Kankakee Times

State Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) is taking credit for having secured a $1,450,000 grant for the Southeast Chicago Chamber of Commerce that will go toward revitalizing local businesses.

Sims announced the funding in a post to Facebook, and later added in an Illinois Senate Democrats press release that the funding will come from the Illinois Department of Economic Development through its Rebuild Distressed Communities program, with the grant made possible by the state’s historic Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan.

“The key to any building is a strong foundation,” Sims added. “My priority continues to be securing resources for our community, and funds to help revitalize the southeast Chicago area is a critical part of this work. These funds will help boost the economy by creating new jobs and business opportunities.”

The final round of Rebuild Distressed Communities program is set to provide in the neighborhood of $976,000 to 26 small businesses and $7.45 million to help revitalize seven commercial corridors located across the state. Overall, the program is a $25 million economic recovery program aimed at supporting economically distressed Illinois businesses and communities that have sustained property damage due to civil unrest on or after May 25th, 2020.

To operate the program, DCEO has partnered with two community organizations, Local Initiative Services Corporation and Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives Inc. Businesses located in these zip codes are eligible to apply, while those not listed in those zip codes may still be eligible if they operate in an economically distressed area.

The program prioritizes small businesses, underinsured or uninsured businesses, businesses that have a high community impact – such as grocery stores – and businesses in communities that have experienced historic disinvestment.