Activating Business Potential in
Chicago's Southwest Business District
Mapping Project Supports 63rd Street Business Planning
May 5, 2009 – Chicago, IL. Guided by the input of 63rd Street business owners and community residents, the 63rd Street Growth Commission is making steady progress in a long-term planning and visioning project for the 63rd Street business district.
The planning project formally began in October 2007 with a visioning session that gave area business owners the opportunity to discuss what they wanted to see their business district accomplish in the future. A year-long effort followed that meeting during which business owner-led “issue area” committees were formed and began guiding and informing the work of 63rd Street Growth Commission initiatives.
The planning effort has continued and is growing with the launch of the 63rd Street Full Circle Mapping and Survey Project. As part of this, 63rd Street Growth Commission hired consultant and City Planner, Clifton Trimble, to assess the business district through a Commission-designed survey. Trimble is also helping to create an updated, detailed map and database of the businesses located in Special Service Area (SSA) #3, which includes the 63rd Street business district.
Trimble efficiently collects SSA #3 data to create a detailed assessment with the help of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) tools. CMAP is a state-funded agency formed in a merger of the Chicago Area Transportation Study and the Northeastern Illinois Planning. The agency helps communities collect land and area data necessary for planning and development.
The project is providing a better understanding of the area’s needs, with the goal of bringing to reality the changes that business owners and residents envisioned during planning sessions.