2005 - Rogers Park Business Alliance

Journal
www.devcorpnorth.org
fall 2005
Howard, Morse Rogers Park: The perfect
revitalization
location for small businesses
plan ready for
implementation
The Rogers Park community will soon
have a plan to help guide the revitalization
of Morse Avenue and Howard Street.
Over the last year, DevCorp North, a
steering committee of local residents, and
many other interested Rogers Parkers
have been working with consultants from
the City Design Center at the University of
Illinois at Chicago and the Northeastern
Illinois Planning Commission to develop a
commercial corridor revitalization plan
for Morse Avenue and Howard Street.
The plan is now in the final stages of editing. The recommendations will soon be
available on the DevCorp North Web site
(www.devcorpnorth.org.)
The goal of this process has been to
develop specific recommendations based
on the concerns of local residents, business
owners and community leaders that would
result in a coordinated implementation
strategy to revitalize our commercial districts. Gathering community input has
been a vital component of the process;
information was collected through shopper surveys, business surveys, interviews
and three well- attended public meetings.
The plan is now in the final stages of editing. The recommendations will soon be
available on the DevCorp North website,
so that the entire community will be able
to see the vision that has evolved from the
process and those interested will be able to
track the progress of implementation.
The recommendations are divided
into five different categories, including:
Retail Shopping Mix, Aesthetic Design,
Safety, Community Development, and
DevCorp North, in conjunction with
SSAs #19 and #24, recently hosted 2 wellattended presentations for approximately 15
prospective businesses owners, highlighting
some of Rogers Park’s greatest business
assets for small businesses. The Business
Attraction Campaign is the first step in
implementing the Commercial Corridor
Revitalization plan (see adjacent article).
Some of the topics included key market
information, Rogers Park’s spending power,
information about the regional trade area
and retail potential for restaurants, apparel
stores and food stores.
The old adage “location, location, location” applies to businesses as much as it does
to real estate. As a place to do business,
Rogers Park has a lot to offer. Maybe you
already know it’s the most diverse community in the City of Chicago, or that it’s the
only north side community in Chicago
where you can walk directly to the beach.
But prospective business owners should also
know Rogers Park as a community that is
three times as dense as the City of Chicago,
with twice as much money being spent per
square mile than in vibrant commercial
areas like Bucktown/Wicker Park or Lincoln
Square, as was highlighted in the Summer
issue of the Journal. Rogers Park can also be
thought of as the heart of a dense region.
The population within three miles of the
intersection of Morse Avenue and Clark
Street is almost the size of St. Louis, with a
median income that is $5,000 higher than
Bucktown/Wicker Park or the average for
the City of Chicago. An estimated $5.7 billion will be spent on consumer goods by the
residents of this region in 2005! This is significant because a three mile radius is often
considered a convenient 10-12 minute drive
to make retail purchases.
Spending potential is only one side of
the story. Another equally important piece
of information is what happens to all of that
spending potential. One way to estimate
where consumer spending goes is to compare local sales figures to the amount local
people spent on retail goods. The difference between the two is called leakage.
Leakage provides an estimate of how much
money is spent by local residents outside of
the local area. Given that most people
would prefer to shop close to home, leakage
continued on page 13
continued on page 3
Kimberly Bares, DevCorp North Executive Director, addresses potential Rogers Park business owners.
1448 W. howard st., chicago, il 60626-1427 phone 773.508.5885 fax 773.508.9488
www.devcorpnorth.org
DevCorp North Contact Information
(773) 508-5885 fax (773) 508-9488
www.devcorpnorth.org
Kimberly Bares
Executive Director
kbares@devcorpnorth.org
Daniel Butt
Project Coordinator
dbutt@devcorpnorth.org
Rene Camargo
Community Development Coordinator
rcamargo@devcorpnorth.org
Amy Campbell
Commercial District Planner
acampbell@devcorpnorth.org
Sandi Price
Director of Operations
sprice@devcorpnorth.org
Mark Somen
Director of Maintenance
msomen@devcorpnorth.org
DevCorp North
Board of Directors
Eric Waggoner
President
Gustavo Giraldo
1st Vice President
Rich Aronson
2nd Vice President
Dorothy Gregory
Secretary
Ailisa Herrera
Treasurer
Directors
Glen Brooks
Tommy FitzGibbon
Phil Greiner
Laurene Huffman
Michael James
Mark Kruse
Stephen Maduli-Williams
Kevin O’Neil
Susanne Roubik
Tina Winger
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Facade rebate program works in Rogers Park
Over the last five years, several Rogers
Park businesses have participated in the City
of Chicago’s Façade Rebate Program.
Administered by DevCorp North and the
city’s Dept. of Planning and Development,
this program offers rebates to eligible commercial and industrial businesses and property owners who are willing to complete
façade rehabilitation projects. The program
is significant because it helps strengthen and
enhance the city’s neighborhoods. In Rogers
Park, improving the appearance of building
façades impacts the attractiveness and overall marketability of the area.
Andy Patras of Universal Realty
Group, said the program helped “grab a
few tenants and reduce vacancies for our
buildings.” Patras manages two commercial properties with four storefronts on
Howard Street and has already completed
one façade rehab. The total project cost
$95,000 and the rebate totaled $35,000.
Patras stated that the City was easy to work
with and he was happy with the improvements. The program worked so well for
his building that he has already submitted
an application for another façade rehab
project on Howard Street.
The owners of the Morse
Fruit and Meat Market will
install a new awning and
sign using the program.
Improvements will also be seen along
Morse Avenue. Pete Pappas and George
Theoharis, co-owners of the Morse Fruit and
Meat Market, have applied to the program
to make considerable changes to their storefront. A 12-foot awning with “Morse Fresh
Market” and a digital board to highlight promotions will replace the current façade. The
price tag for the signage alone will exceed
$75,000. The design improvements will give
the store more pronounced visibility and a
more inviting aesthetic appeal. The two
owners purchased the business eight months
ago and run their business with a focus on
quality and service.
The City of Chicago has been offering
the Façade Rebate Program for more than
20 years, and today, more businesses are
expressing an interest in the program.
According to Teresa McLaughlin, Program
Coordinator of the program, businesses are
taking advantage of the program now that
there is no longer a $5,000 cap per storefront, and businesses are doing far more
extensive work than in the past. Business
owners can invest more into their properties
and receive greater rebates through the program – making it a much more attractive
incentive.
From 1997 to 2004, in Rogers Park and
surrounding communities, 60 façade rebate
continued on page 13
Howard, Morse revitalization plan
continued from first page
Transportation. Visit the DevCorp North
Web site for more information about each
recommendation, learn about the commu-
shape the future development of Howard
Street and Morse Avenue so that it they
meet the needs of the community.
nity-determined priorities and track the
implementation of the recommendations.
This will be a great opportunity to
Community members discuss neighborhood assets.
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See what Rogers Park has to offer
By Kimberly Bares
In this issue, you'll read about exciting
new plans and projects that DevCorp North
is implementing in Rogers Park. But what
do you do in between newsletters? The
answer? Go to our newly expanded and
updated website for
your daily fix. At
From the
w w w. d e v c o r p Executive Director north.org, you can
find information
about local events,
new developments, business specials and
sales, upcoming community projects and
meetings and links to other local community groups and elected officials plus
resources like the City of Chicago's Small
Business Wizard and national advocacy and
research organizations such as the
American Planning Association. Have you
read recently about the explosion in
weblogs on the internet? Well, we've had a
weblog for over two years and we update it
every day!
You'll also be able to access all the
materials, statistics and information that we
presented to potential business owners and
entrepreneurs in August. Want to know
about retail potential in Rogers Park? Click
on “Retail Potential” on the home page and
click on either restaurant, apparel or foodstores for specific niche data. Ever wonder
how we compare to other community areas
and regions? Click on “Regional Trade
Area” and compare the Rogers Park regional trade area with that of Bucktown/Wicker
Park. In “Key Market Information,” we
compare Rogers Park
with
Edgewater,
Lincoln Square and
B u ck t o w n / Wi ck e r Kimberly Bares
Park, and we come
out on top in consumer expenditures in all three categories
of food, apparel and grocery.
Now we've got to spread the word that
there is tremendous business opportunity in
Rogers Park. DevCorp North will continue
to conduct new business attraction presentations and we'll also be reaching out to businesses and entrepreneurs that would be a
good fit for the neighborhood. Know a business that ought to be in Rogers Park? Let us
know - we're happy to make the pitch!
Private security patrols the Clark-Morse SSA
On July 1, North Central Security
began patrolling within the Clark-MorseGlenwood Special Service Area (SSA# 24)
to improve public safety. The security
company concentrates on trouble spots
identified by residents and merchants. The
off-duty police officers rotate between foot
patrols and riding in the car. At the request
of the merchants and residents, the security company has been attentive to the loitering problems at the El station on Morse
Avenue, the corner of Morse and Wayne,
the areas around Morse and Glenwood, the
areas around Clark and Pratt, Clark and
Wallen, Clark and Estes, and Clark and
Touhy, including Lunt and Glenwood.
During the month of July, North Central
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Security visited some of the local merchants to discuss which areas may need
more attention.
Off-duty Chicago cops
work streets in threemonth trial period.
The schedule for the patrol changes
every week and shifts are rotated according
to police activities within the SSA boundaries. The security patrol has been focusing
on deterring loitering and creating a more
positive atmosphere in the commercial districts. The officers attended the August
CAPS 2431 beat meeting to talk with residents and business owners and discuss the
security patrol operation. Communication
with the 24th Police District is ongoing and
an activity log is submitted to 24th District
Police Cmdr. Bruce Rottner on a weekly
basis for maximum effectiveness.
After a three month trial period the
results will be reviewed. The ways in which
it has contributed to building a more positive atmosphere in the Clark-MorseGlenwood SSA #24 area will be evaluated
and a decision will be made as to whether
funding for the program will be continued.
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Spotlight on The Side Project
The Side Project Theatre Company’s 2005-06 Season to Feature World and Chicago Premieres
“The future of Chicago theater is in
Rogers Park, in a tiny, unremarkable storefront.” So said Windy City Times reviewer
Rick Reed.
Reed made his proclamation in his
year-end wrap-up of the best shows of 2004,
in which he named the side project's production of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets among his
five most memorable shows of the year.
Reed was not alone in his praise. Hedy
Weiss of the Sun-Times, Jonathan Abarbanel
of WBEZ and Windy City Times, and Venus
Zarris of Gay Chicago Magazine also listed the
four-year old theatre company's barebones
production among its “Best of 2004” lists.
The company continues the momentum
in its upcoming season, starting with Bertolt
Brecht's Galileo, running September 15 to
October 15, 2005, in the tiny confines of the
side project's resident theatre space, The
Side Studio, at 1520 W. Jarvis. For tickets and
information, call 773-973-2150 or visit
www.thesideproject.net.
This Season
The company will follow up Galileo
with the Chicago premiere of two renowned
plays: British playwright Sarah Kane's Crave
and Lee Blessing's Thief River. In addition,
they will present the world premieres of
local playwrights Sean Graney (Porno),
Stephen Cone (Henry Hettinger), and Jesse
Weaver (Sweet Pretty Love Jam). They will also
present six new works in progress in their
fourth annual Harvest staged reading series
and hold another spring/summer one-act
festival (see sidebar).
The world premieres, Harvest staged
reading series and the annual one-act festi-
year are world premieres, Artistic Director
and Rogers Park resident Adam Webster
said.
Despite the fact that they are not as
financially successful, new works are of paramount importance to Webster. “It is impor-
Maggie (Danielle O’Farrell) and Pete (Sean Bolger) share a moment of courtship before the world closes in, in last
year’s “Maggie: A Girl of the Streets,” adapted by Artistic Director Adam Webster from the Stephen Crane novella.
val, encompass the “new works” mission of
the company, which has the goal of making
sure at least 2/3 of their productions each
tant to me that we continue to foster new,
distinct, innovative theatrical voices, from
actors to directors to playwrights. To me,
continued on page 12
SEASON SCHEDULE
The Rogers Park-based theatre company
the side project recently announced its 200506 season, which will include three world
premieres, one classic, and two Chicago
premieres of internationally renowned
playwrights, as well as its annual oneact
series and staged reading development
series.
Galileo, by Bertolt Brecht
The world of religion vs. a man of science.
September 15-October 16, 2005
Crave, by Sarah Kane
A disturbingly beautiful, provocative look
at love's assault on the wholeness of the self
in a bleak, but uplifting, world.
October 27-December 4, 2005
Harvest IV: New Works Festival
Annual festival of staged readings of new
works by local playwrights.
November 2005
Thief River, by Lee Blessing
Two men and their 53-year relationship
shaped by a dark and violent event in their
youth that forever draws them together.
January 5-January 29, 2006
Henry Hettinger, by Stephen Cone
A man returns to a world that might not
still want him, and to a life that he may or
may not want.
February 16-March 19, 2006
Sweet Pretty Love Jam, by Jesse Weaver
A look at dysfunctional siblings, and the
sister's new love.
Spring 2006
Porno, by Sean Graney
A man's attempt to remake Dido at
Carthage - and to keep the wolves at bay
May 14-June 11, 2006
An Evening of One Acts
Our annual installment of world, U.S.,
Midwest and Chicago premieres all
addressing a single theme.
Summer 2006
All shows will take place at 1520 W Jarvis
Ave.
Shows typically run Thursday
through Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and
Sundays at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. Tickets are
$15 general; $10 seniors/students and
artists; and 2-for-1 on Thursdays. Season
tickets are available at over 33% off the
regular price. For more information on the
upcoming season or past shows, visit
www.thesideproject.net or call 773-9732150. Mention of this article will get you $3
off your first show at the side project, or an
additional $5 off season tickets.
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Spotlight on new & renewing members
Welcome to all our new and renewing members!
49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore, 7356 N.
Greenview Avenue, (773) 338-5796,
ward49@cityofchicago.org. Elected official.
Access Evanston-Rogers Park Family Health
Network, 1555 W. Howard Street, (773) 7647146, kmcg60@aol.com. Family healthcare.
Amber Automotive, Inc., 7523-25 N. Wolcott,
(773) 262-1094. Automobile repair.
Kimberly Bares, individual.
Bar-B-Que Bobs, 2055 W. Howard Street, (773)
761-1260. Restaurant.
Beck’s Book Store, 6550 N. Sheridan Road,
(773) 743-2281, lls@becksbooks.com, becksbooks.com. University/community book store.
Harbor House Publishers, Inc., 221 Water
Street, Boyne City, MI, (231) 582-2814, harbor@harborhouse.com, harborhouse.com.
Publishing.
yvonne@yvonnecarns.com, yvonnecarns.com.
Real estate.
Harris Bank, 6538 N. Sheridan Road, (773)
381-7000, karen.corral@harrisbank.com, harrisbank.com. Financial institution.
Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society,
7344 N. Western Avenue, (773) 764-4078, rphistory@aol.com, rpwrhs.org. Historical museum.
Hispanic Housing, 325 N. Wells Street, (312)
443-1360, proldan@hhdevcorp.com, hhdevcorp.com. Developer.
Romanian Sausage Company, 7200 N. Clark
Street, (773) 761-4141. Kosher deli.
Humor Solutions, 1260 W. Pratt, (773) 4908699, humorsolutions@aol.com, humorsolutions.com. Entertainment.
Burton Reif, individual.
S.W. Furmanek, DDS., 6355 N. Broadway
Avenue, (773) 764-3682. Dentist.
Jean Shepherd, individual.
i-go Car Sharing, 2125 W. North Avenue, (773)
269-4011, Richard@igocars.org, igocars.org.
Hourly car rental alternative.
Sima Kirsch, P.C. – Alex Ogoke, 1954 W.
Irving Park Road, (773) 305-0618,
alexogoke@sbcglobal.net. Attorney at law.
Mickelson Brothers, LLC, 1151 N. State Street,
(312) 787-3703, julian@mickelsonbrothers.com.
Mickelsonbrothers.com. Real estate development.
Skylight Wellness, 1220 W. Morse Avenue,
(773) 856-6091, brian.chambers786@rcn.com,
skylightwellness.com. Massage therapy.
Daniel Butt, individual.
Committeeman David Fagus, 7356 N.
Greenview Avenue, (773) 973-4949, davidfagus@49thward.com. 49th Ward Democratic
Committeeman.
Cook County Commissioner Larry
Suffredin, 820 Davis Street, Suite 104, (847)
864-1208, larry@suffredin.org, suffredin.org.
Cook County Commissioner.
Curves, 7300 N. Western Avenue, (773) 3380255, curvesinternational.com. Fitness for
women.
George Pappas General Construction, 1516
W. Pratt Avenue, (773) 761-3840, fgeo321@sbcglobal.net. General construction.
Goldie’s Place, 6230 N. Clark Street, (773) 2741212, johanna@goldiesplace.org.
goldiesplace.org. Supportive center for the
homeless.
Northside Catholic Academy, 5525 N.
Magnolia Avenue, (773) 271-4310,
kerickson@northsidecatholicacad.org, northsidecatholicacad.org. Private school.
Stamp Graphics, 1941 W. Fulton Street, (312)
421-0293, Mario@stampgraphics.com, stampgraphics.com. Printing company.
Arthur Strobeck, individual.
Tamara O’Leary, individual.
Eva Annette Strobeck, individual.
Bill Paige, individual.
Timmothy Allan & Associates, 1400 W.
Devon, (773) 551-5591, Michael.pond@timmothyallan.com, timmothallan.com. Real estate.
Pioneer Press Newspapers, 7331 N. Lincoln
Avenue, (847) 329-2000, msperling@pioneerlocal.com, pioneerlocal.com. Community newspaper.
Sandi Price, individual.
Darnell Williams, individual.
For a full list of members, visit us at out web site:
http://www.devcorpnorth.org/members/members.php.
RE/MAX NorthCoast Realty – Yvonne
Carns, 1225 W. Morse Avenue, (312) 685-8668,
Graffiti prevention tips
There has been a rash of graffiti/acid
etching of the windows in the Rogers Park
community over the last several months
and it is creating concern for merchants
and property owners. As the cost of glass
replacement can be significant, DevCorp
North has taken these concerns very seriously and sought a solution to this problem.
After months of research on this issue,
we have obtained information on a product designed to protect the glass from
being permeated. The new product,
designed by the 3M Corp., will not allow
anything to etch the glass surface.
The product is a sheet-like material
that must be professionally installed, is virtually invisible, and can repel the most
common forms of graffiti (hydrochloric
acid) with a garden hose. The cost of this
product is very reasonable, at $7 to $8 per
square foot; this translates to approximately 1/3 the cost of glass replacement and
comes with a five-year product failure warranty.
For more information regarding this
valuable service, contact DevCorp North
at (773) 508-5885 or visit our Web site,
www.devcorpnorth.org.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Saturday, September 17 - 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. World Music Fest. In Gale Park at Howard and
Ashland. Sponsored by DevCorp North, SSA
#19. Presented by Wisdom Bridge Arts Project.
Sunday, September 25 - 2 p.m. - St.
Scholastica Academy's 11th Annual Women for
the World Award will be presented to Mia
Hamm. St. Scholastica Academy (7416 N.
Ridge). For more information, call (773) 7645715, x363 or visit www.scholactica.us.
Wednesday, September 28 - 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Rogers Park Business and Artists Networking
Group meeting. Duke's Bar Grand Opening
(6920 N. Glenwood). Meetings held the last
Wednesday of each month (locations change
monthly). $10 includes food and fun.
Saturday, October 8 - 8 a.m. - Heartland
Athletes United for Peace, Free Street Sprints
on Glenwood - 50 Yard Dashes. Heartland Café
(7000 N. Glenwood). Fatback@aol.com for
more information.
Wednesday, October 12 - 7:30 to 9 a.m. Rogers Park Business and Artists Networking
Group breakfast meeting. Meetings held every
second Wednesday (locations change monthly). $6 includes breakfast and tip.
Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15 Grand Opening Party at Lake Side Café & Inner
Metamorphosis University (1418 W. Howard).
Music, Dancing, Food and more. For more
information, call (773) 262-9503 or visit
www.Lake-Side-Café.com vegetarian café,
serving organic where possible or
www.lifesurfing.com a place to inquire into
oneself, classes, retreats and more.
Saturday, October 22 - 6:30 p.m. - Spirit of
Rogers Park Awards. Rogers Park Community
Council's 53rd Annual Benefit. Simpson Living
Learning Center, Loyola University, Chicago,
6229 N. Winthrop.
Wednesday, October 26 - 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Rogers Park Business and Artists Networking
Group meeting. Meetings held the last
Wednesday of each month (locations change
monthly). $10 includes food and fun.
Wednesday, November 9 - 7:30 to 9 a.m. Rogers Park Business and Artists Networking
Group breakfast meeting. Meetings held every
second Wednesday (locations change monthly). $6 includes breakfast and tip.
Sunday, November 13 - 8 a.m. - Heartland
Athletes United for Peace, 5k run. Heartland
Café (7000 N. Glenwood). Gather at the
Heartland Café, walk to Loyola Park, do a 5k on
a measured course, and return to the
Heartland's Red Line Tap for food, awards,
gifts and camaraderie.
Entry fee $25.
Fatback@aol.com for more information.
Saturday, December 31 - Heartland Athletes
United for Peace, 5k run. Heartland Café (7000
N. Glenwood). Gather at the Heartland Café,
walk to Loyola Park, do a 5k on a measured
course, and return to the Heartland's Red Line
Tap for food, awards, gifts and camaraderie.
Entry fee $25. Fatback@aol.com for more information.
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Spotlight on The Side Project
there is no point in doing yet another revival
of a play you can see anywhere else, unless
we are going to say something new with it:
be it a new adaptation, or a new interpretation, informed to a great extent by our tiny
space,” Webster explained.
After seeing last season's one-act festival, Tail Eats Snake, Tim Sauers of GayChicago
Magazine called it “an important contribution
to the development of new works, new voices in the theatre.”
Critics' praise
In reviewing Maggie, Venus Zarris of
GayChicago Magazine said the side project was
“a theater company to follow and support as
they break new ground and set impressive
standards” and Reed has tagged the company as “fast becoming the theatrical little
engine that could on the far North side.”
Zarris also referenced a story by drama
critic Terry Teachout, whose October 2004
article in the Wall Street Journal on Chicago
Theater praised the likes of Court Theater,
Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the
Porchlight Musical Theatre Company. Zarris
lamented that “he didn't have time to investigate the brilliant and off the beaten track
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continued from page 7
venues where there are amazing treasures to
behold, like at the side project.”
The space has been visited by
WTTW's Wild Chicago, WBEZ's Jonathan
Abarbanel and the Sun-Times' Hedy Weiss,
who featured last August's one-act festival
Tail Eats Snake on her WTTW show.
Reed furthered that the side project “represents what's best about Chicago's tradition
of tiny storefront theater that's rich in quality” and intoned readers to “make the trip to
Rogers Park and see what can happen when
creativity, intelligence, economy, and drive
combine to create art.”
With all of the recent press, Webster
said the theatre is gaining a little more visibility in the greater theatre community,
which he hopes will drive more theatergoers to the area. “Building momentum for
the theatre has been difficult, since it is so
far north,” Webster said, “but the neighborhood has embraced us, and now we just
need the rest of Chicago to embrace the
neighborhood.”
Webster said he chose Rogers Park
because when he visited the 1520 W. Jarvis
location, he liked the landlord, locale and
the fact that it fit his budget. However, it
being only 800 square feet, the building cannot house both rehearsals and after school
classes, which was an original part of the
business plan. So, the theatre company had
to take precedence, Webster said.
“But I have the curriculum outlined,
which was an intensive, but rewarding
process, and hope that someday implementing it becomes a reality,” Webster said of the
K-12 program that stresses performing, writing, reading and movement. A couple of
years ago Webster did get to lend support to
an area after school program, when he was
approached by Live Bait Theatre to use the
Side Studio as a satellite site for their successful Cop Teen Link program. In it, Chicago
police officers and area youth meet weekly
with an instructor to play theatre games and
improvisation exercises.
“I had seen a performance of the
Police-Teen link at the prior year's Abbie
Hoffman Festival,” Webster said, “and was
blown away by the wonderful execution of
such a simple idea. So, when they came to
me to see if they could use the space for it,
it was a no-brainer.”
Rogers Park: perfect for small businesses
continued from first page
also provides an estimate of the opportunity that exists to capture some of that spending potential locally.
There is a significant amount of opportunity for new and expanded retail in Rogers
Park. Within one mile of Clark Street and
Morse Avenue there is an estimated $728
million of retail sales leaking out of the
neighborhood. This number jumps to $2.6
billion in leakage within 3 miles, or approximately 12 minutes driving time, of Clark
Street and Morse Avenue. If given more
incentive to shop locally some of this spending potential could go a long way to support
new local businesses, and help our existing
businesses grow.
So there is money and there is opportunity, but what about the bottom line? In
terms of business expenses, rent is one of the
most important factors for any business, and
it varies greatly from one neighborhood to
the next. The average rent is significantly
lower in Rogers Park than in many other
neighborhoods. In fact, the average rent for
current vacancies in Rogers Park is $7 per
square foot lower than Bucktown/Wicker
Park and $3 per square foot lower than
Lincoln Square.
Personnel cost and availability are also
important factors. Rogers Park is home to a
well- educated population that is supplemented by students from nearby Loyola
University Chicago and Northwestern
University. Both employees and patrons
can easily reach Rogers Park by our many
public transit options and the community is
situated close to several major arterial roadways. In fact, 12% more Rogers Park residents commute by public transit than the
average for Chicago because it is so convenient. All of our major commercial areas
are directly accessible by CTA or Metra
trains and all of them can be accessed by
CTA buses. This means it’s easier for
employees to get to work and patrons to
visit their favorite Rogers Park retail destinations.
Other local assets include a youthful,
income diverse population that is spread
evenly through the community. A large percentage of the population is in the prime age
bracket of 18 to 44 years old, 9% more than
the average for Chicago and only 2% less
than Bucktown/Wicker Park. Most retailers
know that this group likes to spend a lot and
save a little. Additionally, almost a third of
Rogers Park residents have an annual household income of over $45,000. These are
patrons that shop more frequently, especially at restaurants and on apparel items.
Higher income residents are spread fairly
evenly throughout the neighborhood, so that
any particular business is surrounded by a
dense and income diverse population.
Finally, there are countless intangible
reasons why Rogers Park is a good place to
do business. The eclectic mix of people
from over 82 different countries, the local
beaches, good quality housing and an active
community are just a few. For more information about retail market information, such
as what Rogers Park residents spend their
money on and how much potential exists in
different markets, visit our website,
www.devcorpnorth.org.
Facade rebate program works in Rogers Park
continued from page 3
projects were completed out of 149 applications submitted. During this time period,
257 projects were completed in the city overall. Thus, 23% of the façade rehabs were
completed in and around Rogers Park. This
is a good indication that Rogers Park businesses are willing to invest and contribute to
the beautification of their neighborhood and
commercial district.
The City offers two programs; the
Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) Façade Rebate Program and the
Corporate Façade Rebate Program. The
CDBG program is federally funded and
available for commercial and industrial
properties located within low- to moderateincome census tracts. The CDBG program
excludes Small Business Improvement Fund
program areas and Central Business District
areas. The corporate program is city funded
and is available for areas that are not low- to
moderate-income, but are within a delegate
agency’s service area. DevCorp North, the
business, community and economic development corporation in Rogers Park is a delegate agency for the Dept. of Planning and
Development, and as such, any property
located in Rogers Park and portions of West
Ridge from Ridge Boulevard to Western
Avenue, between Howard Street and Devon
Avenue qualifies for one of these programs.
The program provides rebates for various façade rehabilitation activities, including
complete façade renovation, exterior lighting, new signs, graphics, windows, doors,
window displays and awnings, passive security and energy conservation systems and
truck docks. Under the CDBG program,
industrial buildings are eligible for a rebate
of 50% of approved costs up to $40,000 for
the total project. Commercial retail buildings are eligible for a rebate of 75% of
approved costs up to $40,000 for the total
project. Under the corporate program, all
qualified buildings are eligible for 30% of
approved costs up to $24,000 for the total
project. New construction is not eligible. All
applicants must install a minimum of $2,000
in façade improvements to be eligible for
the program. Applications for Rogers Park
buildings are available at the DevCorp
North office at 1448 W. Howard Street.
The Façade Rebate Program is only one
of several incentive programs geared for
businesses within the City, including a host
of incentives for businesses within Tax
Increment
Finance
Districts
(TIF),
Enterprise Zones and Empowerment Zones.
Because the city encourages projects that
encourage business development many
financial incentives are available, including
but not limited to: micro loans, CD float
loans, and industrial development revenue
bonds. For more information on these programs and others, contact the City of
Chicago by calling 311 or visit www.cityofchicago.org.
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13
Planning for success in business
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Ring
a bell? Business owners and entrepreneurs
overwhelmingly fail to plan for their new
business, relying instead on gut instincts,
vision and their belief that the business will
be wildly successful. Unfortunately, statistics on small business success don't support
that kind of naïve enthusiasm: The failure
rate for new businesses is between 70% to
80% in the first year. Only about half of
those who survive the first year will remain
in business for the next five years.
So, how should you go about planning
for your next business venture? First, be
clear about your business purpose, clientele
and customer profile. Are you going to be a
new shoe store? Are your customers looking for high-end designer shoes or inexpensive knock-offs? Consider selling related
items, such as purses, socks and belts. Don't
become too diluted by adding unrelated
items or services, though, like books or
massage. That will only confuse your customers. Next, focus on a location that supports your proposed customer base. If you
sell furniture, plan on getting a store that
has a lot of parking nearby and a loading
zone. If you sell coffee, make sure people
have a place to park for a couple of minutes
while waiting for their latte. If you will do
most of your business over the phone as an
insurance rep or attorney, then you might
not need storefront space or much parking.
Now that you know what you're going
to sell, to whom and where, you need to
know your competition. Why will people
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buy from you versus your competitor?
Identify your competition and why your
product or service is superior. Maybe you'll
offer the best price, the best selection, the
highest quality or the most convenient hours
and location. Whatever it is that makes you
special, claim it, name it and market it.
Now spread the word to potential customers. How will you reach them? Does
your marketing plan rely on just word of
mouth or people noticing your business
sign or new store? Create a marketing plan,
even if it's just a list of the various means
that you will use to attract customers and
Create a marketing plan,
even if it's just a list of the
various means that you will
use to attract customers
and the dates by which
you'll do each of them.
the dates by which you'll do each of them.
Examples of marketing methods include
fliers, newsprint or radio advertising, direct
mail pieces, and internet marketing.
Consider the role that your website will
play. Is it easy to navigate? Does it commu-
nicate a clear and compelling message?
Does it contain the information people
need in order to make a decision to purchase a product or service from you? Can
people buy your product online?
Finally, do the numbers. How many
people do you need to service, how many
items do you need to sell per day, week,
month, year in order to stay in business?
You probably won't make a profit for several months, maybe even a year or two if you
open a restaurant. Do you have enough
reserves personally and in the business?
How will you pay for the start-up costs,
equipment and furniture? Do you have a
line of credit or bank loan? You'll need to
create profit and loss statements and cash
flow projections in order to convince a
bank to make a loan to you, so take your
time with this part. An accountant or bookkeeper can come in handy for this section.
And lastly, make sure that your business plan is simple, specific, realistic and
complete. It's meant to help you decide
whether or not the business is practical and
feasible, and it needs to be based in reality.
With good planning, your dream of becoming a business owner can come true and
your business can succeed.
More information and assistance is
available from the Small Business
Administration
( www.sba.gov ), SCORE
( www.score.org )and the Illinois Dept. of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity
(www.commerce.state.il.us/dceo/ ).
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NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
CHICAGO, IL
PERMIT NO. 6482
This publication was funded in part by the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development TABG Program and does not necessarily represent in whole or in part the viewpoints of the Department of Planning and Development.
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