Join Us in Austin 2015

July 15, 2015

Join Us in Austin COMMUNITY COMMITMENT

AUSTIN: INVESTING IN COMMUNITY PAGE 3 REBUILDING AUSTIN ONE HOUSE AT A TIME PAGE 4 | THE HEART OF AUSTIN: HIGHLIGHTING THE CHICAGO AVENUE CORRIDOR PAGE 7

Austin Coming Together

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JOIN US IN AUSTIN

Austin Weekly News, July 15, 2015

Our mission is to create a school that dramatically transforms the lives of K-­‐8 students and prepares them for success in college and in life through: the delivery of a rigorous and personalized academic program, a focus on holistic education and the

development of strong character.

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To learn more and to enroll your child, visit:

movingeverest.org To learn more and to enroll your child, visit: or contact Principal enroll your child, visit: movingeverest.org or contact Mika Krause, movingeverest.org mkrause@movingeverest.org or c ontact

To learn more and to enroll y child, visit: mkrause@movingeverest.org • our (502) 791-6327 502)791-­‐6327 Mika (K rause, Principal

movingeverest.org

mkrause@movingeverest.org or contact (502)791-­‐6327

Mika Krause, Principal mkrause@movingeverest.org

(502)791-­‐6327

Mika Krause, Principal

JOIN US IN AUSTIN

I N T RODU CT ION

Welcome to Austin

A

ustin is home to some of the city’s most beautiful parks, historic neighborhoods, and carefully kept gardens. To maintain these community jewels and ensure a prosperous future for all, residents, businesses, and public institutions must continually engage in redeveloping individual properties, whole neighborhoods, and public infrastructure. Despite the complex and often daunting nature of this work, Austinites keep finding creative ways to strengthen our community by investing in its Built Environment.

These are some of their stories.

Andrew Born Director of Programs and Development

Austin Weekly News, July 15, 2015

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Austin: Investing in Community

By Lacey Sikora Community is defined not only by boundaries on a map but by the people who make up a given area. In Austin, on Chicago’s west side, community is formed by the people and organizations, big and small, that make it their lives’ passion to address the needs of residents. From economic development to services for new mothers to educational opportunities for children, the people of Austin know that theirs is a community well worth investing in.

That investment starts at the very beginning. New Moms, Inc. offers support to some of Austin’s youngest residents, providing skills and support to adolescent parents in need.

“In October 2013, we opened the Transformation Center on Chicago Avenue,” says New Moms President and CEO Laura Zumdahl. “It serves as our headquarters and has forty apartments for homeless adolescent parents and their children. We were founded thirty two years ago in Humboldt Park, and we saw a need in the Austin community and expanded here.”

This year, New Moms served over 300 families and 600 individuals in Austin, offering help with early childhood development, home visits and job training.

Donnita Travis, founder and executive director of By the Hand Club for Kids, saw a need and founded an after-school program for at-risk youth. Operating in Austin since 2007, By the Hand Club serves over 260 children in Austin and aims to help them achieve an abundant life.

“We take kids by the hand in the first grade and help them all the way up until college,” says Travis. “We partner with Chicago Public Schools

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

Donnita Travis of By the Hand Club for Kids, an organization that provides after school programming in Austin and other communities in Chicago. to identify young children who are not meeting reading standards. Statistics show that these are the kids most likely to drop out. We pick them up from school each day on a bus, get them to the club and give them safe passage home on the bus at 7:30.”

At By the Hand, children attend chapel, are fed a warm dinner and have learning time, which includes homework, personalized reading and read aloud time. Travis notes that By the Hand has a proven success rate.

“By the third quarter, our kids have a 98% attendance rate and a B- average. 95% of our high school seniors graduate from high school.

We have two Gates Millennium Scholars. The kids are the ones doing the hard work. We’re bringing them the resources. We love Austin and love our kids. This is a volunteer mission. It’s not a job.”

Morris Reed is CEO of Westside Health Authority, a not-for-profit

community organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of west side residents. WHA’s investment in public health includes health and wellness centers, youth development services and employment services.

Reed remarks that a large part of well-being is tied to economics.

“Currently, we are really working on trying to increase employment and economic opportunities for residents. We work with over one hundred employers to place hard-toplace clients. We provide job readiness courses. We are also working to restore home prices in Austin. Over 70% of residents do not own where they live. People care more about the homes when they own them, and you can achieve wealth through home ownership.”

Greg Sorg of Pioneer Property Advisors also thinks that pride of place is key to helping Austin thrive.

“For the past few years, we’ve been buying dilapidated housing, fixing it up and providing quality rental housing in Austin. What makes us unique is that we hire from within the community.

Approximately one third of our staff are ex-cons, and we offer them a chance to work and get back on their feet. I’m most proud of the guys doing all of the work. We have inner city guys working in the inner city.”

Sorg is also spearheading the development of a former bank at the intersection of Lake Street and Austin Boulevard. “We’re hoping to put a brew pub in there that will bridge the communities of Oak Park and Austin. The goal is to make this a walkable neighborhood that brings the two communities together.”

Pastor Nate Ledbetter of Austin’s Church on the Block says his congregation works hard to build a neighborhood feeling in the community. “So many people from groups and churches are doing really good work in Austin. We’re grateful to be a participant among lots of other groups who have been in the trenches a long time.”

Church on the Block works to build community block by block.

With a recently launched Barbecue Soul Sauce and a Soul Café dedicated to providing a space for spoken word in the community, Church on the Block gives people the opportunity to speak about their needs and the opportunity to listen.

Pastor Nate says Church on the Block invests in Austin by striving to honor the talents of its people.

“There are so many good things that are going on here. People might not know about all of them, but Austin has a lot of beauty and assets in the community.”

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Austin Weekly News, July 15, 2015

JOIN US IN AUSTIN Homeowner James Woods seen on the back porch of his home on West Harrison Street.

Mr. Woods’ residence is one of 82 ChicagoArea homes that received repairs and upgrades from volunteers on National Rebuilding Day.

“If a homeowner gets in trouble with their mortgage, or can’t pay their taxes, or needs help paying for repairs, we are the gateway to organizations that can help with these problems.”

MAX HERMAN/Contributor

Dollie Sherman Levin Park Neighborhood Association

Rebuilding Austin One House at a Time

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By Dianna Gutierrez

he largest community area in Chicago is rebuilding its neighborhoods, one house at a time. In the 6-by-8block Levin Park neighborhood in the heart of Austin, dedicated residents are harnessing the power of working together to transform their homes, their park, and their community.

The park itself, originally called Merrick Park and officially renamed in 1974 in honor of long-time Chicago Park District Commissioner John H. Levin, has been informally known to community residents as “Li’l Jack” for years.

This unofficial moniker brought negative connotations that made many residents afraid to bring their children to the park and built suspicion about the whole neighborhood among those unfamiliar with it.

Dollie Sherman, a home daycare owner and a resident of Austin for 36 years, explains that it was difficult for the

I thought that was where all the shooting was happening.

All my life I thought it was negative.”

Actually, the nickname had a perfectly innocent origin: John H. Levin, also known as “Little Jack,” was the owner of the iconic Little Jack’s Restaurant on Madison Avenue, a favorite hangout of politicians and local sports figures.

However, for whatever reason, this origin was lost and the nickname became connected with a reputation for violence and drugs which attached itself to the surrounding neighborhood.

Now Sherman, who holds degrees in Urban Theology and Early Childhood Education, is part of a group that aims to revitalize the neighborhood and project a more

park to maintain a positive image with such a nickname: “I thought Li’l Jack Park was where gangbangers hung out.

David Nelson from Local 134 union works on electrical wiring in the living room of James Woods’ West Harrison Street home.

MAX HERMAN/Contributor

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JOIN US IN AUSTIN accurate image. In her job as Outreach Coordinator for Austin Coming Together (ACT), Sherman has been instrumental in forming the Levin Park Neighborhood Association (LPNA), a group of residents and local organizations working to build on what’s positive in the community.

The group sprang from the Levin Park Advisory Council, a group of concerned residents who have been working with the City and the Park District for several years to make improvements to Levin Park itself. Several of the leaders of this group, wanting to make a broader impact on the community, joined with ACT and a number of community organizations to form the LPNA. The Levin Park neighborhood is bounded

by Lake Street on the south, Chicago Avenue on the north, Central on the west, and Laramie on the east. The area suffered a major hit when the housing market collapsed, resulting in many vacant and abandoned properties in the neighborhood.

The Levin Park Neighborhood Association has a simple but mighty vision: to stabilize the housing market, first in its own neighborhood and then throughout the community of Austin. The LPNA is currently working to stabilize existing renters and owners and to attract new residents to the Levin Park neighborhood. The organization’s goal is to redevelop and re-occupy 1,000 vacant properties in Austin by 2025.

The LPNA’s values focus on building the community at a deep level: taking a holistic approach to recovery, ensuring equitable opportunities for all neighbors, facilitating grassroots investment and ownership, and building confidence and unity among diverse neighborhood stakeholders.

This focus on grassroots investment and community-building has already begun to pay off. Sherman is just one example of a long-time Levin Park neighborhood resident devoting time, energy, and capital to rebuilding the community. She does this in

Austin Weekly News, July 15, 2015

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her part-time job with ACT. “If a house becomes vacant, we investigate,” she says. “If a homeowner gets in trouble with their mortgage, or can’t pay their taxes, or needs help paying for repairs, we are the gateway to organizations that can help with these problems.”

Willie Thompson, President of the Levin Park Advisory Council and a member of the LPNA, is another resident investing in the community.

Born and raised in Midway Park, as a young man he moved to Wheaton in order to get away from the influence of the city. Several years ago,

MAX HERMAN/Contributor

(Above) Home owner James Woods (center) talks with volunteers from U.S. Bank in his kitchen. (Left) U.S. Bank volunteers Adam Ryan and Sarah Gordinier sand paint off wood that will be reused for a doorway in James Woods’ West Harrison Street home.

he moved back to Austin because he wanted to help stop the devastation in the lives of local youth.

“You always see things that happen in the news,” he says. “I gained skill sets that allowed me to come back and reach the next generation.”

When Thompson first bought his house on Ferdinand and moved in, things in the community were not good. His house was near the crossroad of conflict between rival gangs. But instead of closing his door and forgetting the outside, he went out and engaged with the residents.

“I am a Black man and I deal with similar issues,” he says. “I know what it’s like to not have 20 cents in your pocket, but you’re hungry and you haven’t eaten all day.”

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The fact that Thompson understood what was happening in his community and could relate to the issues faced by young people made a significant difference in his work to rebuild the neighborhood. As a general contractor, he is able not only to improve some of the area’s houses, but also he is intentional about hiring people from the neighborhood who need work, providing them with income and mentoring, and at the same time teaching them valuable construction skills.

Over the past several years, Thompson has noticed marked improvement in the Levin Park community.

“We came in and rolled up our sleeves,” he says. “We started making connections with others to create a positive presence in the area.”

Thompson hopes that the LPNA can serve as a catalyst for change. The community isn’t what the media portrays it to be,

he says, and he believes the LPNA can help turn those stereotypes around and restore a positive image.

Another born-and-bred Austin resident who left as a young adult but then moved back to the community is Jacquelyn Conard. She used to play in “Li’l Jack,” and is now the Vice-President of the block club on the 600 block of Lorel. She says she came back to the area because she wants to make a difference.

“I just want to give back,” Conard says.

“This community has nice people, and the children here deserve the freedom to play safely.”

Conard believes that, with community effort and education, the Levin Park neighborhood and Austin as a whole can build on their strengths and become vibrant and thriving.

“What matters the most to me is being together, voicing our opinions to get something done,” says Conard.

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JOIN US IN AUSTIN

Austin Weekly News, July 15, 2015

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“Thank You” from Austin Coming Together LISC Chicago:

HOPE Fair Housing Center:

Jack Swenson, Barbara Beck

Paula Brkich

City of Chicago:

Alderman Emma Mitts

Bryan Esenberg

and the 37th Ward Staff

Loretta Hospital:

Neighborhood Housing Services:

15th District Police Dept.:

Angela Walker

Tom Moes, Maggie Cassidy, Jonah Hess, Deborah Moore, Sean Thinnes

Officer Jorge Munoz, Lt. Eugene Vann, Sgt. Roger Powell

Oak Park Regional Housing Center: Jessica Hartshorn, Rob Breymaier

Mercy Portfolio Services:

Church on the Block: Pastor Nate Ledbetter

US Bank:

Levin Park Neighbors:

Eva Brown, Alex Felton, Fabiola Candlish

Marcy Huttas, Armando Reyes, Jr.

Black Construction Alliance: Willie Thompson

Kingdom Community Inc: Kendall Reid

Mead Communications: Bob Mead

Vanessa Stokes, Samantha Creightney, Emmet Bindon, Merril Malone, Renna Thomas, Jackie Conard, Linda Williams, Dollie Sherman, Cathy Palmer

Chicago Community Loan Fund: Wendall Harris

ACT Supporters

Friendship Community Development Corporation of Austin (FCDCA): Reverend Reginald E. Bachus

Austin Weekly News: Dawn Ferencak, Jacquinette Baldwin, Claire Innes, Alicia Plomin, Andrew Mead, William Camargo, Lacey Sikora, Diana Guttierez

JOIN US IN AUSTIN

Austin Weekly News, July 15, 2015

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The Heart of Austin: Highlighting the Chicago Avenue Corridor

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By Lacey Sikora

inking the Austin neighborhood to Chicago on the east side and Oak Park on the west side, Chicago Avenue is arguably the heart of the Austin business district.

Community leaders are joining forces to create a new vision for the Chicago Avenue corridor that will highlight all that is great about Austin and be a draw for those in the community and others as well.

“In order for a community to thrive, you have to have a Main Street,” says Malcolm Crawford, founder of the Austin African American Business Networking Association (AAABNA). “The poorest parts of the community are also the most violent. In order to address the violence, you have to address the economics. If we get businesses [on Chicago Avenue] to thrive, we can hire more people and give people in the community a local place to shop.”

Pointing out that 60% of Austin’s disposable revenue goes

to Oak Park, Crawford believes the development of Austin is not only good for Austin but for surrounding communities as well.

“What Forest Park did with Madison Street has been good for us and good for Oak Park. We can do that here.” Crawford envisions the Chicago Avenue corridor becoming a culturally themed business district along the lines of Chicago’s Greek Town. “We can use our cultural capital to draw people in. We can tap into what is great about Austin. It is not new to us, but it might be new to others.”

Bill Jones, Micro-Market Recovery Program (MMRP) Coordinator at Austin Coming Together, sees an additional benefit to developing a vibrant commercial corridor on Chicago Avenue: it will attract potential homebuyers to the area. “The re-establishment of Chicago Avenue as the primary commercial corridor in Austin will serve as an incentive to prospective homebuyers,” Jones says. “Investing in Austin’s Levin Park [which borders Chicago Avenue from Central to Laramie] will enable them to acquire quality housing in a stable neighborhood, at an affordable cost.”

Matt Wilson, Economic Development Planner at UIC’s Great Cities Institute, is partnering with Austin Coming Together to work with Austin business leaders and residents to embark on the Chicago Avenue revitalization plan.

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The six- to nine-month planning process involves several steps. First, general visioning sessions determine what people want to see in their community and what they hope to get out of the revitalization.

Next, design workshops will give physical plans to ideas raised during the visioning. The final step will involve combining the ideas from the visioning with the physical designs and coming up with a complete package that can be submitted for community feedback.

Notes Wilson, “During the planning process, we want to bring any and every stakeholder to the table, from business owners to community groups to residents. The idea is that the people involved in the planning will be the most important stakeholders in implementing the plan.”

“When we met with people from the neighborhood association, they were excited about the process. I think working with them will be great for reimagining and re-envisioning this corridor to be what the citizens want it to be.”

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Austin Weekly News, July 15, 2015

JOIN US IN AUSTIN

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Saturday July 25, 2015

Join Us in The Heart of Austin!

Levin Park Neighborhood Festival, 5400 W. Ferdinand “Little Jack Park�

Community Cook Out 10am-8pm

Cook out with your neighbors!

Bring your own grill, food & chairs Basketball and softball games Live dance performances & music Neighborhood Tours 12pm-4pm Resource Fair Neighborhood Tours & Open Houses Evening dance party For more information call 773-417-8601 Attention Homebuyers! Learn about homebuyer facebook.com/levinparkneighbors

grants through the City of Chicago MMRP Program!

Our Join Us in Austin activities are made possible through the generous support of US Bank.