Better Business Development

Too many storefronts in our community sit vacant, depriving our neighborhoods of thriving commercial districts. We can change this. Molly has a concrete plan to revive our commercial districts, bringing responsible businesses and jobs to our neighborhoods.

A Business Liaison in the Alderman’s Office

First, an aldermanic staffer in Molly’s office will work as a liaison to existing businesses and as a recruiter to new businesses. The city licensing process can be pretty complex. To encourage existing businesses to expand, and to attract new businesses to the community, we need a person who can help businesses navigate the city bureaucracy and who will actively recruit outside businesses to our community. It’s a simple step Molly will take to revitalize our retail spaces, create jobs in our neighborhoods, and help move our community forward.

Fill Vacant Storefronts with Art

Creating a thriving business community will take time. But there are things we can do now to fill our vacant storefronts. For example, Molly will work with local building owners to donate empty storefronts to local artists, turning our vacant spaces into art galleries. The landlords get more traffic in front of their buildings, making the commercial space more valuable. And the artists have a place to exhibit their work while they establish themselves. It increases pedestrian traffic, promotes local arts and culture, and brings creative energy onto our streets.

A Regional Center of the Entertainment Industry

Molly will promote Uptown as an entertainment center of Chicago and the Midwest. We have some of the best music clubs and theatres clustered right here in our community, and yet almost nothing is done to promote that. The music industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry that employs people in large corporations and small start-ups.

We should promote Uptown and its diverse entertainment heritage in a way that encourages further development of the entire industry in our community. There is no reason why Uptown shouldn’t be home to numerous recording studios, independent labels, storefront theatres, and event promoters.

A Community Master Plan to Guide Us As We Move Forward

Finally, Molly will work with the community to create a master plan for future development and revitalization throughout all our neighborhoods. Master plans have proven to be hugely valuable tools in identifying community assets and opportunities, and for providing a guiding vision to move communities forward.

The first step in creating such a plan would be to talk to other aldermen who have gone through the process. Then, Molly would organize a committee of representatives from block clubs, business groups, social service providers, and property management companies to discuss what our community needs and how we can move our community forward.

The community will ultimately decide what is in the plan. The plan would include a guiding vision for future residential and business development, and it would address issues regarding transportation, parks, community service organizations, and schools. But Molly knows that the best ideas flow from the grassroots, not from the top down. Molly will seek intensive community input into the plan to move our neighborhoods forward.