Greetings!

The PUBLIC HEARING has been scheduled  

RE West Town SSA Expansion & Reconstitution 

 

PUBLIC HEARING 

Friday, October 12th

10 am

@ City Council Chambers, City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle

 

All West Town SSA stakeholders, property owners who are located in the new expanded SSA (which was SSA 29 and is now going to be SSA 57) will be notified by mail of the hearing.   

 

Once the SSA Ordinance is passed, DHED will enter into a contract with WTCCC, and the new West Town SSA will be implemented beginning January 2013.


Click here for a link to the power point presentation that was given at the community meetings with more information on our SSA and about the expansion and reconstitution process.  Please visit www.westtownssa.org for more information or call the SSA program manager Kace Wakem 312-850-9390.
What is an SSA?    

 

The Special Service Area (SSA) is an economic development tool, created by state statute and city ordinance, which allows extra real estate property taxes to be collected to fund added services for a defined area. It is the only taxing body in which property owners choose to be assessed and have direct decision-making authority on the use of those funds.

 

SSA taxpayers cooperatively plan, provide, benefit from, and pay for services within their own area. SSA-funded services focus on the public way and are in addition to services generally provided by the City.

 

SSAs exist throughout the USA, as well as in other parts of the world, and are more commonly known as Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). There have been more than 50 SSAs within the City of Chicago and 800 nationwide.

 

When and Why was West Town SSA created?

West Town SSA was established in November 2004 by City Council ordinance. The mission of West Town SSA is to maintain and improve the shopping, dining and nightlife within the SSA boundary by providing a cleaner, safer and more attractive environment for consumers and business owners and residents.

 

What are the boundaries of the West Town SSA?

The current boundaries of the West Town SSA29 are:


Chicago Avenue from Halsted Street to California Avenue
Damen Avenue from Chicago Avenue to Grand Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue from Racine Street to Erie Street
Ogden Avenue from Fry Street to the Kennedy Expressway

 

How is West Town SSA governed and managed?

West Town SSA is governed by a 9-member Commission whose members are SSA property and business owners. SSA Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor and serve 2-year terms. The West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce is the Service Provider agency which, under contract with the City of Chicago, is responsible for providing and managing the SSA services approved by the Commission. The West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce reports to the Chicago Department of Housing and Economic Development which oversees the SSAs.

 

 

What does West Town SSA29 Currently Do?

 

Current West Town SSA Programs:

 

Facade Improvement Program

The SSA will rebate 50% of eligible fa�ade projects up to $15,000. There is a streamlined process and no application fee. You can download an application from the SSA website at www.westtownssa.org.

 

Public art

Murals have been installed beneath the viaduct over Chicago Ave near Sangamon Street. The first phase of the mural was completed during the fall of 2008 and the second phase was completed in the fall of 2009 along the 800 block of north Lessing St. Local artists had a chance to share their visions for these West Town locations and a panel of business and property owners selected the best fit for the project.

 

Street maintenance

Cleanslate, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides paid transitional jobs in neighborhood beautification (www.cleanslatechicago.org), keeps the area sidewalks clean and litter-free 3-5 times per week. Currently you can see the crews working hard removing litter, emptying SSA trash receptacles, identifying and removing graffiti to, and surveying local businesses. These crews also work to maintain the artist created trash receptacles the SSA has purchased and installed along the West Town SSA boundaries, as there were not enough city trash receptacles in the ara. These receptacles help to reduce the amount of litter on sidewalks and in the streets.

 

Decorative banners

Promotional street pole banners are now available for local businesses to purchase and help promote themselves and West Town. Please visit the "Forms" page at www.westtownssa.org for your application and more information.

 

Long range planning

West Town SSA has been working with a local district planner to help compile and analyze area statistics and demographics in order to help develop a corridor plan and marketing materials. The plan has recently been completed and programs are currently being developed based on the findings.

 

Marketing

West Town SSA markets the commercial corridors and businesses by promoting the "Discover West Town" mobile app, having a yearly marketing campaign initiated by the contracted PR firm, keeping up to date information running daily on our West Town Chicago Facebook and Twitter pages, and by maintaining an online presence with our SSA website and other West Town Chamber websites. West Town SSA also markets the service area by supporting special events that publicize and draw consumers to Chicago Avenue such as the West Fest street festival.

 

Landscape maintenance

Weeding is provided monthly from April to November on SSA trees pits, sidewalks, and along buildings in an effort to improve the health of the environment and add to the appeal of the district. The trees along the SSA are maintained based on a Tree Maintenance Program created by the contracted Arborist.

 

Snow removal 

The West Town SSA has the snow cleared from SSA sidewalks and crosswalks after each snow fall that accumulates one inch or more. This is a service provided in addition to the snow removal provided by property owners according to the City of Chicago Snow Removal Ordinance.

 

Holiday decorations

In an effort to brighten the holidays and provide a festive atmosphere, West Town SSA provides decorations on SSA street light poles. The decorations are installed around the Thanksgiving holiday and are removed in mid-January

 

 


More Information on the West Town SSA Reconstitution & Expansion

West Town SSA29 Is Reconstituting and Expanding Next Year and Becoming SSA57

The West Town Chamber of Commerce is in the process of reconstituting (renewing) and expanding the West Town Special Service Area (SSA29). The WTCCC Board of Directors, West Town SSA Commissioners and the SSA Expansion Advisory Committee are including more commercial corridors in the chamber's service area. Once reconstituted and expanded the SSA will be #57.     

 

The SSA Expansion Advisory Committee, SSA29 Commission, and WTCC Board of Directors have determined these new boundaries:

 

- Western Avenue, along the west side of street from Hadden to Cortez and along the east side of street from Hadden to Superior 

- Damen Avenue, from the south side of Augusta to north side of Huron

- Ashland Avenue from the south side of Division to the south side of Grand

- Grand Avenue from the east side of Ashland to the east side of Damen 

- Milwaukee Avenue, from 1142 N Milwaukee to north side of Erie 

- Ogden Avenue, from 1030 N Ogden to the Kennedy Expressway 

- Chicago Avenue from the west side of Halsted to the east side of Western   

 

Click here for links to current SSA29 MAP and New SSA57 MAP 

     

   

The History of the Expansion and Reconstitution Process:

The West Town SSA Reconstitution and Expansion process began in 2011 when West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce completed and submitted to the Department of Housing and Economic Development (DHED) a Feasibility Report. Prior to completing the Feasibility Report, and knowing that there might be some controversy regarding an SSA along the stretch of Damen Ave between Chicago and Division, WTCCC staff attended an East Village Association meeting to inform the EV residents that within the next 6 months, taxpayers would receive in the mail written notice of two community meetings. EVA members were invited to attend those meetings to learn more about the proposed SSA and to voice their opinions. EVA members also were invited to send written opinions directly to WTCCC. On the basis of comments received, it was decided that Damen Avenue, from Division to Augusta, would be eliminated from SSA expansion consideration, so this area was not included on the map given to DHED as part of the Feasibility Study.   

 

WTCCC met with DHED to discuss the West Town SSA Feasibility Report, and WTCCC was given approval to move forward with the process. WTCCC sent out a Request for Proposals (RFP) to hire a consultant to help with the process. The SSA Commission interviewed a number of potential consultants and decided to hire PLACE Consulting, a group that has had years of experience working with SSAs throughout the Chicago area.

 

During December 2011, WTCCC put together an SSA Advisory Committee made up of business owners and property owners. Members were selected from those individuals known to be very active in the community. They included people active in the Chamber and SSA; who came to networking meetings, served on committees, or had worked on various projects and programs to help improve the overall economic development of West Town. Care was given to select people who could represent all areas of the SSA, particularly those streets within the expanded SSA areas.

 

WTCCC, together with DHED and PLACE Consulting, held an orientation meeting for the newly formed SSA Advisory Committee in January 2012.   This meeting served to train Committee members, getting them up to speed on what SSAs are and how they function. In February, the group took a trolley tour of the prospective new SSA and discussed the area. The SSA Advisory Committee met three more times during the following five months to discuss and reach agreement on their vision for the West Town SSA, the proposed SSA map, tax cap, services, and budget.

 

Two community meetings were held in April 2012. Meeting notices were mailed to taxpayers of those properties located on the proposed SSA streets, as identified by the County Assessor's Office. Those who rent property, or who have addresses not on those streets, were not mailed notices. The chamber also announced the community meetings in the chamber e-newsletters and on social media / Facebook. Turn out at the two community meetings was good, averaging 30 to 40 people at each. Representatives from DHED attended and gave a presentation on how SSAs work; followed by a presentation by WTCCC consultants, staff and SSA Advisory Committee members. The presentation included how the current West Town SSA has been functioning so far, comparing SSA projects done in the past to what sort of programs and projects are being planned for the future. Also presented was how the property tax levy works, estimates of annual SSA tax dollars to be collected in the future, the chosen tax cap for the SSA, and how this SSA's taxes compares with similar SSAs in Chicago. After each meeting, the presenters stayed to speak with individuals to answer any additional questions or concerns they might have had.

 

Minutes from the meetings, together with all the meeting materials, were then posted on the SSA website www.westtownssa.org. After the second community meeting and some feedback on the SSA expansion from property owners on  Grand Avenue, Alderman Burnett asked WTCCC to meet with the Neighbors of River West regarding the proposed SSA along Grand Avenue. The Neighbors of River West voted to oppose the SSA expansion along Grand Ave between Ogden and Halsted. The SSA Expansion Advisory Committee then evaluated the feedback and voted to take that area off the SSA proposed expansion map, and the budget was adjusted accordingly.

 

26th Ward Alderman Maldonado asked that WTCCC eliminate any area within his ward from the proposed SSA, which was done. However, due to the new Ward re-map, Alderman Moreno convinced Alderman Maldonado to re-instate Grand Ave from Damen to Ashland, which will be part of Ward 1 when the re-map is implemented. Alderman Maldonado agreed, and Grand Avenue between Damen and Ashland was put back on the SSA map, and the budget was adjusted accordingly.

 

After reviewing all of the feedback received, the SSA Expansion Advisory Committee then voted on a final West Town SSA map, the legal description was created by PLACE, new SSA Commissioners were selected and the SSA Application submitted to the Department of Housing and Economic Development on June 15, 2012. The SSA Ordinance was drafted by the City and introduced to City Council on July 25th, where it was referred to Finance Committee for review. City Council Finance Committee will hold a Public Hearing:

 

PUBLIC HEARING 

RE West Town SSA Expansion & Reconstitution 

Friday, October 12th

10 am

@ City Council Chambers, City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle

 

Please visit www.westtownssa.org for more information or call the SSA program manager Kace Wakem 312-850-9390.

West Town SSA Vision:

To improve West Town SSA business districts by providing services that support businesses and bring visitors to West Town so that it becomes a destination for shopping, dining, professional services, nightlife and culture.

 

More About the West Town Chamber of Commerce:
 

Our Mission:

The West Town Chamber of Commerce's mission is to strengthen its business community so that West Town becomes a destination for shopping, dining, professional services, nightlife and culture.  

 

What We Do:

The West Town Chamber of Commerce fosters community and economic development by empowering businesses with information, networking opportunities, marketing, and other programming. The chamber extensively promotes the unique elements of the West Town neighborhoods and strives to engage the public through the organization of special events that highlight existing businesses and attract consumers and new businesses to the West Town area. The chamber serves as a channel through which members can cultivate a diverse, symbiotic, and growth-oriented community.  

 

Positioning Statement (Courtesy of Becker Entertainment):

West Town is a neighborhood destination which thrives on the principles of community and the subsequent charm created by this diverse, yet united community This is an area defined by a rich history of residents and the entrepreneurial pioneers who've helped maintain the essence of what truly defines "Chicago"...its neighborhoods.  

 

Neighborhoods within West Town include: East Village, Eckhart Park, Humboldt Park, Noble Square, River West, Smith Park, Ukrainian Village; plus the Division Street corridor and Grand Avenue Design District. ALL Neighborhoods will continue to be promoted as part of the West Town marketing.  

 

Official City of Chicago West Town Community Area boundaries: Bloomingdale to Kinzie, and the Chicago River to Kedzie.  

 

West Town Chamber of Commerce service area boundaries: Division to Grand, Halsted to Kedzie.

 

 

Click Here To Sign Our SSA Support Page

West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce
1819 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

tele 312-850-9390
fax 312-850-9414
[email protected]

Want to know more about the chamber and West Town special events?
Visit:
www.foodtrucksocialchicago.com