1. Home
2. Our community
3. Learn about the Washington Park Quality-of-Life Plan

Project ideas emerge at May 17 Summit

By Patrick Barry on Friday, June 6, 2008

The outlines of a neighborhood plan began emerging at Washington Park’s first Strategy Summit on May 17, 2008 at St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church. More than 65 local stakeholders participated.

The Strategy Summit opened with a prayer by Bishop Edward Peecher and a recap of earlier work by 20th Ward Alderman Willie Cochran, who convened the process in March with support from LISC/Chicago’s New Communities Program (NCP). The meeting included an hour of breakout-group discussions followed by reports from those groups and the debut presentation of the new Washington Park NCP web site.

 “We had some very lively discussions about history, housing and planning, and one of the greatest things was that everyone was able to make the statements that they needed to make, to put their issues on the table,” said Alderman Cochran. “Sometimes it became challenging, but it was a refreshing process.”

Cochran said that the summit was intended to move forward from the general ideas developed at the first meetings to more specific projects. Bishop Peecher read through a summary of each breakout session from the April 26 workshop. “I’m encouraged by the process,” he said, referring to the sometimes-heated exchanges that characterized the early meetings. “I don’t think it is a bad thing for us to be here and share our opinions. I think it is a good thing so that we can find a new place to be. So let’s get ready to go forward.”

Scott Goldstein of the planning firm Teska Associates noted that the current task is simply to create ideas, and that further discussion will be needed to determine if they are feasible and appropriate. “We’re not going to choose projects today, or debate them. Every idea is fair game and should go up on the board.”

Draft strategy and project lists
The sections below provide preliminary language in each discussion area and a list of project concepts to date. The projects are numbered for ease of reference only; there is no ranking. None of this material is final or endorsed by the larger group.

1. WELLNESS: Support healthy lifestyles and better health care

Participants feel that health issues go beyond access to quality health care to include youth engagement, exercise, mental health, nutrition and civic engagement. The group found that health and wellness “are cross-cutting every issue from jobs and housing to education,” said facilitator Shaan Trotter. For instance, “we do know this: the more education a person has, the healthier they are.”

1.1 Assess physical and mental health needs of the community and improve access to health care services. Use community fairs, schools and other outreach to survey residents and inform them of available services.

1.2 Increase wellness through programs on exercise, nutrition and healthy social interaction. Create school programs for young children to build an understanding of personal health and nutrition. Create local walking and running programs that improve health while creating avenues for interaction among residents.

1.3 Develop civic education campaigns to reinforce positive behaviors and discourage anti-social activity. Youth and adults who lack social skills (such as politeness and respect for others) may also have a lack of pride and self-esteem, which contributes to poor health.

1.4 Take advantage of existing resources such as social workers in schools and nearby health care service providers. These health-oriented providers should be central to the neighborhood’s wellness strategies.

The wellness group recommended small, visible programs as a first step to recruiting more community partners. “When you build people up and publicize the good stuff they are doing, that makes them want to do even more of it,” said Denise Hughes. “And other people are drawn to that and want to do similar programs.”

2. SAFETY: Create an environment where people feel safe, accountable

Like wellness, safety is a cross-cutting issue that depends on changes across the community. Residents and visitors will feel safer if the streets and sidewalks are clean, if storefronts look good, if youth are engaged in positive activities and if there are fewer vacant lots and boarded-up buildings.

2.1 Organize beautification and cleanup efforts. Support and create group efforts to clean up and inventory vacant lots, develop new community gardens and do beautification projects. Provide community recognition such as trophies for the best efforts. Consider use of cleanup resources such as CleanSlate, a workforce-training program, the county’s manpower program, and groups of local students.

2.2 Support broader participation in CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy) activities. In addition to building stronger working relationships at beat meetings, support efforts such as the planned cotillion for youth sponsored by CAPS and local businesses. Use outdoor roll calls and outdoor beat meetings to encourage more participation.

2.3 Require pet owners to be accountable for cleanup and keeping dogs on leashes.

2.4 Involve youth in safety and beautification efforts by awarding service-learning hours. Youth can meet their high school service requirements through beautification programs that engage youth in positive activities.

2.5 Enforce traffic laws, tow abandoned cars and enforce street-cleaning regulations.

2.6 Stress personal accountability to improve safety. All members of the community can contribute by taking a stand against bad behavior and unattractive environments, and by holding residents, youth and business owners accountable.

2.7 Increase parent participation on safety issues. Get parents involved in safety patrols, as aides in classrooms, on school buses, at CAPS meetings and at community events focused on youth.

3. HOUSING: Provide a range of housing choices and support existing residents

With many vacant or abandoned buildings and hundreds of vacant lots, the neighborhood needs new investment in housing for residents as well as newcomers. Participants want to see a range of rental and homeownership options with an emphasis on maintaining affordability.

3.1 Develop an accurate profile of the current housing situation. The community needs a database that provides information about the current mix of housing, its value and rent levels, and the number and size of lots available for potential development. Ownership information on properties is needed to keep building and land owners accountable.

3.2 Explore financial vehicles such as a TIF or NIF to support housing improvement. Develop an understanding of how Tax Increment Financing districts and Neighborhood Improvement Funds could be used to support creation or rehabilitation of affordable housing.

3.3 Develop or link to housing assistance programs. Many residents would benefit from programs that help them gain better housing, improve their homes, add energy-efficiency (“green”) improvements or control property taxes. Connect residents to existing programs and develop new programs if needed.

3.4 Invite community participation on all development proposals. Residents and stakeholders should be well-informed of development proposals and have an opportunity to comment on how they fit with local priorities.

As follow-up to this discussion, a future meeting will provide information about the housing situation and how Tax Increment Financing districts work.

4. HISTORY and IDENTITY: Build on Washington Park’s proud past

Washington Park has a proud history as part of Chicago’s “Black Belt,” the group of South Side neighborhoods where African-Americans of all income levels lived and worked in a highly segregated city. Many former residents have moved elsewhere, but the neighborhood should remember its past and use it to build a strong new community.

4.1 Recruit elders to recount the history of the neighborhood. Oral histories, presentations at schools and displays could help residents and newcomers understand Washington Park’s role as an African-American community in Chicago. Social programs could also reinforce the neighborhood’s cultural identity.

4.2. Preserve and rehabilitate historic buildings. The neighborhood includes many fine buildings from the late 19th or early 20th centuries, from greystone two-flats and terra-cotta commercial buildings to the Shultz Bakery, Raber House and 1892 train station on Garfield Blvd. This historic fabric should be retained alongside new development that fills vacant lots.

4.3 Become part of the proposed Black Metropolis District National Heritage Area. The proposed district, outlined in House Bill 5505, provides a vehicle for telling the story of Washington Park and other neighborhoods that were the historic base for African-American families and institutions.

This group also identified TIF and NIF programs as possible sources of funding, and asked for clarification of the boundaries of the Washington Park planning area and official community area.

5. EDUCATION: Support youth and adults in and outside of schools

Participants want to create a network of programs and supports for youth as well as adults to improve the quality of education, build employment skills and increase the earning power of residents. Program ideas include:

5.1 Develop Career and Education Fairs for youth and adults to expose them to opportunities in the work world and higher education. Partner with Kennedy King College, University of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, and other City Colleges of Chicago to showcase learning paths that lead to careers.

5.2 Improve digital literacy through a network of computer centers that offer varied and useful programming. Reduce the digital divide by promoting usage and improving programming at local organizations that offer computer access (including the Washington Park Fieldhouse, St. Anselm’s and K.L.E.O. Community Center). Develop academic programming in coordination with local schools, such as ACT test-prep or math skills, and teach software and hardware skills to students, parents and other adults.

5.3 Attract a military-style drill program to a local school. The Veterans Neighborhood Builders Association has run a marching and close-order drill program for special education students at North Kenwood Charter School and could bring such a program to Washington Park. The program for 3rd to 6th graders teaches discipline and helps students burn off excess energy that can lead to disruption of classrooms; students enter through teacher recommendations.

5.4 Increase parent involvement in schools. An on-street parade of school faculty and staff or presentations by schools at community settings could improve engagement with parents and other family members.

5.5 Attract a new school through the Renaissance 2010 program. Chicago Public Schools is creating or building 100 new schools. Washington Park should research the feasibility of attracting a new school.

5.6 Develop programs to improve attendance and student achievement. Incentive programs, “surrogate” parents and more community interaction should be considered. Programs for 7th and 8th graders should help them understand their choices among high schools citywide.

5.7 Survey students and parents about what they want to improve their schools.

Facilitator Cecelia Hunt said that Washington Park can become a “wonderful place with world-class education.” She added that “we’re not putting blinders on in terms of where we are now, but that shouldn’t keep us from going where we want to be.”

6. YOUTH: Provide more supervised activities to engage and inform young people

This group built on its previous discussions focused on creating activities that provide a constructive outlet for young people who might otherwise be involved in unhealthy and unsupervised activities. The previous concept of an Open Mic competition on Friday nights was fleshed out into a summer-long program with responsibilities shared among local organizations.

6.1 Launch Open Mic competitions and “Corner Actions” each week. The K.L.E.O. Community Center hopes to sponsor the first Open Mic competition on June 6, building on an informal Friday evening gathering that attracted youth and families. The winner of the competition would gain status among his or her peers by leading the following session. Other organizations could sponsor similar gatherings and all partners would gather youth from their local corners and bring them to that week’s event. The Open Mic on Fridays would be for ages 15-20; on Saturdays for ages 21-25.

6.2 Sponsor “Tom Thumb weddings.” A local church is sponsoring this youth-oriented mock wedding to raise funds for a community garden while teaching children about values and the importance of marriage. Those who sell the most ads for a program book become the bride, groom and wedding party; others attend as “celebrities.”

6.3 Support students as they head back to school. Christ Unity Church has organized free haircuts for youth and seeks donations of bookbags and school supplies.

6.4 Link evening programs with life skills and religious training. Churches could organize fun programming for youth that includes Bible study or life-skills training as a condition of participation.

6.5 Create residential school program. Washington Park could explore creation of a short-term residential program for at-risk youth such as the Casa Tepeyac program run by Boys Town Chicago in Back of the Yards.

6.6 Develop a Washington Park Peace Festival. This large-scale event in the park would be developed in partnership with the Family Federation for World Peace and include big-name attractions. A tentative date of July 19 has been discussed but full support of the community would be necessary to move forward.

“Our goal is to give the youth alternatives to street violence,” said K.L.E.O.’s Torrey Barrett, who facilitated the group. “Collectively, we probably have enough activities to keep the youth busy all summer long.”

7. JOBS: Build partnerships to improve employment options

The employment discussions have focused on helping residents build job skills and connect to the region’s large and diverse economy.

7.1 Support small businesses and entrepreneurs. Create or connect to a small business development center to promote available programs, provide marketing support , connect business owners with financial and technical resources, and develop networking among business owners. An incubator could provide low-cost office space and skills development.

7.2 Boost technical skills through training and certification. Work with local colleges, universities and technology centers to link residents to training programs in office software, computer hardware, health care and other marketable skills.

7.3 Create partnerships with trade unions. Build the earning power of residents by connecting with existing trade union apprenticeship programs that lead to well-paid construction and trade jobs.

7.4 Target specific industries for job growth. Research growing industries such as “green” environmental businesses, rail freight and medical services to bring such jobs to the neighborhood or connect residents to jobs in the region.

7.5 Publicize existing workforce development and job programs to residents.

8. RETAIL: Develop locations for large and small retail centers

Washington Park has several nodes of retail businesses as well as large tracts of vacant land that could be developed as shopping centers serving the larger South Side. The area also has excellent locations for retail on busy transportation corridors.

8.1 Identify and promote locations for small, unique businesses. Clusters of businesses already exist on Garfield Boulevard, State Street, and 58th, 61st and 63rd Streets. Promote these locations for new small businesses such as a tailor, candle and gift shops, and sit-down restaurants.

8.2 Assemble parcels for large-scale retail development. Large plots of empty or near-empty land exist, mostly on the west end of the community near State Street. By assembling parcels and eliminating alleys, the land could be configured for “big-box” retailers such as Target, Linens N Things and grocery stores.

8.3 Create “transit-oriented development” near CTA transit centers. The neighborhood’s Green and Red Line stations at 55th and King, 63rd and King and 55th and the Dan Ryan serve a total of 6,100 passengers each weekday. This traffic plus other neighborhood residents and workers could support development of mixed-use facilities near the stations that include retail spaces, apartments or condominiums, and services such as a child care center or computer center.

8.4 Develop resources and partnerships to support retail. A Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district could generate funds to attract retailers and improve local infrastructure. Partnerships with the University of Chicago and others could help bring customers. Traffic on the Dan Ryan Expressway provides high visibility.

Presenting the new web site

After the reports by breakout groups, NCP Program Manager Lynda Jones presented the new Washington Park NCP web site, which can be viewed at www.washingtonparkncp.org.

Jones invited all stakeholders to submit calendar items, news and short profiles of their organization, business or church for use in the Washington Park directory, which already includes more than 150 listings. Information should be sent to Lynda Jones at dvooo2000@yahoo.com

The goal of the web site is to support communication about and within the neighborhood, promote networking among organizations, churches and residents, and generate attention for the Washington Park community.

Closing and next steps
The meeting closed with a short presentation by representatives of the new Amandla Charter School in Englewood and by Illinois Rep. Ken Dunkin (5th), who urged participants to think about how state resources can help in the implementation phase of the Washington Park quality-of-life plan. “Be sure to include individuals like us (on the Illinois Legislature) so that we can support your work,” he said.

The next Community Planning Workshop will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, at St. Edmund’s Church, 6105 S. Michigan Ave.

Send comments or corrections to Patrick Barry, NCP scribe, 773-973-2169, barry.patrick@comcast.net.