Moreno initiates 1st Ward coalition to look at needs for business development

Ed Tamminga,WPC; Greg Nagel,EVA;Adam Burk,WPB Chamber; Leslie Jacobs, SSA#29; Laura Weathered, SSA#33;Paul Levin, Logan Sq Chamb

More than ten organizations in the 1st Ward were represented at a 1st Ward evening meeting on Wed., May 18.   Alderman Proco  "Joe" Moreno is hopeful that the group will be a task force that will work at proactive business development.

In a short intro, Moreno stated the purpose of the group, "The individual groups represented here do a fantastic job of reacting to types of businesses that  are coming into our ward or want to come into the ward. Whether that is positive, negative or neutral. that is a good thing and that is what we want to continue.

Dave Ginople, WPB; Bob Fiorito, WBNA; Eva Bergant, BCO; and Jeanie Dye, GGNA.

"But, as I have said and we have talked about, we need to be proactive in a way that we can reach out to businesses that we see as right sized businesses for the various parts of the ward. Instead of saying what we'd like to see in an area, hopefully this task force will reach out to companies that are good citizens, hopefully local, who meet the demands of the local area and demands of their corporate structures so they can do well."

Suzanne Keers (r), Local First Chicago and Lyn Wolfson, CGNA

The close to two hour coalition building meeting included discussions about community data, how to work together, identifying places in need of development and needs for less bunching of store types as well as how all the communities are blending together. Suzanne Keers who lives in Wicker Park and is the co-founder and current director of Local First Chicago, shared information about how to develop healthy business development in an area.

Ronda Locke, 1st Ward Office

It was agreed that what is needed is to get input from community residents and to look at success stories which tell how different businesses have coalesced and why.  Ronda Locke who is now a permanent member of Moreno's staff, is going to pull together a survey to collect information from the community about their needs and wants about businesses in the area.

Organizations represented at the meeting were the three chambers: West Town, Wicker Park/Bucktown and Logan Square; SSA #29; SSA #33; Bucktown Community Organization (BCO); East Village Assn. (EVA); Greater Goethe Neighborhood Assn. (GGNA); Chicago Grand Neighborhood Assn (CGNA); West Bucktown Neighborhood Assn (WBNA);  Wicker Park Committee (WPC); and Local First.

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