chicago christian industrial league (CCIL )

Chicago, IL
CCIL, the largest agency in Illinois primarily serving the homeless, was faced with an obsolete headquarters campus for its expanding functions. Building Solutions undertook an extensive property search for a new location, which could nearly double the square footage of their previous facilities. The older facility was in the heart of “Greek Town,” a burgeoning entertainment district. The land had substantial value. Maximizing that value was key to the success of the transfer.

The new site has 500 transitional housing beds, state-of-the-art training classrooms, a new day care center and onsite docking and parking facilities for the landscape service business (which Building Solutions helped start years earlier). The program was integrated with the agency’s first ever capital campaign in over ninety years of operation. Building Solutions negotiated with the City for key development funds through a variety of sources, including Tax Increment Financing and Empowerment Zone funds. Staging the development to accommodate the need to provide continuous services added to the challenge of the development tasks.

Attention to the aesthetics of the redevelopment, the provision of secure, open space, and the face which the agency turns toward its neighbors made a large difference in gaining community and political support for their plan. As part of the development process, Building Solutions assisted CCIL to make the transition not only to meet the space needs for its programs, but also with the fundamental commitment to be a good neighbor in its new community. Building Solutions orchestrated community meetings throughout the redevelopment and relocation process, while also finding opportunities for CCIL to respond to the needs of the neighborhood residents and employers.