As we move forward look forward to being one of the owners of

State Street Food Co-op

Business Summary

Chicago Black Wall Street (CBWS) State Street Initiative "Resurrecting Black Wall Street on State Street” for The State Street Food Co-op in the city’s Douglas community of Bronzeville, targeting the Dearborn Homes.

 CBWS State Street Initiative seeks to organize, plan, and create a vibrant, high-quality and diverse Cooperative Grocery Store in collaboration with community partners. This initiative was created for its residents, by its residents. Its major accomplishment is to empowering its residents to develop and maintenance to strive for individual, as well as community-wide, empowerment in business and economic development to create more jobs and raise the overall income of community residents.

 At the start of this project, it did not take long to realize that the neighborhood is considered a food desert because of the complexity of accessing fresh, nutritious foods, in particular fruits and vegetables. This mission is further than a fact mission. This food desert neighborhood is almost exclusively African American. Therefore, the problem of food desert is not simply a public health issue, but an urgent to meet the needs of the community. However, as with most urban tribulations that disparately impact communities of color, all parties involved share, to varying degrees, responsibility compiling the many efforts made by government, food retailers, nonprofits, community organizations, and others to address the food desert problem of the said area.

We are more poised than ever to work tirelessly to champion this mission with residents of Dearborn Homes Local Advisor Council of CHA and the Staford Commons Condominium Association. The on-line petition to Mayor Lori Lightfood is over 1,100 supporters. The elected officials support includes Ald. Pat Dowell (3), Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry, State Senator Matter Hunter (3), and Congressman Danny Davis (7). Technical marketing assessment in conjunction with DePaul University and securing relations with Illinois Institute of Technology, and Black Metropolis Convention and Tourism Council; This includes the City of Chicago Department of Planning stated their interest to work on this initiative. All which lend directional support upon securing the property with meeting objectives. In additional we have a potential developer and Grocery retailer with ‘Big Box’ store financial practice, and a capital investor that will serve as financial/project manager.

Funding is sought from each sector of government from the Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 3 program directed to Dearborn residents’ jobs and business development to local to local funding of the Mayor Lori Lightfoot SOUTH WEST INVEST INITITIVE program that supports private rehabilitation and construction projects that add economic vitality to neighborhood commercial corridors and support local needs.

There are four (4) possible sites directly across of Dearborn Homes (26th to 30th and State Street). We are seeking square footage from 3,000 to 11,000; which is suitable to the property that presently stands vacant for more than 35 years. The store will be the anchor tenant, with full-service meat, seafood, produce and natural/organics departments, an in-house bakery and expanded grab-and-go meals. Additions being planned with the complex include indoor/outdoor cafe seating. Other incoming retail tenants will be resurrecting the Black Wall Street on State Street. In which other potential tenants has stressed interest from a Barber Shop to a Beauty store.

Initial planning from the Ad Hoc committee is forming its official board of directors for leading the co-op and guiding the organization. They will be elected by Owners to act on their behalf. It is sought to secure 1,500 owners with $200 onetime payment (installments are open). Presently planning and implementation funding of $150,000 for planning the State Street Food Co-op Initiative based on the strength of the organization, strong leadership, and ownership for securing a capital success of a $3 million cost of building and store operations.

We are open to receive reports, suggestions, and recommendations from individuals, public officials, and representatives of public and private organizations to committee inquiries.

Sign on the petition and come lend your expertise to help make it happen.

The Chicago Black Wall Street, Ad Hoc Committee for the State Street Food Co-op.