Where Innovation
Meets Opportunity
Throughout the lifecycle of development, Bronzeville Lakefront considers social impact to be a core tenet of the redevelopment process. Venturing to become one of the most equitable developments in the United States, Bronzeville Lakefront showcases what is possible with intention, public private partnership, authentic collaboration, and a vision for generational impact. Through our robust community benefits and forward thinking social impact planning, Bronzeville Lakefront is the neighbor every community deserves.
A Just Society
The Bronzeville Lakefront development project is a catalyst for inclusive growth. The GRIT team is going beyond city and state requirements for contractor diversity with a commitment to achieve a 30% diversity target for Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and a 10% diversity target for Women’s Business Enterprises (WBE). Above and beyond the commitment to achieve 30% MBE participation, the GRIT team has a record breaking goal of 65% minority participation overall. Supplier diversity is critical to inclusive growth and the GRIT team invites all certification levels, to include VBE (veteran businesses), DBE (disadvantaged businesses), and BEDP (differently abled businesses).
Additionally, 10% of the new retail space is reserved for local businesses at 20% below market rate, creating generational wealth opportunities for local and small business owners. Affordable housing is a national crisis, and the GRIT team also plans to proactively support the housing needs of the community with a 20% affordable housing commitment on-site.
Social Impact
Designed with the Community in Mind
From the start, when imagining the future of Bronzeville Lakefront, our team, our values, and our design have had the community in mind. From our diverse development team with half of our partner firms being minority-owned, to the inclusion of a neighborhood non-profit as an equity partner, and the addition of a community development non-profit, our team reflects our values and the community.
When developing the design guidelines for the site, we co-developed them with Alderman Sophia King and the community-based Michael Reese Advisory Council to ensure they were reflective of the community’s interests.
Bronzeville is a community with rich culture, deep history, and a legacy of excellence and innovation. Our design process affirms and amplifies this legacy and looks to build upon it for the next generation.
