Monthly Archives: June 2019

Advancements in Local Job Creation

Finger Licking’s menu features a $22.99 lobster meal

Whenever there is new business development in an area, it leads to job creation.  Large metropolitan areas are delighted when this happens and policymakers usually do whatever they can to facilitate the process.   In this article we look at two companies: one large (Ford Motor Company) and one small (The Licking Chicago) to see what their current plans are in the region.

At the far South Side, a renovation of two Ford Plants (costing $1 billion) has  just been completed.  One of the plants was the company’s oldest continuously producing one.  It has now been completely converted to a state-of-the-art facility in order to construct the new Ford Explore.  Featuring a brand-new paint shop, advanced tooling (which will be used for the development of the new SUV line) and contemporary body shop, the remodeling took a mere month to complete.  Although there will be over 650 robots, this does not seem to have affected the massive job creation that has emerged from this project. The sentiment was echoed by Local 551 Union Chairman Alan Millender who said he was “surprised[since with] the new robots, you think would take jobs away, but it actually added jobs in Chicago. My dad worked 51.4 years here he would be amazed what this plant has come from.”

Ford Motor Company President Joe Hinrichs said:

“We’re proud of our commitment to the South Side of Chicago. 95 years of being here. This investment says a lot about the community and our support we get here, our great workforce. The Explorer Aviator is sold out for this year and we think next year as well. So, great signs for this community, including the stamping plant, and a big commitment by Ford.”

On a smaller scale, a popular Miami chain restaurant – Finga Licking – has just opened at 5045 W. Madison.  The owner – popular hip-hop/rap, artist/producer DJ Khaled – is seeking to “make the franchise accessible and bring jobs to communities that need them.”  This sentiment was echoed by Sharod Robinson, regional manager who said:

“We’re about bringing jobs and creation to the urban neighborhoods. We employee over 100 employees and all of them are from within the community.” 

Chicago: Constructing Community in All Ways

Community building can be engineered in a variety of different ways.  Some involve the actual construction of buildings, renovations, enhancements and others are more connected to development of tradition or creation of events.  In this article we look at two recent efforts in the region to build, maintain and strengthen Chicago community.

The first example is what is happening in Vernon Hills with the Hawthorn Mall property.  Centennial Real Estate is preparing to begin its $6.2 million revamp of the center court.  The goal is to construct a multi-use “central park” environment.  This will involve a complete transformation of the area, hopefully in time for the holiday shopping season.

It is hoped that this space will feature: coffee store/wine bar; two treelike sculptures; lounges on upper level and more, resulting in a “sophisticated parklike experience,” that is “interactive, engaging [and suitable] for all ages.”

Uplifting a neighborhood and providing new experiences for the youth and other demographics is another way of building community. A recent example of this is the partnership between the 8000 Euclid block club and My Block My Hood My City.   According to 8000 Euclid Block Club Founder and President, Pam Bilal, these organizations can really result in a bolstering of a city.  She said:

“In a diverse city like Chicago with a lot of segregation, often times people like to stay in their own little pocket and just take care of themselves. And we want people to understand that it’s not about the little man, it’s about the community. And we want to have a vibrant, exciting, financially stable community. So that’s why we start block clubs.”