The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Class of 2018 (Summer) grant recipients.
The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Class of 2018 (Spring) grant recipients.
The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Class of 2017 grant recipients.
Since the program’s inception in June 2017, the City of Chicago has had the privilege of awarding three cohorts of local businesses with Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grants.
| Project | Address | Summary | Estimated Grant Amount** | Year Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13th Flow | 30 W. Garfield Blvd. | Renovations to an existing fitness facility serving the Washington Park community. | $45,500.00 | 2019 |
| 345 Art Gallery | 345 N. Kedzie Ave. | Acquisition of two lots adjacent to the visual arts gallery and venue to allow for expansion | $40,000.00 | 2017 |
| 5 Loaves Eatery | 405 E. 75th St. | Expansion of established neighborhood restaurant that will allow them to grow into adjacent storefront, increase capacity and improve efficiency. | $211,602.30 | 2019 |
| 5 Loaves Eatery / Harold's Chicken | 407 E. 75th St. | Renovations to multi-tenant commercial property to improve the façade, tuck-pointing, and HVAC. | $159,000.00 | 2018 |
| 51st Street Restaurant Row | 363 - 365 E. 51st St. | Redevelopment of vacant ground floor commercial units to provide move-in ready space to restauranteurs. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| 57th Street Design | 4130 S. Wabash Ave. | Buildout of new HQ for a direct-to-consumer furniture maker with a contemporary-modern aesthetic. The building will be used for production space, gallery space and event space. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| 7 One Street | 2311 - 13 E. 71st St. | Buildout for casual dining restaurant and bar that pays homage to neighborhood history. They will serve comfort food with a modern twist and name menu items after prominent neighborhood Street names. | $50,000.00 | 2019 |
| 79th/Halsted Retail | 7861 S. Halsted St. | Renovations to six (6) unit commercial property to fill three (3) vacant units and to update the façade. | $50,000.00 | 2019 |
| A2 Express | 6901 - 09 S. Wentworth Ave. 141 - 147 W. 69th St. | Buildout and renovations for multi-tenant commercial property. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| ABJ A.R.T.S. | 1818 E. 71st St. | Renovations for arts and culture organization including the buildout of a 125-seat black box theatre. | $118,950.00 | 2019 |
| Acuario Piscis Pet Store & Grooming | 3040 W. Cermak Rd. | Interior and exterior renovations (including façade enhancement) for the existing pet store and grooming salon. Locally and family-owned business that sells pet supplies, reptiles, birds, rodents, and fish. | $47,898.50 | 2019 |
| AGB Investigative Services | 2445 W. 71st St. | Redevelopment of property to accommodate professional office for a full service security firm. | $83,074.50 | 2019 |
| Altogether Lovely | 1841 W. 63rd St. | Repairs to interior and exterior of building to expand hair salon, hair supply store and education center. | $24,225.50 | 2018 |
| Ambassador Floral | 11045 S. Halsted St. | Complete renovation of the property, including expansion of the garden center | $200,000.00 | 2017 |
| AP Deli | 10756-58 S. Michigan Ave. | Façade and storefront improvements to original location of AP Deli and buildout for a barbershop in an adjacent tenant space. | $119,600.00 | 2018 |
| Avenue Dogs | 5845 W. Chicago Ave. | Buildout of vacant office space for a new Vienna beef hot dog stand. Applicant will also renovate the adjacent vacant lot to build an outdoor patio for seating during warmer months. | $51,350.00 | 2019 |
| Balloons, Flowers & Gift Baskets | 11033 S. Michigan Ave. | Complete rehab of the local balloon and flower retail shop, including windows, electric, carpentry, bathrooms and HVAC. | $126,633.00 | 2018 |
| Beverly Food Market | 8636 S. Ashland Ave. | Renovations for a start-up grocery store that includes a deli and take-out foods space. The food market occupies a former Walgreens location. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| BJ's Market & Bakery | 1156 W. 79th St. | Renovations and updates to a longstanding neighborhood eatery that serves Southern-style cuisine. | $77,805.00 | 2018 |
| Bridgewater Studio * | 4834 S. Oakley Ave | Expansion and rehabilition of an existing 50,000 sq ft building to expand the custom furniture and design business with the adjoining lot to increase production capacity, hire from the neighborhood and add an arts mentorship incubation space. | $1,850,000.00 | 2019 |
| Bronzeville Culinary Kitchens | 436 E. 47th St. | Buildout of new shared commercial kitchen and events facility to support new and existing food-based small businesses. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Bronzeville Salon Suites, LLC * | 80 E. Pershing Rd. | Construct a 6,500 sq. ft building to create 18 fully equipped salon suites for independent beauty professionals. | $720,334.00 | 2018 |
| Brown Sugar Bakery | 4800 W. Chicago Ave. | Rehab of commercial space to house a new location of the bakery and catering business currently operating at two other locations | $110,000.00 | 2017 |
| C.R.O.E. Broadcast Studio | 2434 W. 71st St. | Renovations of existing TV broadcast studio to add radio and web-based services. C.R.O.E.'s programming is intended to help with outreach center serving local residents and the surrounding community. | $138,831.50 | 2019 |
| Café Du Bois | 325 W. 95th St. | Acquire, renovate, and transform the vacant property into a sit-down retail coffee shop, Café Du Bois. The project will be developed and managed by The Endeleo Institute who will seek a local resident to manage and operate the coffee shop. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| Calahan Funeral Home | 7046 S. Halsted St. | Expansion of an existing funeral home with a building addition and new parking. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| California Smoke House | 2800 W. Madison St. | Rehab of the building to develop a new restaurant to replace the closed Wallace's Catfish Corner | $150,000.00 | 2017 |
| Carniceria la Hacienda | 5159 S. Kedzie Ave. | Update to the fourth location of the family grocery business, including improvements to the interior, façade, parking lot, and roof | $110,500.00 | 2017 |
| Catedral Café | 2455 - 59 S. Christian Ave. | Buildout for start-up vegan restaurant with demo kitchen and rooftop patio. The owners own La Catedral Café & restaurant across the street, an anchor in the Little Village community. | $204,500.00 | 2019 |
| Cerveza Fiesta Restaurant and Brewpub | 3125 W. Cermak Rd. | Landlord buildout for new restaurant tenant – Cerveza Fiesta Restaurant and Brewpub. In addition to brewpub food and beer offerings, they will conduct brewing classes on site. | $142,350.00 | 2019 |
| Chef Sara's Café | 7201 S. Exchange Ave. | Renovations to existing local café to increase efficiency and improve customer dining area. | $53,300.00 | 2019 |
| Chicago Army & Lou's | 416-24 E. 75th St. | Build-out for start-up restaurant paying homage to the historic Army & Lou's including the addition of a rooftop patio. | $150,000.00 | 2018 |
| Chubby's Char House | 5963 W. Madison St. | Buildout for a start-up restaurant that will hire and train ex-offenders. | $130,325.00 | 2018 |
| Cinemas Entertainment | t3300 W. Roosevelt Rd. | Buildout of a sit-down dining area within a new movie theater serving the North Lawndale community. | $249,775.00 | 2018 |
| Civic Commons - St. Laurence * | 1341-53 E. 72nd Street | Redevelopment of the former St. Laurence Catholic elementary school into a 40,000 sq ft arts and business incubator for community use, art programming, art skill training and artist work space. | $1,600,000.00 | 2019 |
| Coleman's Bar-B-Que #2 | 5752-56 W. Chicago Ave. | Renovations and updates to established and family-owned barbecue restaurant. | $124,408.05 | 2018 |
| Creators By Nature Arts Center | 149 W. 111th St. | Acquisition and Build-out of an art gallery and theater space with four artists lofts on the second floor | $48,880.00 | 2017 |
| Cup O' Joe Coffee - Veteran Roasters * | 626 East 111th Street | Lease relocation of Cup of Joe to expand into a 28,000 sq ft facility for coffee and brewery production, that will include a cafe and brewpub and provide jobs to veterans. | $2,000,000.00 | 2019 |
| Cynthia's Gumbo | 10333 S. Halsted St. | Build-out of space for a catering and take-out southern-style restaurant. | $68,250.00 | 2018 |
| D.G. Deli and Produce market | 5449 W. Division St. | Buildout for a start-up fresh meat and vegetables store. | $79,300.00 | 2019 |
| Damenzo's | 11226 S. Halsted St. | Rehab of the local pizza restaurant including roofing, parking lot, and fencing repairs, and an upgrade to the HVAC system | $40,000.00 | 2017 |
| Definition Theater Company * | 6551 S Cottage Grove Ave | Rehabilitation and acquisition of an existing building, to include new HVAC, ceiling replacement, roof repairs, and buildout of office space and rehearsal space for a performing arts center and theatre. | $1,600,000.00 | 2019 |
| Del-Kar Pharmacy | 3726 W. 16th St. | Renovations to longstanding neighborhood pharmacy and convenience store. | $102,375.00 | 2018 |
| Dog-E-Stylez Grooming Salon | 1944 W. 47th St. | Renovations to pet store and grooming salon and development of adjacent dog park. | $55,900.00 | 2018 |
| Don Pepe Restaurant | 3614 W. 26th St. | Expansion of the restaurant to provide opportunities to feature local Latinx-themed artwork. Don Pepe will work with local artists to showcase their work. The project will add new capacity with a new exhaust hood and walk-in freezer. | $35,999.60 | 2019 |
| Doughboy's | 352 E. 71st St. | Buildout for new tenant: Doughboy’s restaurant specializing in soul food and other specialty items. | $61,750.00 | 2018 |
| DragonFLY Gallery and Creative Spaces | 2436 W. Madison St. | Acquisition and buildout for an art gallery and studio that will also offer classes and programming for local high school students. | $98,325.00 | 2019 |
| Dust Em Clean Maintenance | 634 E. 61st St. | Redevelopment of multi-unit commercial building owned and occupied by an existing janitorial and site maintenance company along with new retail tenants. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Duwell Fish Company | 617 S. Pulaski Rd. | Existing fish retailer renovating their parking lot and building out space for an outdoor farmer’s market. A 50-year old family-owned company. | $80,207.69 | 2019 |
| El Pollo Bravo | 4105 W. 26th St. | Acquisition and buildout to re-open a chicken restaurant (specializing in flame grilled chicken). This project will allow Pollo Bravo to remain on the same block they were formerly operating on. | $161,525.00 | 2019 |
| Emanuel's Chapel Funeral Home | 5112 S. Western Ave. | Improvements to the façade and redevelopment of the parking lot. | $147,550.00 | 2018 |
| Englewood Branded | 1546 W. 63rd St. | Renovations to existing neighborhood-centric screen printing shop. The renovations will allow them to improve the retail area and the screen printing training area. | $162,500.00 | 2019 |
| Enlace Chicago * | 2759 S. Harding Ave. | Buildout the third floor and rooftop to house an incubator for local small businesses and cooperatives with a focus on food, agriculture and art. | $550,000.00 | 2018 |
| Essential Elements - Chicago | 1640 E. 87th St. | Renovations to an existing Women's boutique to include replacement of roof and flooring. | $22,500.00 | 2018 |
| Etcetera | 2674 W. Madison St. | Complete rehab of a start-up American restaurant and sports bar. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Far South CDC | 9951 S. Halsted St. | Renovations to office space to help Far South CDC increase its office capacity, providing space for 18 – 25 employees. | $49,510.00 | 2019 |
| Floreria La Orquidea | 2458 S. Millard Ave. | Acquisition and buildout for relocation and expansion of existing floral arrangement business. | $243,750.00 | 2019 |
| FoodHero L3C | 3525 W. 26th St. | Buildout for a shared commercial kitchen with culinary and business training programs. Food Hero is an existing organization that offers certified courses in restaurant management, food manufacturing, food safety, etc. | $162,500.00 | 2019 |
| Frances Cocktail Lounge | 307 E. 75th St. | Expansion of longstanding neighborhood tavern with an all seasons back patio and expansion of kitchen. | $55,267.65 | 2019 |
| Full Video Production Services | 2226 E. 71st St. | Acquisition of an adjacent lot and renovations to an existing video production service business. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| Gallery Guichard | 446 E. 47th St. | Expansion of the gallery with the addition of an outdoor sculpture garden that will house rotating exhibits | $15,000.00 | 2017 |
| Garcia's Svcs, Inc. | 5134 W. Grand Ave. | Renovations to exterior and interior of building for a notary and document translation services business. | $68,250.00 | 2018 |
| Garifuna Flava Caribbean Restaurant | 2516 W. 63rd St. | Improvements to the façade, rehab of the dining room and expansion of the kitchen to keep up with demand | $212,500.00 | 2017 |
| Gatling's Repast & Event Center | 10223-10227 S. Halsted St. | Buildout for a state of the art events center affiliated with nearby Gatling's Chapel to support and grow the 30-year old business. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| Give Me Some Sugah | 2234 E. 71st St. | Renovations to existing local bakery to increase commercial kitchen capacity. | $12,805.00 | 2019 |
| GN Bank | 4619 S. King Drive | Renovations for a the only remaining black-owned, community bank in Chicago, the successor to ISF Bank. | $50,850.00 | 2019 |
| Halsted Memorial Chapels | 12345 S. Halsted St. | Interior and exterior renovations to convert a former bowling alley into a new funeral home offering affordable services to the community. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| Haute Brats | 6239 S. Ashland Ave. | Buildout for new tenant: "Haute Brats," a social enterprise that will serve takeout American classics and provide workforce development training in conjunction with local organizations. | $149,828.25 | 2018 |
| Head Quarters Barber Academy | 5131 W. Madison St. | Build-out on the second floor to expand existing barber shop and barber academy. | $112,515.00 | 2018 |
| Herban Produce | 2858 W. Van Buren St. | Expansion for existing urban farm and buildout of adjacent commercial storefront for an associated events space. | $150,751.25 | 2019 |
| Heritage Café | 1849 E. 79th St. | Renovation and acquisition of building to improve efficiency, increase capacity, and make use of the back lot for the café. | $193,450.00 | 2019 |
| Heritage Plaza Banquet Facility | 1500 W. 95th St. | Commercial kitchen and banquet hall renovations for an existing community-oriented banquet facility affiliated with Third Baptist Church of Chicago. | $150,000.00 | 2019 |
| Hoagie Kingz | 10314 s halsted st | Tenant buildout for new sandwich shop specializing in hoagies, steak sandwiches, gyros, wings, Italian beefs, etc. | $36,985.00 | 2019 |
| Homan Grown | 3844 W 16th St. | Addition of new component of the MLK Blooms Initiative that wholesales and retails perennials to Chicago-based landscaping firms | $45,737.25 | 2017 |
| Huddle House Diner * | 9401 S. Stony Island Ave. | Acquisition of vacant lot and construction of a new location for Huddle House diner franchise. | $1,100,000.00 | 2019 |
| Inner-City Muslim Action Network Healthy Marketplace | 1207-11 W. 63rd St. | Property acquisition and rehab to establish a model corner store and healthy marketplace for IMAN's network of 62 corner store operators. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Ivory Dental Specialists | 8344 S. Halsted St. | Property acquisition and Build-out of a second location of this dental practice and space for Afro Joe's café | $200,000.00 | 2017 |
| Iyanze Bronze | 308 E. 51st St. | Build-out for a second location of the Nigerian restaurant in the Bronzeville Cookin' building | $101,124.00 | 2017 |
| Jacaranda Bar | 3608 W. 26th St. | Beautification of the space for a neighborhood tavern and lounge, plus addition of a back patio. | $83,850.00 | 2019 |
| Jeffery Java and Old Fashioned Donuts | 1951 E. 71st St. | Buildout of start-up coffee shop and café featuring Old Fashioned Donuts. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Karla's Kitchen of Chicago | 801 S. Pulaski Rd. | Property acquisition and rehab for the relocation and expansion of this soul food restaurant | $200,000.00 | 2017 |
| Karry Young Development | 1310 E. 75th St. | Buildout of a banquet hall and events space on the ground floor with a full kitchen and a cigar lounge on the second floor. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| Kenwood Dental Group | 1335 E. 87th St. | Renovations and modernization of an existing dental practice. | $123,863.00 | 2018 |
| Kusanya Café | 823 W. 69th St. | Renovations to neighborhood café and adjacent space to allow for an expansion where they will offer wellness and yoga classes. | $55,250.00 | 2019 |
| La Copacabana Fruit Market | 2732 W. Cermak Rd. | Renovations and updates to full service grocery store and neighborhood market. | $170,950.00 | 2018 |
| La Cremeria Santa Maria | 3300 W. 26th St. | Expansion of the dairy retailer and wholesaler with a second location in Little Village. | $58,500.00 | 2018 |
| Laine's Bake Shop | 6437 - 39 S. Cottage Grove Ave. | Renovations of two commercial units for the relocation of an artisanal baking company to increase production capacity and to add retail space and administrative offices. | $225,413.50 | 2018 |
| Larry's Barber College | 10456 S. Halsted St. | Purchase and rehab to longstanding barber shop and college. | $156,000.00 | 2018 |
| Latinos Progresando | 2724 W. Cermak Rd. | Property acquisition and build-out of a currently vacant public library building into a hub for cultural activities and events, such as art, music and theater. The first floor will house offices for the organization's legal immigration services. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| LBP Carver 47 Café | 1060 E. 47th St. | Expansion of the kitchen for Carver 47, increasing the café's capacity to serve the community and train its workforce. | $76,050.00 | 2018 |
| Leamington Foods * | 3250 W. Roosevelt Rd. | Resize existing grocery store to allow grocer to remodel, rebrand, and reinvest in the North Lawndale community. | $1,547,484.71 | 2018 |
| LeKula Café | 645 - 53 W. 119th St. | Complete interior build-out and redevelopment of parking lot for start-up café and lounge. | $200,000.00 | 2018 |
| Linda's Sport Shoes | 3236 W. 26th St. | Renovations and updates to a sporting goods store specializing in athletic footwear. | $16,500.00 | 2018 |
| Little Village Chamber of Commerce (XQuina Cafe) | 3534 W. 26th St. | Rehab of vacant multi-unit building for a new community café on groundfloor with an office incubator and training space on the top floor operated by the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Love Dental | 11139 S. Halsted St. | Renovations to a parking lot for a general dental office. | $25,350.00 | 2019 |
| M & M Realty LLC | 1701 E. 75th St. | Redevelopment of a vacant former carwash for a multi-tenant retail strip to accommodate a new coffee shop and other commercial uses. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| M Lounge | 69 East Garfield Blvd. | Buildout for an upscale boutique restaurant called Cleo’s and a private event space called M7. M Lounge owns and operates two similar lounges in the South Loop. | $235,300.00 | 2019 |
| M&R Prescription Center | 1959 E. 71st St. | Improvements to storefront, store sign, security system, flooring, finish, and display area to improve store visibility and security of a neighborhood medical supply store. | $15,000.00 | 2018 |
| Ma Dear's Down Home Kitchen | 2136 S. Pulaski Rd. | Expansion of the soul food restaurant to the adjacent space to Build-out the dining room | $39,000.00 | 2017 |
| Madland Industries, LLC * | 328 N. Albany Ave | Rehabilitation of the property to house Passion House Coffee Roasters, a photography business, and other potential tenants. | $660,000.00 | 2019 |
| Majani | 7355 S. Exchange Ave. | Buildout of a commissary kitchen and offices for a growing vegan restaurant and catering company. | $159,250.00 | 2018 |
| Majestic Florist | 8145 S. Cottage Grove Ave. | Complete renovation of the local floral shop | $150,000.00 | 2017 |
| Mana Gourmet Foods | 942-44 E. 79th St. | Buildout for a start-up café and dessert shop that serves an innovative and locally made product. | $162,500.00 | 2018 |
| Marlon's Chicken | 602 E. 75th St. | Building upgrades to a neighborhood eatery specializing in chicken. | $37,250.00 | 2018 |
| Martinez Funeral Home | 2534 S. Pulaski Rd. | Interior and exterior renovations to independently owned, LatinX funeral home. | $114,400.00 | 2019 |
| Melvina Masterminds | 6114 W. North Ave. | Buildout for a new entity, led by comedian and Chicago native Hannibal Burress, that will seek to enrich students with skill development. This entity will offer entrepreneurship training programs and include a performing arts venue. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| Metropolitan Premier Grocery | 56 E. 47th St. | Buildout of new grocery store to service Rosenwald tenants and local community. | $110,500.00 | 2018 |
| Mikkey's Retro Grill | 8126 S. Stony Island Ave. | Building rehab to open a second location of the restaurant | $81,250.00 | 2017 |
| Mosaic Wellness and Beauty Bar | 5658 - 60 W. Madison St. | Buildout for start-up full service salon including wellness services. | $48,750.00 | 2019 |
| MZZ.Tish's Personal Touch Salon | 8602 S. Racine Ave. | Renovations to an existing beauty salon. | $18,248.75 | 2019 |
| National Park Foundation | 11057 S. Cottage Grove Ave. | Buildout for the Visitors' Center at the forthcoming National Pullman Monument Park. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Nipsey's Restaurant & Bar | 9156 S. Stony Island Ave. | Buildout for a start-up southern-style restaurant with 90s theme. | $95,875.00 | 2019 |
| Norman's Bistro | 1001 - 1005 E. 43rd St. | Façade enhancements to multi-unit commercial property including Norman’s Bistro, Room 43, and construction of The Haven. | $228,800.00 | 2018 |
| North Lawndale Employment Network * | 1111 S. Homan Ave. | Acquisition and rehabilitation of a site to builld new training campus that will house a café and event rental space as well as an urban farm for Sweet Beginnings. | $2,500,000.00 | 2019 |
| Nortom Public Accounting & Auditing Company | 1514 W. 87th St. | Buildout for a start-up accounting services and insurance brokerage firm. | $21,710.00 | 2019 |
| Nubian Nation Greek Boutique | 7525 S. Vincennes Ave. | Beautification of an long-standing retailer/distributor (e-commerce business) of merchandise for black Greek letter organizations. | $90,735.00 | 2019 |
| Nuevo Leon Restaurant | 3657 W. 26th St. | Rehab of long-standing Mexican restaurant and redevelopment of customer parking lot. | $98,995.00 | 2018 |
| Ogden Commons * | 2632-2646 West Ogden | New constructuion of a large office and retail building for retail restaurant tenants. | $2,500,000.00 | 2019 |
| OK Corral | 3225 W. 26th St. | Buildout for the relocation of a longstanding western wear retailer that has been in business in Little Village for over 15 years. | $179,400.00 | 2019 |
| OLD NAVY | 11700 S. Marshfield Ave. | Build-out for Old Navy store in Marshfield Plaza. | $213,538.50 | 2018 |
| Original Soul Vegetarian | 203 E. 75th St. | Property acquisition and rehab to expand existing restaurant and streamline the space | $200,000.00 | 2017 |
| Osito's Tap | 2553 S. Ridgeway Ave. | Build-out of start-up craft beer and spirits bar adjacent to family-owned Moreno's Liquors. | $162,500.00 | 2018 |
| Panaderia Coral | 3807 W. 26th St. | Interior renovations to increase capacity for lonstanding neighborhood bakery that has been serving the community since 1980. | $95,230.70 | 2019 |
| Party Wheelz | 7508 S. Cottage Grove Ave. | Acquisition and buildout for start-up event space focused on birthdays for ages 3 - 12. Kids will be able to drive high-end brand electric cars that can be remotely controlled by parents. | $132,184.00 | 2019 |
| Peach's on 47th * | 4652 S King Dr. | Expansion of an existing restaurant kitchen and dining hall to provide live jazz and blues on the weekends as part of a musically curated brunch. | $400,000.00 | 2019 |
| PMJ Enterprises | 4122 W. Grand Ave. | Façade repairs for a general contracting company’s professional office. | $145,662.40 | 2019 |
| Pretty Dapper | 3810 W. 16th St. | Build-out of a day spa at the Martin Luther King Legacy Homes complex. | $32,955.00 | 2018 |
| Restaurant Y Taqueria La Justicia | 3901 W. 26th St. | Exterior and interior renovations to a long-standing family-owned Mexican restaurant. | $76,700.00 | 2018 |
| RH Sneed's Hardware & Maintenance | 1650 W. 79th St. | Interior and exterior renovations for a longstanding, minority-owned, independent hardware store. | $23,075.00 | 2019 |
| Rincon Family Services and XD Technology Center | 3942 W. North Ave. | Buildout for a technology training center extension of a family support center. | $237,250.00 | 2019 |
| Rock the Islands Café | 7114 S. Yates Blvd. | Buildout for a start-up restaurant that will feature fare inspired by Jamaican, Haitian, and Cuban cuisines. | $59,475.00 | 2019 |
| Shakespear Rose Culinary Kitchen | 6246 S. St Lawrence Ave. | Rehab of a commercial space to accommodate a commercial kitchen to incubate food-based businesses. Will offer cooking classes, host events and pop-up restaurants. | $89,700.00 | 2019 |
| Shawn Michelle's Churned Homemade | 56 E. 47th St. | Build-out for a new ice cream parlor and warm pie pantry | $63,358.00 | 2017 |
| Shuga Rush | 5904 W. Madison St. | Rehab storefront space to support the start-up of a sweet shop that will offer a variety of candy, pastries, beverages and free Wi-Fi | $94,575.00 | 2017 |
| Sip & Savor | 78 E. 47th St. | New location of Sip and Savor coffee shop in the recently revitalized Rosenwald building | $74,750.00 | 2017 |
| Sisters in Cinema | 2310 E. 75th St. | Property acquisition and rehab to house a nonprofit that pays homage to African American storytellers and educates and trains the next generation of storytellers | $98,500.00 | 2017 |
| Sky-Light Carpentry Services | 5420 W. Division St. | Buildout for a new shared office space serving small businesses in the finance, insurance and real estate industries. | $152,327.50 | 2018 |
| Smokey Zo's | 11641 S. Halsted Ave. | Buildout for a start-up wife-and-husband-owned barbecue restaurant. | $53,250.00 | 2019 |
| South Shore Brew | 7101 S. Yates Blvd. | Build-out of a coffee shop that will offer Southern fare, grab-and-go pastries, and coffee from Bridgeport Coffee featuring African beans | $58,955.00 | 2017 |
| South Side Community Art Center | 3831 S. Michigan Ave. | Comprehensive building restoration for City landmark that is home to an iconic arts and culture organization. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Spirit & Soul Catering | 5141 W. Madison St. | Buildout for a start-up southern style restaurant and catering operation. | $41,925.00 | 2019 |
| St. Edmund's Redevelopment Corporation | 201-07 E. 61st St. | New construction of an office building for an established Community Development Corporation that serves the Washington Park neighborhood. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Stewart Music Emporium | 212 E. 79th St. | Buildout for start-up music store that offers rentals, music lessons and rehearsal space. | $162,678.63 | 2019 |
| Stone Community Development Corporation | 4932-36 W. Chicago Ave. | Renovations of multi-tenant commercial space for professional office space, a community center operated by Stone Community CDC, and a new gourmet popcorn retailer. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| Stony Island Designs | 6948 S. Stony Island Ave. | Building renovations for a start-up paint and decorating products retailer. | $90,870.00 | 2019 |
| Strawberry Café | 1652 E. 79th St. | Establishment of a new start-up restaurant specializing in breakfast and catering to the community. | $250,000.00 | 2018 |
| Style and Flow Salon | 9912 S. Ewing Ave. | Buildout for a start-up beauty salon specializing in blow outs. | $12,407.00 | 2019 |
| Sunshine Gospel Ministries * | 360-76 E. 61st St. | Acquire and restore historic art-deco building to house shared office space and business incubator. | $1,875,000.00 | 2018 |
| Sweet Potato Patch / McLaurin Development Partners * | 7721 S. Ashland Ave | Acquisition of 21,478 sf vacant site and buildout of commercial kitchen to serve as a business incubator for urban farming entrepreneurs in re-purposed shipping containers. | $1,000,000.00 | 2019 |
| SYTE Corporation * | 6793 S. Chicago Ave. | Renovate 17,922 sq. ft. building into a headquarters for SYTE Corp., a technology and training incubator, and a small business development center. | $2,108,928.00 | 2018 |
| Taqueria Maravatio | 2625 W. 59th St. | Buildout for relocation and expansion of existing Mexican restaurant. | $186,387.50 | 2019 |
| Teatro Tariakuri | 3117 W. 63rd St. | Exterior renovations (façade, storefront and roofing) to an existing dance theatre company that provides services to children and adults. They offer classes in English and Spanish. | $35,750.00 | 2019 |
| Ted's Place | 5813 W. Madison St. | Renovations and updates to longstanding community tavern. | $20,800.00 | 2018 |
| The Annex | 2100 E. 71st St. | Buildout for new food hall, incubator and business accelerator. | $110,000.00 | 2019 |
| The Artisan Collective | 1735 E. 71st St. | Buildout for South Shore Chamber of commerce led arts-focused retail incubator to support local artisans. | $39,563.55 | 2019 |
| The Boyce Group and Aquarium Que Bar & Grill | 3452-58 W. 16th St. | Buildout for a multi-tenant commercial building that will house staffing agency and start-up barbeque themed sports bar. | $138,450.00 | 2019 |
| The Build Brothers | 2612 W. 71st St. | Buildout for a new office space for engineering and construction company including a technical training center. They will offer training to 14-21 year olds for technical programs such as AutoCad and Micro-Station. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| The Grove on Cottage * | 4528 S Cottage Grove Ave | New construction of coworking space on the Cottage Grove corridor with office space and amenities including a café, retail space, a wellness center and a live music venue. | $1,500,000.00 | 2019 |
| The Honeycomb | 2547 W. 71st St. | Renovations to reopen the sports bar that closed in 2012 due to a fire | $32,500.00 | 2017 |
| The Jumper Store | 5315 W. Lake St. | Acquisition and buildout for existing party rental company looking to open a new location to expand their business. | $187,200.00 | 2019 |
| The Kehrein Center for the Arts * | 5608 W. Washington | Rehab vacant auditorium into a performing arts center with 1,000 seat theater to expand educational and recreational offerings. | $1,000,000.00 | 2018 |
| The Law Office of Theodore London | 1718 E. 87th St. | Expansion of existing law practice into an adjacent storefront to support growing business. | $221,000.00 | 2018 |
| The Lighthouse Café | 524 S. Laramie Ave. | Buildout for start-up neighborhood coffee shop. | $29,425.50 | 2019 |
| The New Look Restaurant | 2546 E. 83rd St. | Renovations to the existing restaurant, including construction of a backyard dining patio with a garden, a new store front system, MEP updates and roofing | $40,000.00 | 2017 |
| The Quarry Event Center | 2423 E. 75th St. | Development of a new café space to incubate micro food businesses in the shared commercial kitchen space | $30,000.00 | 2017 |
| The Reading Room Café | 335 E. 51st St. | Buildout for minority/woman-owned start-up vegan café with a library theme. They will create a "lending library" wall of books for customers. | $54,600.00 | 2019 |
| The Salud Center Fitness Facility | 3039 E. 91st St. | Buildout of a new fitness center as part of the forthcoming Salud Center, a redevelopment of a vacated large YMCA building. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| The Wellness Connection at Imani Village | 901 E. 95th St. | Buildout of commercial tenant spaces within Imani Village project for a pharmacy, produce market and coffee shop -- all tenants will have a health focus. | $219,000.46 | 2019 |
| The Woodlawn | 1200 E. 79th St. | Buildout of a start-up café and restaurant pop up space and an adjacent office incubator space used for educational classes. | $65,000.00 | 2018 |
| The Woodshop Art Gallery | 441 E. 75th St. | Renovations to update longstanding community anchor art gallery, custom cabinetry maker and frame shop. The Woodhsop has been serving the South Side for over 40 years. | $45,175.00 | 2019 |
| Tom's Pancake House | 1509 W. 47th St. | Acquisition and buildout for a start-up family-oriented diner offer an “American breakfast.” They will collaborate with nearby culinary schools to offer workforce training opportunities. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| Tropical Optical Company | 3624 W. 26th St. | Exterior and interior renovations for a full service optical office. | $156,000.00 | 2018 |
| Turkey Chop | 3804 W. 16th St. | Build-out of the ground floor of the MLK Legacy Apartment building to house the second location of Turkey Chop | $20,250.00 | 2017 |
| Uncle Remus Restaurant | 5611 W. Madison St. | Rehab of the restaurant including floor repairs, façade improvements, new roofing and new fencing | $50,000.00 | 2017 |
| Urban Core | 1840 E. 71st St. | Buildout to accommodate four new health-focused businesses including yoga studio. | $235,599.00 | 2019 |
| Vendors Kitchen | 3654 W. 16th St. | Building purchase and commercial kitchen expansion for an existing Mexican street vendor cooperative. | $110,000.00 | 2019 |
| Wagging Swag Pet Salon | 820 E. 63rd St. | Buildout of a commercial unit in Woodlawn Station for an upscale dog, cat, and general pet grooming salon. Will provide dog walking and doggy daycare services as well. | $114,238.80 | 2019 |
| Waldron Property Solutions LLC | 9017 S. Cottage Grove | Acquisition and buildout of office space for a general contracting firm. | $242,450.00 | 2019 |
| West Austin Development Center | 4920 W. Madison St. | Reconfigure part of the ground floor of a three-story childcare facility for a cultural presentation theater | $125,000.00 | 2017 |
| West Humboldt Park Development Council | 3620 W. Chicago Ave. | Renovations for a neighborhood non-profit organization focused on business development and commercial corridor enhancements. | $120,282.50 | 2019 |
| Wincorp Ventures | 2838 W. Roosevelt Rd. | Conversion of existing convenience store into small grocery with healthier food options. | $159,217.50 | 2019 |
| Windy City Mushroom | 4514 W. North Ave. | Complete renovations including façade and mechanicals for a new mushroom growing facility that will sell to local restaurants and retailers, and will also donate extra mushrooms to local food pantries. | $250,000.00 | 2019 |
| WINGS | 3513 W. 63rd St. | Build-out of a new re-sale retail clothing store for domestic violence social enterprise. | $150,000.00 | 2018 |
| Woodlawn Station | 804 - 820 E. 63rd St. | This project will help fund the tenant improvements for the following new tenants: Brown Sugar Bakery, UPS and Blue Lotus Yoga. The tenants will have less buildout required of them byway of this assistance. | $125,000.00 | 2019 |
| YWCA Metropolitan Chicago's Small Business Incubator | 6600 S. Cottage Grove. | Expansion for a long standing social services center who is adding a small business incubator and technology training center. | $131,971.80 | 2019 |
* Larger projects (over $250,000 in grant funds) are pending City Council approval, and will have a full Redevelopment Agreement governing the terms of a larger grant, which will include standard M/WBE, prevailing wage and City residency construction requirements.
** Estimated Grant Amounts are preliminary estimates. Final awards are determined after two contractor bids have been received and a construction budget is finalized.
Interested in applying? The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund can provide you with financial assistance to help improve your commercial property.