanisms that involve multiple communities
• Collect, analyze and share data to pinpoint short and long term development
and investment opportunities that take advantage of local assets and regional
growth dynamics
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Steering Committee: A
Steering Committee representing the seven communities and public and private
stakeholders is being formed to provide information and feedback and help build
support for the vision.
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Funding: The Grand Victoria
Foundation awarded a $135,000 grant to SSMMA for the project. In addition,
products from related, currently active projects will add value to Calumet
Rivers Development activities. These products represent over $300,000 in grant
funding.
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Project Team: The project
team is made up of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA),
the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC), Business Districts, Inc.
(BDI), and Vandewalle & Associates (V&A). SSMMA is a not-for-profit
municipal organization that provides technical assistance and joint services
for 42 member municipalities in southern Cook and eastern Will Counties. The
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission is the official comprehensive
planning agency for the six counties that form the greater Chicago metropolitan
region. Business Districts, Inc. is an expert in developing market-based
business district plans for mid-sized communities, and Vandewalle &
Associates has extensive experience in preparing economic positioning and
redevelopment strategies for brownfield sites.
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Time Frame: 2005 – September
2007
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For further information please contact
Ed Paesel or call him at (708) 922-4670.
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