Mayor Brandon Johnson Directs $150 Million in Capital Grants for South and West Side Commercial Corridors
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City Council Economic Development Committee announce the distribution of $150 million in catalytic grants to rehabilitate 300 commercial storefronts and community grocers.
Choseno Midwest Urban Desk August 24, 2026 1 min read IL, US
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CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson joined community leaders, local entrepreneurs, and members of the Chicago City Council in Englewood on Monday to announce the allocation of $150 million in Neighborhood Opportunity Capital Grants, targeting long-disinvested commercial corridors across the city's South and West Sides.
The program, authorized under the city's Community Recovery and Economic Resilience bond framework, provides direct forgivable grants ranging from $50,000 to $1.5 million for commercial property acquisitions, facade restoration, interior mechanical modernization, and food-desert mitigation projects.
Targeted Neighborhood Corridors Grants are being disbursed across designated priority commercial arteries, including:
- 63rd Street and Halsted Street in Englewood
- Chicago Avenue in Austin
- 79th Street in Chatham and Auburn Gresham
- Pulaski Road in West Garfield Park
- 26th Street in Little Village
"For generations, working-class neighborhoods on the South and West Sides were denied access to conventional commercial lending and capital investment," Mayor Johnson told a gathering of local business owners. "Our administration is investing directly in our communities—supporting local entrepreneurs, creating union-wage neighborhood jobs, and building vibrant commercial corridors where families can shop, dine, and thrive right in their own zip codes."
Eliminating Food Deserts and Expanding Youth Employment A dedicated $40 million carve-out within the grant program is specifically allocated to cooperative grocers, independent produce markets, and refrigerated distribution hubs in USDA-designated food deserts.
Additionally, businesses receiving capital grants over $250,000 are required to partner with the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) to provide paid youth apprenticeships and internships for local high school and community college students.
Aldermanic leaders representing West and South Side wards praised the transparent application and disbursement process, emphasizing that community-led capital distribution is vital to sustaining long-term neighborhood safety and commercial vitality.