Devon Avenue Special Service Area (SSA) #43
In July 2006 the West Ridge Chamber of Commerce submitted an application to the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development to make Devon Avenue from Kedzie(w) Damen (e) and Western Avenue from Arthur (n) to Granville (s) a Special Service Area.
What is an SSA?
For over 30 years, the SSA program has provided communities with the financial means to create, maintain and manage clean, attractive and competitive commercial districts. SSA's raise funds by placing a small assessment on each taxpaying property within a certain boundary. SSA's are governed by the State of Illinois statute, authorized by a City of Chicago ordinance and administered locally with oversight by a local Board of Commissioners. Over 35 communities in the City of Chicago use SSA programs.
Why is a Devon Avenue SSA needed?
Business and civic leaders have long recognized that Devon Avenue's sidewalks are too often uninviting with litter and lack of many pedestrian friendly amenities found in other neighborhood commercial districts. The SSA tool was identified by property owners, tenants and civic leaders as a professional tool to respond to these challenges with dedicated long-term resources by procuring private services to improve Devon Avenue's sidewalks and public spaces, provide new pedestrian friendly amenities and initiate programs to attract new customers to the area. Similar SSA programs have been effective in Andersonville, Greektown and Lincoln Square.
What services are provided?
In the City of Chicago SSA programming often includes sidewalk cleaning and beautification, landscaping, marketing, security enhancement services, parking and traffic circulation improvements programs and minor capital improvement financing. The Devon Avenue SSA will contract for private sidewalk sweeping (5x per week), landscaping of public spaces and security enhancement services. The Devon Avenue SSA will also plant and maintain 50 sidewalk flower planters to be located throughout the service district. Additional programs to attract new customers to the area will be considered. A nine member Board of Commissioners consisting of local SSA taxpayers and area tenants will have the responsibility of approving an annual budget to appropriate SSA funds toward clearly stated service goals and objectives.
How do I obtain more information?
The proposed Devon Avenue SSA is a result of a feasibility and planning effort by the West Ridge Chamber of Commerce. The SSA is supported by 50th Ward Alderman Bernard Stone and many Devon Avenue business and civic leaders. All property owners of record have been notified of the plan to move forward with the SSA and an Informational meeting was held on August 2, 2006. Upon City approval of the Devon Avenue SSA ordinance, services will begin in November 2007.
A Public Hearing on the Devon Avenue Sepcial Service Area #43 was held Friday, September 29 at 10am. The City of Chicago Finance Comittee approved funding for the Devon SSA. The SSA went to City Council in November 2006 and was approved. Services are scheduled to begin in November 2007 when funding is scheduled to be received.
SSA #43 Commissioners
Liaquat Ali Kahn- Par Birdie Foods 2234 W. Devon - Chicago , IL 60659 773-279-1750 parbirdiefoods@yahoo.com
Dr. Nasrullah Khan- Property Owner 3107-09 W. Devon, 6246 N. Western - Chicago , IL 60659 773-907-4689 nkhan@ccc.edu
Irv Loundy- Devon Bank 6445 N. Western - Chicago , IL 60645 773-465-25000 x 1300 iloundy@devonbank.com
Jerome Marshall- Bank of America 2545 W. Devon- Chicago , IL 60659 773-508-1431 Jerome.b.marshall@bankofamerica.com
Michael Moses- Attorney 2335 W. Devon - Chicago , IL 60659
773-508-0100 michaelcmoses@sbcglobal.net
Majid Mustafa JK Kabab 6412 N. Rockwell Chicago, IL 60659
773-972-9286 magicsfm@yahoo.com
Nari Nagrani- Niketan 2658 W. Devon- Chicago , IL 60659 773-338 9399
narinagrani@yahoo.com
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