South Street Journal
December 12—19, 2012
Page 9
At the top of the list the historic Forum building located at 43rd & Calumet at the Green line el. Congratulations to urban preservationist Bernard Loyd and his community development corporation Urban Juncture, for working in collaboration with the Bronzeville Alliance to save from demolition, the historic Forum building located adjacent to the Green Line EL at 43rd and Calumet.. said Lucus. Therefore, Black Metropolis Convention & Tourism Council (BMC&TC) in a collaborative partnership with the Bronzeville Alliance have taken on the grassroots, uphill campaign reached out to the city of Chicago's mayor Rham Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn for support and assistance in finding the cultural and economic resources necessary to create an inclusive adaptive reuse plan for the building. Harold L. Lucas President/CEO, Black Metropolis Convention & Tourism Council Director. Bronzeville Visitor Information Center Tel # 773-373-2842, Web site portal: www.bviconline.info
43rd ST. Bronzeville
The original Checkerboard evolved 43rd Street as the blues district, including stars such as Muddy Waters and even Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones
Forty Third Street was once the Home of the Blues, a rich cultural history. Muddy Waters, Nat King nity to become an active participant Cole, Louis Armstrong, Sam Cooke, of preserving what is critical to our Quincy Jones and the original heritage of what makes Bronzeville. Checkerboard all evolved near 43rd And while corporations have Street, including stars such as Rolleasy access to capital and residential ing Stones playing on 43rd Street, developers can tap a range of public later renaming it Buddy Waters funding sources, getting private Drive and the Blues District. financing for a commercial project Since then 43rd Street is now the in a neighborhood like Bronzeville focus of becoming a Black Wall is a very tough climb. Jones said Street District campaign headed by many businesses just go for it. But Darva Walkins. She is joining other there may need to be flexibility in new businesses to develop the 43rd the way deals corridor into are structured.” targeted B e r n a r d stores that Loyd’s group has leaded targeting the this special Forum has page in South invested $1.5 Street Jourmillion in the nal. projects in Da who Bronzeville has been active with the spirit of Black Wall Street says he is pleased to be working on this step to Norman Bolden at Normans’ the future of Bistrol on 43rd & Ellis 43rd St. Bronzeville. “The 43rd Street now coming back,” says Jones, “We have the restaurants, clubs, and even custom apparel shops have opened and thriving between Wabash (long timer Mr. Johnson with Ann’s Pizza) to the lake with Normans’ Bistrol and in between there is Bronzeville Coffee House and others. As a community activist and presHarold Lucas ervationist over the past three decades, Harold Lucas of BMC&TC have been involved in saving significant landmark buildings in predomiand is working with nonprofit lendnantly African American communiers. ties, which has galvanized an inter“The city is used to working with national marketing plan focused on huge corporations,” said Loyd. “But the “Promise of Bronzeville". a process that will work for United Currently on 43rd another historic is almost certainly not going to work structure that must be saved is the well for us.” Forum on 43rd and Calumet to be “We need to realign our thinking added to the list of anchor landas a city to invest in neighborhoods, marks. because it is not trickling down from Now, underway in the Bronzeville community, Black Metropolis Convention & Tourism Council (BMC&TC) involved in a collaborative relationship with the Bronzeville Alliance and the Bronzeville Merchants Association on developing a marketing and branding concept for commercial business corridors of 35th Street, 39th Street, 43rd St. 47th Street and 51st Street the historic Bronzeville community. BMC&TC also introduced a resolution to the Black Wall Street project to designate south State Street between 18th street and 55th Street as the original Wall Street project in Chicago. This has been our protracted struggle. Lucas, saying “We are also calling upon all the other institutions and stakeholders that are located within our historic commu-
downto wn,” he said. “We have to do a lot better creating jobs for residents. We’re not capturing the opportunities.” From a heritage tourism and destination marketing perspective, look at how many jobs and entrepreneurial business enterprises have been created in the Supreme Life building, Chicago Military Academy, Wabash YMCA, Chicago Bee Building and the Anthony Overton building. All of these building were saved from demotion. When international travelers and tourist come to Chicago they want to better understand the authentic cultural history of the Great Migration and experience blues, jazz and gospel music, in addition to the politics that lead to the election of the first African American president of the United States. That is why the Black Metropolis Convention & Tou r i s m C o u n c i l BMC&TC is respectfully asking for support from Governor Pat Quinn and State Representative Ken Dunkin, who is the legislative leader in the Illinois General Assembly on heritage tourism development initiatives statewide. That is why the 43rd St. BWS is going to help in the driving force of economic sustainability in Bronzeville just as 47th and even 51st Street. The committee encourages the Alderman to work with existing business owners, community-based organizations and the general public to recruit additional cultural and nightlife options along the 43rd Street corridor. For more information contact Harold Lucas at 773-373-4822.