VISION SURVEY RESULTS
QUAD COMMUNITIES QUALITY OF LIFE PLAN
JUNE 19, 2004 COMMUNITY MEETING
More than 200 residents participated in the Community Meeting. Approximately 140 vision
surveys were returned and all responses were tabulated. It should be noted that not all statements
were rated by participants. Consequently the number of responses for each statement varies. For
example, the vision totals range between 124 and 138 for each statement. Responses are shown
as whole numbers and percentages for each category. Several participants strongly agreed with
certain statements through the use of multiple checks. These statements are highlighted using
bold type (but only one check was included in the response tally).
Many participants also provided written comments. These statements are provided as written and
have not been edited.
QUAD COMMUNITIES IS A COHESIVE COMMUNITY
THAT….
Is committed to preserving its mixed-income tradition and is
dedicated to racial and economic diversity.
NEUTRAL
DISAGREE
Has prosperous commercial districts with resident business
owners who create sustainable wage jobs with career paths.
108
(82%)
112
(85%)
106
(79%)
19
(15%)
16
(12%)
17
(13%)
4
(3%)
4
(3%)
12
(9%)
Has plentiful and accessible workforce opportunities for
economic empowerment.
101
(78%)
17
(13%)
12
(9%)
Supports, values and invests in its youth through
educational, recreational, cultural and intergenerational
programs.
116
(84%)
13
(9%)
9
(7%)
Nurtures life-long learning environments that embrace
everyone from preschoolers to senior citizens.
106
(83%)
15
(12%)
6
(5%)
Has high performing and achieving schools that are
accessible to all income groups and are economically
diverse.
112
(82%)
14
(10%)
11
(8%)
Believes in empowering residents to become vested in the
community and connected with resources and tools for
growth.
119
(87%)
10
(7%)
8
(6%)
Is historic, dynamic and committed to maintaining its
cultural tradition and heritage through arts and cultural
programs.
107
(81%)
19
(14%)
6
(5%)
Offers a variety of transportation options that make it easily
accessible to other Chicago neighborhoods and jobs.
115
(85%)
13
(10%)
7
(5%)
Encourages healthy lifestyles.
1
AGREE
Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
COMMENTS – OVERALL VISION
 Need housing that residents can afford.
 By making it fair for low income families when applying for some of these developments
by not being so strict when it comes to credit and establishing program’s to help those
clear their credit.
 Home ownership by all income groups is possible and is promoted, thereby creating a
stable community.
 First you all can start off by making things affordable for the less fortunate.
 Make sure that decent safe housing is truly affordable to all income levels.
 Senior housing, senior suites, quality housing for seniors.
 You all talk about building for the people that can pay this “hi” rent, but not for us and
seniors that are on fixed income. Why? What are the poor people going to do? All of
this sounds ok until the relocation gets to the poor people.
 Mixed income – What is the definition of/or range when you speak of mixed income?
 Define ‘empowering residents’ – does this mean social services related to educating
residents about resources? Is this related to public housing, low income or for everyone?
I think it sound more related to low income population.
 We need to carefully ensure that the development doesn’t lead to the area becoming all
white.
 Upper income residents should actually LIVE here, investing with other neighbors and
send their children to public schools. They actually walk around and shop in the
neighborhood.
 Respect and support of the culture of the community. A community that embraces all
levels of economic and ethnic diversity as decision makers interested in the safety,
quality and opportunities.
 We need less loft housing, more family affordable apartments, more jobs for all ages,
handicaps or poor with little education.
 Be respectful in building and planning how the building looks. I’ve lived on Lake Park
for 60 years. Just last year a three story condo was built at 4070 Lake Park. It is an eye
sore and an insult to our community. All the homes sit back in a yard. This condo sits
way out facing the streets. Now out neighborhood can’t wave or say hello . . . we can’t
see one another for this building blocks out view. I couldn’t go to Round Lake or
Evanston and build something that was an eye sore.
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Send out information to those who wants to learn how to write grants and start their own
business.
Free training for jobs in construction, maintenance, home care (AIDS), trades, computer
classes, carpenters, bank tellers, etc.
Greater entrepreneurship projects, minority hiring in the employment construction crews.
You talk about job to the community there still are hiring outside of the community.
What are you doing to make sure that community people are being hired?
We need more jobs in this community, arts and crafts for the youth and programs to keep
our youth busy.
Priority should be on commercial development . . . imperative.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
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Not to just mention the religious institutions but also to include them realistically. I
understand you have to scrutinize all involved. I just ask you to look at all the
institutions, not just the Big Names.
Also include religious organizations in the meeting and provide info on how store front
churches can stay within the community and how they can beautify their church.
Local school council members seniors, concerned and involved parents must be engaged
in all aspects of future planning and decision making in the community.
Community driven should be an important aspect and component of the planning process
and its outcomes.
Make emphasis on current residents no matter income level. Who believes in
empowering current and future residents to become vested in the community and
connected with resources and tools for growth? I know what the vision statement states
but that isn’t what is happening.
Make sure that the best possible system is in place to rid all 4 communities of the
criminal element and activities without doing damage to low income, but productive and
non-criminal residents.
Continue to involve good community relations.
Perhaps an ongoing marketing public relations campaign to promote the area as a great
place to live. Let’s promote and brag about our accomplishments and our people. We
need a local newspaper that focus on positive people stories. The community is more
mortar.
Vision statement is not available in packet. I can’t offer comments on how the structure
can be improved. Utilizes the historical groups and leaders to develop the community.
Provides careful and concerned planning for the low income resident.
Hyde Park Theater Needs to be replaced as a state of the art theater—replace some of the
traditions.
The statements basically are good. There needs to be at least one meeting for the youth
(11-17) to ascertain their desires and ideas. This will help reduce latent alienation and
maximize the development of community pride.
Quality, high performing schools are the right of every child regardless of their economic
background.
I want to know about the funds that are set up for the school and about Price, Woodson,
Jackson closing.
We need to increase the quality of schools for our youth.
Better leadership needed for the schools so that the youth can transition successfully to
adulthood.
Better efforts to improve schools. More choices in where to send your kids to school.
The choices are limited compared to the north side of Chicago.
Create schools that are productive and safe.
Keep the schools open and safe to the community and have crossing guards on the corner
for the kids to get to school safe there are not crossing guards on all the corners like
Drexel right down the street from the alderman’s office.
Wonderful play areas for children and greater presence of police patrol around children
play areas.
Make sure all children can attend good schools.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
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We need an attendance area/neighborhood high school.
The statement is good. I would like to feel that there is more passion and emphasis on
the holistic development of children and youth. That there are mechanism in place to
help insure the development of our youth into socially and morally productive members
of the society/community at large. To help us develop responsible and accountable and
successful youth–who can read and think.
Find more of these fathers and make them pay half of their kid’s cost’s for education,
coats, haircuts, counselors. If they can’t or don’t want to be lead’s for their kid’s future
then pay more child support for mothers to do more with the supplies and learning.
City needs a workable recycling system used by all buildings and all residents.
Green space is important.
Need for gardens in the park so that food maybe provided for those who are least
fortunate.
Possibly utilize the railroad embankment strips that Alderman Preckwinkle will tear
down for not only gardens, but organic agriculture as done near Garfield Park and Su
Casas de Angels (5200 S. Laflin) Job training and employment in organic
agriculture=spring, summer, fall and education during the winter.
Parks, gardens, trees, fountains – do not over develop area by sacrificing gardens,
flowers, etc.
These are all landscape goals. I took you to be asking whether they are true now. They
are not.
Working on beautifying the communities and continued maintenance after work has been
completed.
Improve street and better street lights.
Working also closely with our police department in our neighborhoods to help become
safer.
Better police patrol.
Chicago Police Department must educate the force on how to treat people’s property.
Even in routine, non threatening interventions they have been rude and belligerent for no
reason in their way of talking.
Everything on the top page is true. I agree to it, once crime gets adjusted I will have a
better outlook on concern about our community.
Ensure safe streets from drugs, crime etc.
Gang’s of street corner traffic.
Curfew for young men on street corner.
Stop sales of drugs.
Stop loud and unclean speaking.
Stop speeding traffic.
Incorporate “quiet zones” . . . . by mandate or residents, no loud music, from cars or
residents within strategic pockets within the Quad.
Public service announcements educative community on: prohibiting jay-walking and
don’t throw trash on the street (don’t litter).
Trash containers strategically placed to cut down on the horrible problem of litter.
Also improving CTA bus service and put new and clean buses on the South Side.
Vision Survey Results
4
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
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Bus transportation for the neighborhood not just for the week but also people need
transportation on the weekend. This is referring to the 39th bus.
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Don’t forget the people of these communities!
I would like the “comprehensive” in community development in order to be clearly stated
made/written in plain simple language.
Vision statement should give a sense of timeframe “when” or by when; should also have
a sense of “we”; we have goals, need the “how.”
“This is our vision statement . . . . . . . We are not simply stating our vision but we intend
to see it come to light and below we has listed how we can actually make this vision a
reality.” (So often you can hear what the vision or statement of what a group,
organization plans are but somehow and sometime what has been stated is not really
what’s happening.) So I would like to see the above perhaps worded differently but
stated that this is more than just words or a blind statement but a reality that will happen.
Is a model for redevelopment of other communities with similar challenges?
I placed extra checks where I think emphasis should be placed.
The right to do the right thing to do it. The job work for you and do the right thing to do
but I so, help the thing to do to help the people to help you to do. I am old and been here
for all my life.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY EVALUATION
QUAD COMMUNITIES QUALITY OF LIFE PLAN
JUNE 19, 2004 COMMUNITY MEETING
Residents indicated the following levels of agreement with the preliminary community
improvement strategies developed by the Task Force subcommittees. Comments related to this
category follow.
HOUSING, SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE &
TRANSPORTATION STRATEGIES
Increase awareness of and participation in existing crime
prevention programs, including youth enrichment programs.
NEUTRAL
DISAGREE
125
(93%)
8
(6%)
2
(1%)
Help neighborhoods organize into viable community
organizations.
111
(89%)
13
(10%)
1
(1%)
Use beautification efforts to create physical areas that
promote a sense of safety and well-being.
121
(94%)
107
(86%)
8
(6%)
14
(11%)
0
(0%)
4
(3%)
Create a community that reflects one-third market rate
housing, one-third affordable housing, and one-third low
income housing.
85
(64%)
35
(27%)
12
(9%)
Beautify Drexel Boulevard from Drexel Square on the south
to Mandrake Park on the north.
105
(83%)
19
(15%)
2
(2%)
Develop creative ways to address current use of Drexel
Boulevard (tents, barbequing) so that it can be used more
appropriately by the majority of residents.
90
(70%)
30
(23%)
8
(6%)
Work to preserve existing affordable housing.
AGREE
The following strategies, project ideas and general comments were provided by
participants related to Housing, Safety, Infrastructure and Transportation.
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Affordable childcare.
Homeless services and support.
On mixed income-there is a need for social service support for low income and dispersal
throughout community so they aren’t readily identified.
Work to create new low income and affordable housing.
So develop creative ways to address current use of Drexel Boulevard, so that it can be
used by all the residents.
Finding safer areas for the children to play (rather than the median).
Real estate agents should have informational brochures about area public schools for
prospective buyers. All public schools should have informational brochures available
showing the benefits of attending the school and CPS in general.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
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Affordable, quality housing in the area is a critical issue. More affordable housing is
critical to ensure that the community stays diverse and to make sure that those that have
made the community desirable to be allowed to stay a part of the community.
Crime or CAPs stakeholders need to be included.
More trees on Cottage Grove and new sidewalks.
(In reference to Drexel Bvld’s tents and barbequing) Mixed income communities should
allow for mixed cultures to express themselves.
Create more “connections” to Washington Park, Lakefront, Douglas State Park and
Boulevards.
Yes not everyone can affordable $325,000 to purchase a home; there should be affordable
housing for middle and low income.
Consider investing more resources and dollars into the lower income folk to educate and
empower. Not to political buddies and their pet programs.
Really need to enforce the curfew for the youth; too many youth under age 13 years are
hanging out on the streets. More police enforcement.
Too much weight on low income. Why does the QCDC area have such a high ratio?
How about 10-15% low, 20-25% affordable and the rest market rate?
Why Drexel? Other opportunities in QCDC to develop park/public space?
Fair housing for low income.
Good jobs with good pay.
Religious institutions to be included.
This area could become an area for the Hyde Park chess player to convene, instead of the
ugly tent and barbequing (only in a small section).
Keep access open to Dan Ryan.
Create incentives and plan to reduce low income situations.
Educate people to be proactively working to be free from economic assistance.
Low income housing that is affordable for low income working people that work at
minimum pay rate.
I think that it will be extremely difficult to create a community that has exact percentages
of market rate affordable and low income housing. I think that to ensure that low income
and working families are able to access housing through public means, as well as
requiring private developers to include affordable units in their projects.
Historic preservation is very important to most members of our community. Perhaps it
deserves a category of its own, especially as commercial development begins to happen
on Cottage Grove and 43rd Street.
“Create a community that reflects one-third market rate housing, one third affordable
housing, and one third low income housing.” How will this mix be insured? The new
developments that have already broken ground do not offer 1/3 low income housing.
Organize more meetings like this, perhaps monthly—have people break into action
groups to come up with ideas and strategies that affect them. This will facilitate ongoing
dialogue which is always a positive thing.
Develop property at corner of 43rd & Ellis. A coffee shop, a dog groomer could be great
ideas! Also, restaurant or ice cream parlor. A dog park would be a good neighborhood
enhancement as more and more residents are dog owners.
A zero tolerance policy strictly enforced for: speeding, expired plates, noise, property in
disrepair and no loitering.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
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Keeping litter under control, it is a terrible problem. Making the communities beautiful is
great, yet the bottom line is keeping them beautiful.
For Drexel Boulevard more security could e provided.
Senior citizens access for majority of residents.
We need to take a close look at the number of small condo buildings that could result in
future problems if one unit goes down.
Ongoing means of community involvement on all levels.
Yes, because it matters to us all.
We also need King Blvd. enhancement.
There is a concern that the low income housing people will not keep up the property
which would cause issue for those who are paying big dollars to live in the same area.
What of anything will be done for those that are not keep up property and making
problems for others?
There is a significant gang and drug problem on the east side of Greenwood between 44th
and 45th.
Increase public transportation.
Attendance area high school.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY EVALUATION
QUAD COMMUNITIES QUALITY OF LIFE PLAN
JUNE 19, 2004 COMMUNITY MEETING
Residents indicated the following levels of agreement with the preliminary community
improvement strategies developed by the Task Force subcommittees. Comments related to this
category follow.
EDUCATION AND HEALTH STRATEGIES
Every school is a community school, with extended hours,
offering childcare, preschool and full day kindergarten to
every child.
NEUTRAL
DISAGREE
105
(83%)
8
(6%)
14
(11%)
Every school, including charter schools, is a
neighborhood school, with a community attendance area
and serving students of all abilities.
102
(78%)
15
(12%)
13
(10%)
Schools offer programs that challenge high performing
students and support lower performing students.
114
(90%)
10
(8%)
3
(2%)
Designate a neighborhood high school offering a college
preparatory program that serves the graduates of all feeder
schools and offers extended learning opportunities to young
adults who did not complete high school, preparing them
for college, employment and vocational training.
111
(87%)
12
(9%)
4
(3%)
Ensure that every student who completes the 8th grade
enters high school.
109
(92%)
8
(7%)
1
(1%)
Establish neighborhood enrollment areas for all schools to
ensure economic and racial diversity.
101
(85%)
13
(11%)
5
(4%)
Evaluate schools using a balanced school performance
scorecard that reflects more than test scores and indicates
student growth; evaluation should include parent and
community walkthroughs and student evaluations.
115
(88%)
11
(8%)
5
(4%)
The arts, physical education and health education are core
disciplines at all schools at all levels.
109
(89%)
9
(7%)
4
(3%)
All teachers receive professional development that will
assist student performance.
118
(93%)
5
(4%)
4
(3%)
All schools provide all necessary health screenings and are
linked to clinics for follow-up services.
112
(89%)
10
(8%)
4
(3%)
9
AGREE
Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
The following strategies, project ideas and general comments were provided by
participants related to Education and Health.
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Neighborhood block clubs although dying are an important way to keep residents
connected to the community – like keeping their neighborhoods clean rallying together
against crime, etc.
A plan for schools that have difficult children. A number of children need additional or
extensive services to assist them while they learn.
All high schools in the area should offer a college preparatory program. All students in
each high school should have the option.
Create “good grade” incentives, partnering with schools and businesses. 3.0
GPA=merchant discount card. Merchants—Walgreens, CVS, Borders Books, Pizza Hut,
cleaners. Card would work like a gift card/credit card and could be recharged as student
earns additional credits.
All schools in the community should have mandatory physical education classes and
healthy eating classes to help address obesity issues in the African American community.
Parent participation is the key to the successful education of their children. Create a
contract to be used to ensure parent participation. The parent would have to sign the
contract and attend meetings prior to the opening school to find out what the school year
calendar is going to be and expectation of parents. The meeting will give the parent a
chance to ask questions about the school.
Because it’s not enough programs in my neighborhood.
Ensure that special education students be identified and I.E.P.’s be followed . . . Ensure
that each student that enter high school graduates!
Excellent strategies parental involvement from the very beginning – early childhood
throughout high school.
There needs to be increased attention to the maintenance of the grounds of Ariel Charter
School.
Less politics, more education.
Parental and community involvement in decision making.
After school programs for all schools.
Local school council inclusion and input.
Connect 6-12th grade students to local business and careers.
Not to structure school that do not promote community involvement.
All schools provide a culturally diverse equitable curriculum that enables all students to
learn about themselves and others and their place within the global community. This
curriculum will encompass an accurate history of races and creeds, their contributions,
challenges and world views.
This is more of a comment. I am split on this issue because my daughter attends King
primarily because it is a good school, but also because of the schools status as a magnet
school.
Every high school graduate will have an opportunity to go to college or trade school.
No children in the neighborhood should be turned away if they are residents in the
community. Particularly if they live directly across the street from the school.
CPS schools should have informational brochures available to newcomers to the
community or prospective home buyers, showing the benefits of each school.
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Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
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All LSC members should be engaged and solicited to participate in this process and
planning.
Health education must include food education - a standard part of the curriculum, not
extra-curricular.
Students need to be assessed with the ideas of Gardner’s Multiple-Intelligences with an
emphasis on portfolios. Portfolios must be geared and dictated by Illinois State
Standards.
Strategies need to be implanted to decrease the HS drop out rate.
Increase quality of schools.
Decrease drop out rates.
Increase parent leadership.
Increase community stake in the school.
Prepare young men for college.
Decrease gang involvement.
Education and health vision.
Create college prep incentives and initiatives.
School should be open to the neighborhood children. Not based on test score. The
requirements for the children to get a better education, the solution is not to send our
youth to other poor academic schools.
Making sure that we do not have overcrowding in the classroom. Let’s make this a
reality. We say that this will not happen but it does. This clearly needs to be dealt with.
Teachers held to high standards! Yes – help with professional development but ensure
the highest integrity of their qualifications.
School safety.
Good school bus service.
More summer programs and summer camps.
Add rewards for teachers such as Rochell Lee Program’s STREAMS.
Provide family outreach to engage a family member to participate in their child’s school
programs and volunteer time to the school. Become involved parents and/or guardians.
I think that a committee of parents, including parents of potential future students should
be established. This parent committee could work to establish a partnership between
home and school to alert the families of the needs and desires of the students, teachers
and schools to enrich the education process. This committee could also work on
addressing why so many of the middle class families opt not to send their children to the
public schools.
Greater emphasis on programs for childcare before and after school. Many single parents
find it difficult to get children to and from school while working a standard 8-5 job.
Work more with Junior Achievement and other programs to educate them about jobs,
community, etc. and also teach/enrich them. Music/Arts are critical to getting many
lessons to “stick” in kids minds.
Having shop and trade classes at all schools.
“Establish neighborhood enrollment areas for all schools to ensure economic and racial
diversity.” The achievement of this goal rests on the city’s commitment to keeping new
housing 1/3 market rate, 1/3 affordable and 1/3 low income.
“Designate a neighborhood high school offering a college prep. Program that serves the
graduates of all feeder schools and offers extended learning opportunities to young
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adults who did not complete high school, preparing them for college, employment and
vocational training.” Would the extended learning opportunities be offered in the
evenings and on Saturdays?
How do we ensure the 30/30/30 split so that schools are mixed? We need to ensure that
creating neighborhood schools doesn’t lead to increase in housing costs.
I have to drive 5 blocks to get my son to school and there is a school 2 blocks up. They
have lottery and most are not in the community.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY EVALUATION
QUAD COMMUNITIES QUALITY OF LIFE PLAN
JUNE 19, 2004 COMMUNITY MEETING
Residents indicated the following levels of agreement with the preliminary community
improvement strategies developed by the Task Force subcommittees. Comments related to this
category follow.
COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT STRATEGIES
AGREE
NEUTRAL
DISAGREE
Involve youth in the decision-making process of our
community.
101
(80%)
22
(17%)
4
(3%)
Resource center that provides access to opportunities and
education..
119
(94%)
116
(94%)
118
(94%)
114
(93%)
6
(5%)
6
(5%)
6
(5%)
8
(7%)
2
(2%)
2
(2%)
1
(1%)
1
(1%)
Promote educational and life advancement.
Lifestyle enrichment for seniors, adults and youth.
Identify specific resources to address issues and concerns
that impact our youth.
The following strategies, project ideas and general comments were provided by
participants related to Community Enrichment.
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Homeless teens facilities and resources.
Heritage focused facilities and beautification projects (African American symbolic
designs, artifacts, etc.).
Affordable childcare.
Develop and use a youth-directed approach to addressing community issues and to
identify appropriate responses.
Our youth need to work – even unpaid “apprenticeships” or “volunteer” work – as long
as it is meaningful and useful. From age 10 on, children want to “do something” besides
play or hang out. We need to channel and challenge them.
Ma Houston Park – next to Reavis School needs cleaning early every morning in spring,
summer and fall. Park is littered with beer and liquor bottles; is unsightly and dangerous
for children.
Mentoring for young men and women.
Sexual abstinence programs.
Community lead fine art opportunities. (Music Production, dance instruction, arts/crafts
instruction; opportunities for entrepreneurship).
Spiritual support and psychological counseling for all family members of abused
families.
Involve youth in planning and empowerment, to have ownership of community building.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
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“Involve youth in the decision-making process of our community.” Think QCDC process
is doing great job on this.
Yes because there are a lot of youths in this area and they are the future prospective in
rebuilding these Quad Communities.
Try actually coming out to schools who you said you’ve visited.
Where crime areas exist there should be an input system to help stop the crimes.
We need a way to teach and communicate respect for each other as people among the
young people.
This is for everyone – not just low income.
Recreational water parks need more of them on the south side like they have on the north
side.
Create annual events that attract outlying neighbors to attend and spend in our
community (i.e. art fair, music event, etc.).
I think the QCDC needs to partner with the Chicago Park District and CPS to provide
more summer and evening activities for teens.
Work with schools to invite kids to more community/local government activities and
solicit their suggestion, opinions and involvement more.
Make sure to promote higher education for senior (computer) spreadsheets, websites;
how to make seniors computer literate.
Seniors to be grandparents to small school children who might need a hug.
Children need direction. Our culture has abandoned its role and provided an atmosphere
where 12 year olds are telling teachers, parents and those in authority what to do.
As adults it is our responsibility to lead . . . let the children be children. We are allowing
them and encouraging them to grow up too fast.
Focus on financial literacy at all levels.
Healthy eating.
Positive self image.
Self awareness.
Art.
For all ages lifestyle enrichment.
An intergeneration exchange program should be initiated to pass on the history of the
area before it is lost.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY EVALUATION
QUAD COMMUNITIES QUALITY OF LIFE PLAN
JUNE 19, 2004 COMMUNITY MEETING
Residents indicated the following levels of agreement with the preliminary community
improvement strategies developed by the Task Force subcommittees. Comments related to this
category follow.
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Initiate an active “Community First” business and
economic development plan, reflective of the primary
needs, desires, culture and heritage of its residents and
stakeholders.
Create destinations for economic development.
Use other communities that have been successful with both
big box and small business corridors as models.
Identify specific locations where economic development,
arts, entertainment and cultural tourism should begin and
what types.
Create an environment for informed decision making
supported by existing and ongoing research.
Create design standards and establish a community review
board.
Create opportunities and assistance for local businesses.
Create a QCDC Website with e-mail to generate public
dialogue around the haves and needs of the community.
AGREE
NEUTRAL
DISAGREE
103
16
3
(84%)
(13%)
(2%)
99
16
3
(84%)
(14%)
(3%)
87
28
3
(74%)
(24%)
(3%)
108
10
2
(90%)
(83%)
(2%)
104
12
2
(88%)
(10%)
(2%)
106
10
2
(90%)
(8%)
(2%)
111
6
1
(94%)
(5%)
(1%)
97
18
3
(82%)
(15%)
(3%)
The following strategies, project ideas and general comments were provided by
participants related to Commercial Development.
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Create opportunities for youth to volunteer and receive compensation or scholarships
with local businesses, social service agencies, and city/state offices.
Additional outreach is critical.
Many people who are active and involved, or want to be, are not here.
I don’t believe I ever got anything at my door.
Perhaps put fliers and info at paper stands as well.
Do explicit outreach again to active groups and individuals.
Vision Survey Results
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Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan
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I know there are issues around the boundaries but resources outside should be identified
as well. Where are high schools, financial institutions, etc.? You must involve them.
I’d like to be part of the website design and development.
Develop more residential businesses.
“Community First” is a great mantra.
Must have the QCDC website.
Rather than to disagree, I’ve marked neutral; however, there should have been a marking
for “unsure.”
N. Kenwood culture/heritage/residents/stakeholders is ambiguous in terms of this being
“forward thinking future” document. Big historic swings between “Original North
Shore.”
85% Germanic Jewish population, 85% African-American – Future should be dedicated
to mixed racial heritage but not be heavily skewed one way. N. Kenwood is not Black
Metropolis.
African-American heritage is not the only heritage in the QCDC area. The cultural and
heritage issues should relate to the diversity dictated by the history from the 1800’s – not
just that from the 50’s.
I think QCDC should create a master plan for the types of businesses that should be
recruited to exist on the identified commercial corridors.
Big box stores are not appropriate for this community. We need small businesses here,
run, whenever possible, by local residents – especially those that have been in the
community for a long time. These small businesses, and the fine old buildings that still
house them, should be helped and supported.
Do more to support our city’s/community’s rich group of talented musicians and artists.
Integrate them more into educational/community activities. Chicago’s history is filled
with contributors to the world of music, past, present, and hopefully future. We are
losing our edge/reputation as a leader in this area.
What is a “Community First Plan?” (referring to vision statement that reads Initiate an
active “Community First” business and economic development plan, reflective of the
primary needs, desires, culture, and heritage of its residents and stakeholders.)
What does this mean? (referring to vision statement that reads “Create destinations for
economic development.”
Create community newsletters in addition to the QCDC website idea.
Someone suggested that visits to neighborhood schools happened – we have yet to see
anyone visit Price School. Price sits in the heart of redevelopment, yet we have a number
of issues we would like to discuss.
We desperately need good restaurants in the Quad Cities Communities.
More soccer, more baseball, more ice skate places.
Any economic or commercial development should include quality and diversified
development.
My hope is that this community can look very much like North Ave/Clybourn going
north from North Avenue. That is a small community with very good shopping and
eating.
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Vision Survey Results
Quad Communities Quality of Life Plan