Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
- Services
- User-centered process design, map visualization
- Client
- SomerCor
- Launched
- February 2017
A website to help property owners in underserved neighborhoods access block grants for economic development.
Block grants for underserved neighborhoods
The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund makes use of revenue generated by downtown development to finance commercial projects on Chicago’s South, Southwest, and West Sides. Business owners in underserved neighborhoods can apply for up to $250,000 in funding to make repairs, rehab their building, or build new buildings to support their commercial corridor.
We worked with City of Chicago staff to turn around a marketing website for the Fund in under two weeks. On the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund website, users can search for their property, see if they qualify, and apply for funding all at once.
Press
- $4 Million Up For Grabs In Push To Invest In ‘Challenged’ Neighborhoods - Heather Cherone, DNAInfo Chicago (Feb 21 2017)
- City Makes $4 Million in Grant Funding Available to Neighborhoods on South, West Sides - ABC 7 Chicago (Feb 27 2017)
- City offers grants to South and West side shops - Greg Hinz, Crain’s Chicago Business (Feb 28 2017)
- Emanuel sets new retail grant program for struggling shopping areas - John Byrne, Chicago Tribune (Feb 28 2017)