City of Chicago awards $33 million to dozens of businesses and organizations

Fifty-eight businesses or community organizations will share $33 million in development grants from the city of Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the grants at the Chicago Cultural Center on Monday.“Each of you fuel our local economy and create opportunities for our neighbors, young people and artists that brings the potential of building more affordable, safer and thriving communities to fruition,” Johnson said. The grant winners were selected through competitive application rounds through the city’s Department of Planning and Development Community Development Grant and Neighborhood Opportunity Fund programs, which will total $90 million in public-private neighborhood investments.Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatwright said the 58 finalists were selected from nearly 400 applications, and collectively represent more than $90 million in public-private investment city wide, collectively covering about a third of the total investment. Some projects, she said, will receive about 75% of their total development costs.“It’s my pleasure to announce DPD’s grant awards in support of exciting Neighborhood Improvement projects across the entire city, especially along major commercial corridors that mean so much to economic vitality and livability,” Boatwright said in a packed event hall at the Cultural Center. Nine firms were selected to receive grants ranging from $500,000 to $5 million, including $1.3 million for the building of a content production studio in East Garfield Park; $5 million for an intergenerational housing development; $3.7 million for Funkytown Brewery, Black-owned craft beer brewery on the Near West Side.The West Garfield Park-based Institute for Nonviolence was awarded $4.8 million to…

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