Dear Friends and Supporters:
After listening to the concerns of community property owners, business owners and residents and careful reflection of the issues raised, the Greater Pilsen Economic Development Association (GPEDA) decided that more education is needed regarding the process for a Special Service Area (SSA) in Pilsen. We see a need for the following:
• Education for the community on what an SSA is and its benefits;
• Dialogue to understand the concerns within the community and how we can strengthen the Pilsen economy;
• More ideas to improve the Pilsen business district; and
• More participation from the business community.
Therefore, the proposed SSA Application is respectively being withdrawn. No application is being submitted.
We thank the community and Chicago Sun-Times for raising awareness of the issue, and want to assure all our neighbors that TRP and GPEDA are not looking to unilaterally propose to raise taxes for Pilsen businesses. We are, in fact, looking to work hand-in-hand with the community on this and other initiatives. Grassroots organization has been a cornerstone of our comprehensive approach to engaging with and creating healthy communities since 1990.
We are committed to engaging with residents, business owners and stakeholders in the community to create a safer, more vibrant and healthier community. We welcome this opportunity for an expanded dialogue with our neighbors to reach a consensus on the best way to continue moving our community forward.
Sincerely,
SSA Advisory Committee
Mark Sussman
Owner
Vogue Fabrics & Chicago Fine Tailoring
Chairman, GPEDA
Gus Drugas
Owner, Ciao Amore Restaurant
Membership Chair, GPEDA
Monica Henao
Owner, Efebinas Café
Vice Chairwoman, GPEDA
Yvette Dudley
Owner, Soultry Shoes
Secretary, GPEDA
Juan Manuel Giron
Owner, Giron Books
GPEDA Member
Eleazar Delgado
Owner, Café Jumping Bean
GPEDA Member
Cesar Gonzalez
Owner, Plzen Gastropub
GPEDA Member
Michael Noone
Owner, Simone’s Restaurant
GPEDA Member
Elvia Torres
Owner, State Farm Insurance Franchise in Pilsen
GPEDA Member
Meg Frazier
Owner, Both Sides Art Gallery
GPEDA Member
Nancy Villafranca Guzman Director of Education Programs, National Museum of Mexican Art
GPEDA Member
Azalia Gomez
Branch Manager, MB Financial Bank
GPEDA Member
Edwin Molina
Owner, Don Churro de Letran
GPEDA Member
Victor Zil
Owner, Round Two Resale
GPEDA Member
Ulises Zatarain
VP of Community Programs, The Resurrection Project
Chief Strategy Officer, GPEDA
Lisa Jusino
Owner, Allstate
GPEDA Member
Sol Hernandez
Owner, Del Sol Realty
GPEDA Member
Raul I. Raymundo
Chief Executive Officer
The Resurrection Project
* Adobe PDF version here