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Berwyn Development Corporation unveils Finish Line grant dashboard; announces park and depot projects
Summary
BDC staff demonstrated a new public dashboard for the Finish Line grant program (grants up to $50,000), said nearly $2 million has been spent on enhancement projects, reported a $250,000 Cook County grant for an Art In The Park site and described planned Depot District station improvements that could total about $1 million.
Berwyn Development Corporation staff on Monday showed council a new online dashboard intended to make Finish Line grant awards and project status more transparent for small businesses and residents.
Anna (BDC management analyst) said the dashboard lets users view active and completed projects by district, year and project name, and shows how much funding has been allocated and spent. "Businesses have a chance to get up to, $50,000 in funding to help with infrastructure improvements," Anna said, pointing to examples such as Output Lounge, which she said received nearly $50,000.
Hulsberg said the BDC has spent almost $2,000,000 over the life of the enhancement program and that the dashboard will help potential applicants see how the program works. He also announced construction at 6209 Roosevelt for an Art In The Park location that received a $250,000 Cook County grant and is expected to open in spring, weather permitting.
Depot District improvements: Hulsberg outlined potential work at the Depot train station — owned by BNSF — including HVAC, window work, a handicapped bathroom for special events, charging hotspots and bench clean-up. He said the city is looking at an approximately $1,000,000 investment to improve the Depot location and that work would be coordinated with property owners and event needs.
What’s next: Staff said they will add waiver and funding-refund information to the dashboard and continue to develop transparency tools for other BDC programs; the BDC’s third-quarter report was accepted by council as informational.
