Group hopes to form business partnerships

by BRIAN NADIG

The Gladstone Park Neighborhood Association is hoping to form new partnerships with local merchants and commercial landlords to improve the vibrancy of the community.

"For property owners, we are willing to help you bring quality tenants to our neighborhood while ensuring your business objectives are being met. For business owners, we are committed to partnering with you in your success, promoting your businesses and patronizing your establishments.

"We also agree to act as a conduit between residents and owners and will work with all parties in the event any issues arise," association president Joe DiCiaula wrote in a recent letter that is being delivered to area businesses.

The letter is in response to some residents seeking more information about businesses that were looking to open in the area, DiCiaula said.

"This is our attempt to get engaged with the property owners and businesses, and this is just an introduction to who we are and what we do," DiCiaula said. He added that the association has been promoting local businesses and events on its Web site at www.gpnachicago.com.

The letter asks businesses and property owners to support the community’s revitalization recommendations which are contained in the Gladstone Park Commercial Corridor Study, which was based on input from the association, the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce, several elected officials and the city Department of Planning and Development.

Those recommendations include increasing the number of full-service restaurants and small-scale retail establishments and establishing more cultural institutions in an effort to attract more visitors to the commercial corridor.

"We are a very diverse community, with lifelong residents and newcomers, senior citizens and young families, immigrants and multi-generational Chicagoans. We welcome businesses who can serve the needs of these diverse groups, while also recognizing the need for socially responsible businesses who can add to the character and positivity of Gladstone Park.

"The Throwback Music Festival, which just completed its third year, is bringing many people to Gladstone Park who may not have come into the neighborhood in the past. We would like to build upon this momentum through an active business community, open storefronts, a diverse tenant mix and an overall appeal that will encourage people to live, work and get involved in the Gladstone Park community," the letter states.

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