GSDC

Under the leadership of 63rd St. business owners and community residents, the 63rd St. Growth Commission is in the midst of a planning and visioning effort for the business district. The effort formally began in October ‘07 with a visioning session in which business owners discussed what they wanted to see accomplished in the area in the near future. That session led to the creation, over the next year, of business owner-led issue-area committees that have guided different Growth Commission initiatives. The planning effort continues and grows with the recent start of the 63rd St. Full Circle Mapping and Survey Project. (Pictured left: the SSA physical survey being conducted)

In early ‘09, the Commission hired consultant and city planner Clifton Trimble to assess the district through a Commission-designed survey and help create a new, detailed map and database of the SSA. The project will help foster a better understanding of the area’s needs and help bring about the vision businesses have outlined. With the help of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) tools, Clif can efficiently collect SSA data to create a detailed assessment. 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. CMAP’s general community assistance process consists of helping identify what data need to be gathered, creating a database of local parcels by visiting target area, using the gathered data to create maps depicting different aspects of area parcels,  and establishing recommendations and finding alternatives for improving communities’ quality of life. With this information, the Commission hopes to create a more inviting destination point for new potential customers. Stay tuned for the results of the project by going to www.63rdstreetcenter.com.