East 39th Street Commercial Corridor Plan by Chris Devins

INTRODUCTION
Located in the heart of Bronzeville, East
39th Street is an approximately 1 mile
long commercial corridor that runs from
Langley (600 East) on the East to Interstate
90/94 on the west (200 West).
Historically East 39th Street served as a
neighborhood shopping and restaurant
district for the residents of the 3500 unit
Ida B. Wells/Madden Park apartment
complex. As part of the Chicago Housing
Authority’s Plan of Transformation
the residents of Wells/Madden Park
were relocated and the complex was
torn down. The last units were demolished
in 2004, greatly reducing the
population density of the neighborhood.
This meant much less money was being
spent on the 39th Street corridor and
conditions began to deteriorate. One
by one local businesses, the economic
engines of the corridor, began to close.
Small businesses such as Sunrise Foods
and Grocery, The Blue Sea Drive-In,
Cee’s Gyros, Midway Barbershop, Dorothy’s
Barbershop and Atlanta Liquors,
facing declining revenues ceased operations.
Businesses strong enough to relocate
to other more lucrative areas did
so and a cycle of decline and disinvestment
began which lead to the corridor’s
current state.
East 39th Street has some apparent
strengths and there are positive changes
occurring that bode well for its future.
Some pluses on the corridor include
an Average Daily Traffic count at Illinois
Interstate 90/94 of 232,800 cars per day
and 119,700 per day on the east end
at Lake Shore Drive. While population
is expected to decline slightly by 2015,
in Douglas (2010 population 27,022) on
the north side of 39th, median income
rose from $26,720 in 2000 to $31,526 in
2010. This trend is expected to continue
through 2015. Grand Boulevard (population
26,651) to the south has a median
income of $25,249, up from $19,723 in
2000. These numbers are in inflation
adjusted 2009 dollars. Fifteen percent
of Douglas residents have a Master’s Degree
or higher, 17% a Bachelor’s degree.
The numbers from the half and 1 mile
trade areas are similar and improve as
the 3 mile trade area is approached. Access
to funds is another of the corridor’s
strengths. East 39th street is within
both TIF 61 and Enterprise Zone 2, each
of which can supply development and
incentive funds that can be used to
improve the corridor. 39th Street has
political assets, as well. In Pat Dowell
of the 3rd Ward and Will Burns of the
4th, the area has two highly competent,
dynamic aldermen to help lead future
development.
The corridor faces many challenges,
also. A significant land use problem
along 39th Street is the high number of
vacant structures and lots. In addition,
at the center of the corridor, from King
Drive to Langley are small, narrow lots
that are zoned for higher quality uses
than their size allows. These small lot
sizes restrict the types and sizes of businesses
willing to locate on 39th street.
The corridor is locked in on both sides
by dull, uninformative highway exits and
blocks of empty lots as you approach
from both the east and the west, making
what few stores that are present
there difficult to find. Someone exiting
from the major arteries to both the east
and the west must drive two to three
blocks before coming upon the East Pershing
Commercial Corridor. In addition,
Interstate 90/94 forms a barrier that
effectively cuts East Pershing off from
neighborhoods to the west. Outside
threats to the corridor include 500,000
square feet of retail development in the
nearby Lake Meadows Shopping Mall
and the oversaturation of retail development
in the United States. Since 2000,
developers have built 1 billion square
feet of new retail 1 . Economically, 39th
1 “R & G Annual Market Summaries from REIN RETAIL
REPORT.” Rein & Grossoehme Commercial Real Estate)- Brokers-
Shopping Centers, Office & Industrial Buildings, Mini
Warehouse/Self Storage and Land Investments (for Sale);
Retail, Office, Industrial Commercial Space Leasing; Tenant
Representation. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. .
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