The McKinley Park Development Council, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization based in Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood, is set to receive $315,000 of funding from the next Illinois State Budget through two line-item grants.
A $220,000 Neighborspace-administered grant awarded by Illinois 24th District State Representative Theresa Mah will provide $65,000 to the development council, joining a $250,000 line item from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), as proclaimed in the most recently amended Illinois Senate Bill 2510.
The larger grant “will be used to fund continued work with the National Park Service to develop a wayfinding and signage plan for the riverfront,” said McKinley Park Development Council Managing Director Kate Eakin.
Businesses, Safety and Events
The DCEO grant will also be used to improve traffic safety conditions, present public events and art, and study the needs of West 35th Street business and property owners, Eakin said.
This $250,000 grant was put forward by the office of Illinois 1st District State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes, she said.
Funds Are Pending
“All state grants require an extensive application process with a detailed project plan,” Eakin said. “[The council] has yet to actually receive any state funds.”
Mah said the Neighborspace grants — all under $100,000 — help several community groups in addition to the development council, including the McKinley Community Play Garden, the Coalition for a Better Chinese-American Community, the El Paseo Community Garden, Project: VISION, El Valor, the Paulo Friere Center at Chicago Commons and the Wilson Community Center.
Discretionary Menu
This is part of the “menu” funds of state legislators, Mah said. “Sometimes we get discretionary pots of money that we distribute to whatever causes rise to our attention.”
Mah said the Neighborspace-administered funding can be used for any purpose at receiving organizations, including operational expenses, salaries and benefits, and capital expenditures.
Improving the Riverfront
Mah noted the development council’s ongoing work to improve the riverfront along the South Branch of the Chicago River.
“That was very popular,” she said. “I felt that work was going to be important for safety and use of public space. It takes a lot of work to communicate with that many people.”
“Eventually there could be a bike path to Ping Tom Park that cuts across our entire district,” Mah said.
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