People Spaces Logo

Project Overview

Placemaking design initiatives, such as people spaces, can help connect neighborhoods and commercial streets into socially cohesive places by creating new, vibrant community hubs. The Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) and Special Service Area (SSA) #31 have initiated a design process to create a series of permanent people spaces in Ravenswood.

GRCC has commissioned The Lakota Group, a Chicago-based urban design and landscape architecture firm, to design and implement a series of “Ravenswood People Spaces.” Working with the Lakota Group design team, we are exploring Ravenswood’s many assets and placemaking needs to identify locations and develop several community-gathering spaces along many of the neighborhood’s key commercial streets.

Well-designed People Spaces facilitate community interaction, support economic development and local businesses, visually enhance our urban environment, narrate a neighborhood’s history, and invite residents and visitors to explore and enjoy a community. When completed, these spaces will create a cultural network that strengthens the connection between people and the Ravenswood neighborhood.

Examples of People Spaces can include, but are not limited to:

  • Informal Seating Areas
  • Outdoor Dining Areas
  • Small Plazas
  • Pockets of Green Space
  • Parklets

Questions about the project? Please contact our office. Amy, our project manager, looks forward to your input and feedback.

Concept Renderings Gallery

Project Timeline

The People Spaces design project aims to implement gathering spaces by the end of 2021. This process focuses on three main phases:

Phase 1:

Program Development

February – May

GRCC and the planning team will analyze existing conditions, explore project scope, and engage with stakeholders to establish a strong foundation.

Phase 2:

Design Development

May – August

Based on the analysis conducted, GRCC and the design team will explore People Space design options to enhance the district.

Phase 3:

Implement

September – December

In the final phase, GRCC will implement People Spaces with the planning teams guidance. Completion is expected by the end of December 2021.

Documents and Resources

Our team will post documents as they are ready. Stay tuned!

Public Feedback and Engagement

Engagement is a key component of this design process to ensure that the People Spaces cater to the needs of the Ravenswood community, including residents, business owners, property owners, and visitors.

As part of this initiative, GRCC, SSA #31 and the design team will undertake a meaningful and inclusive public participation process to get valuable input and feedback on the locations and design ideas. Over the coming months, the design team will facilitate a series of engagement activities, starting with the interactive map featured above.

We will provide stakeholders with several ways to engage and share input throughout this process. Contact us with your questions.

We encourage you to sign up for regular email updates about this project!

Subscribe to updates and be sure to check the box for “Ravenswood People Spaces Updates” to get information specific to this endeavor.

Chicago snow removal

During the winter, the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and SSA #31 provide supplemental snow plowing service for the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor. Our crews clear the street and parking spaces of snow to ensure access for businesses and neighbors.

Our contract for snow plowing runs from Nov. 20, 2022 to March 31, 2023. When snowfall is greater than 4 inches, you can expect to see additional plows out in the neighborhood!

Snowplowing Services for Ravenswood Corridor

GRCC and SSA#31 provide overnight snow removal for parking spaces in the Ravenswood Corridor (Irving Park to Lawrence) to ensure that employees and customers can access parking the following morning. This service is provided between midnight and 4 a.m. when snowfall is greater than 4 inches.

Accordingly, we advise residents and workers not to park overnight in that section of the corridor when snow is anticipated. This ensures that crews can provide the best service possible while also making sure no one gets plowed in.

Not sure if your business is in the SSA boundaries? You can view the SSA boundaries map to determine if your property will receive this service.

Be aware of “No Parking” signs and other suggested restrictions during snow removal season.

You may have noticed vinyl NO PARKING signs posted throughout the corridor. Please note that these are not enforceable. You will not be ticketed or towed if you park overnight. However, these signs are intended to discourage overnight parking so that our crews can access the parking spaces to plow and so that no one gets plowed in.

If you have any questions about snow removal, please contact Megan Bunimovich at 773-975-2088 or megan@ravenswoodchicago.org.

Additional information and help can be found on the City of Chicago’s Snow Removal web page.

Property Owner Responsibility

Please note: our snow removal service does not relieve property owners of their legal responsibility to clear the sidewalks in front of their property.

  • You must shovel snow as soon as possible after it falls seven days a week. Snow that falls between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. must be removed no later than 10 p.m. Snow that falls between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. must be removed by 10 a.m.
  • You must clear a path at least 5 feet wide on all the sidewalks adjacent to your property, including any crosswalk ramps. Do not shovel the snow into the right-of-way, which includes: transit stops and bus pads, parking spaces, bike lanes, bike racks, Divvy stations, and any other space where snow impedes traffic of any kind.
  • If you are responsible for a corner lot, you must remove snow and ice from sidewalks on all sides of your building and from corner sidewalk ramps. This applies to residential property and business owners.

SSA #31 provides and maintains a variety of landscaping elements along our streets. We also takes care of litter removal and holiday decorations during the winter. Additionally, the SSA administers special beautification projects like our public art and mural program and our storefront improvement programs for businesses.

Litter Removal, Power Washing, & Sidewalk Sweeping

After numerous requests, the SSA added sidewalk sweeping, litter removal, and power washing services to our area. Some of these services include low pressure sprays to remove dirt, gum and surface debris, as well as rinsing of walls, windows, light poles and other fixtures up to 4ft from the sidewalk.

Cleanslate

To help us with neighborhood beautification, the SSA contracts Cleanslate. As a social enterprise of Cara Collective, Cleanslate transforms communities by finding motivated job seekers to create cleaner, safer streets. As part of this mission, hundreds of their workers can be found in our neighborhoods each year, unlocking their power and purpose. SSA #31 is extremely proud to have them as part of our community.

Landscaping

Each year, the SSA commission contracts a landscaping service beautify approximately 90,000 square feet of corridors throughout Ravenswood. The landscapers take care of over 300 tree beds, more than 30 planters, and the Lawrence Ave medians and bioswales. In 2016, the SSA analyzed curb areas in the Ravenswood corridor that could be landscaped to accommodate picnic tables at which local employees could eat.

Holiday Decorations

During the holiday season, the SSA helps make things festive by decorating our commercial corridors. We add seasonal decorations to our light poles, planter boxes, and other municipal structures. We also add festive plants and landscaping in our planter boxes.

By decorating our commercial corridors, we make our streets more pleasant to walk, our businesses more fun to shop, and our community more enjoyable to explore.

Current Reports

2022 Cleanslate Service Reports

Past Reports

Previous years reports have been collected into publicly accessible Google Drive folders below. Please click on any year to access reports. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

2021 Cleanslate Service Reports

2020 Cleanstreet Service Reports

2018 Cleanstreet Service Reports

2017 Cleanstreet Service Reports

Together, the Ravenswood Community Council, Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, and SSA #31 have brought a variety of permanent and temporary works of public art to to our neighborhood. Projects funded, organized, or supported by our organizations include murals, sculptures, textile installations, community landmarks, mosaics, and other creative works.

Ravenswood Sculpture Garden

Established in 2021 by the Ravenswood Community Council, Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, and Special Service Area #31, the Ravenswood Sculpture Garden celebrates our community’s rich history of arts and industry.

Chicago’s newest public art destination is now home to more than ten sculptures, including a few “guerilla” contributions. This magical attraction pays homage to Ravenswood’s creative spirit, delights its residents, and draws visitors to local small businesses. All of the sculptures are located along Ravenswood Ave, between Lawrence Ave and Irving Park Rd. Click here to learn more and plan your visit.

Aside from the Ravenswood Sculpture Garden, SSA#31 encourages the creation of and care for public mural in our community. SSA-sponsored murals currently on display in Ravenswood include: A Squirrel Named Penelope by John Airo; Community by Jamie Lynn Porto, For My Neighbors, With Love by Adrianne Hawthorne; Never More by Yolanda Pilch; and We All Live Here by Rich Alapack.

On View: Public Art in Ravenswood

While not comprehensive, this is as thorough a list of public art in Ravenswood as you’ll find. If you have information about a piece not listed here, please contact gene@ravenswoodchicago.org. Note: not all of the below works were funded by SSA#31. This is a representation of the public art collection in the greater Ravenswood community.

A Squirrel Named Penelope

Created by: John Airo
Mural
Located at Celtica Gifts, 1940 W Montrose Ave

Apocalypse Boy Takes the World

Created by: Rachel Nurmi
Mural
Located at Chicago's Pizza, 1919 W Montrose Ave

Blessed

Created by: Sentrock
Mural
Located at Badabing Wings, 4754 N Clark St

Blind Love

Created by: John Airo
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Berteau Ave, SE corner (east side of the tracks)

Community

Created by: Jamie Lynn Porto
Mosaic
Located at Damen Ave and Leland Ave, NE corner

Flight of the Honey Bee

Created by: Ross and Elizabeth Fiersten (Manifold)
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Montrose Ave, SW corner (west side of the tracks)

For My Neighbors, With Love

Created by: Ponnopozz (Adrianne Hawthorne)
Mural
Located at Ravenswood and Berteau Ave

Frog & Toad

Created by: Bill Carroll
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Wilson Ave, SE corner (west side of the tracks)

International Architect

Created by: John Himmelfarb
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Montrose Ave, SE corner (east side of the tracks)

Long Room

Created by: Justus Roe
Mural
Located at The Long Room, 1612 W Irving Park Rd

Musical Message

Created by: Ravenswood Elementary School Engineering Club
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Montrose Ave, NE corner (west side of the tracks)

Nesting Loft

Created by: Margaret Lanterman
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave just north of Berteau Ave (west side of the tracks)

Never More

Created by: Yola Pilch
Mural
Located at River Vallery Market, 1820 W Wilson Ave

Oak Leaf Shade Bench II

Created by: Jim Gallucci
Sculpture
Located at The Deagan Building, 1770 W Berteau Ave

Pino, A Habitat Tree

Created by: Emily Moorhead-Wallace, Janet Austin
Sculpture
Located at Urban Pooch, 4501 N Ravenswood Ave

Ravenswood Towers

Created by: Beyond Design
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Irving Park Rd, NE corner (west side of the tracks)

Seed

Created by: Brandin Hurley
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Leland Ave, NE corner (east side of the tracks)

Subterranean Figure

Created by: Will Vannerson
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Lawrence Ave, SW corner (west side of the tracks)

The Happy Garage

Created by: Chris Uphues
Mural
Located at Winona Ave and Ravenswood Ave

The Nurse Trees

Created by: Sarah Hicks
Sculpture
Located at Ravenswood Ave and Warner Ave (west side of the tracks)

Public Artwork Locations in Ravenswood

Request for Proposals: Artist + Property Owner Opportunities

The Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and Ravenswood Community Council are dedicated to supporting local artists and increasing opportunities for artists in our community. If you’re considering a public art project in our neighborhood, we’re here to help! Contact GRCC Associate Director Gene Wagendorf III to talk about your project.

If you’re a property owner interested in installing art or murals on a blank wall, please complete our interest form for property owners here.

Get Ravenswood News and Updates in your Inbox

Subscribe to our mailing list here to receive updates on public art projects, construction updates, health and safety alerts, and invites to neighborhood events.

Promote your business and connect with the community with Neighborhood Banners.

The Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce’s Neighborhood Banner Program offers businesses prime visibility and connects their organizations to the community.

All of the Ravenswood Banners have a different design, representing the diversity of our neighborhood corridors. For Bowmanville, all of the banners share an original design.

Banner Pricing & Term

All banners are available for purchase for a 2-year period starting at $350 each with price cuts at higher order numbers and special pricing for GRCC members.

There are no annual renewal fees! If a banner is damaged within the 1-year period, it will be replaced at no cost to the business. All banners are refreshed every 2 years.

Picture it: Your business on a neighborhood banner, visible over a bustling intersection, a clear blue sky overhead.

All GRCC members are eligible for a $100 discount per banner. In order to purchase a banner, please fill out the form listed below.

Where are banners located?

The GRCC oversees banners for placement in Ravenswood and in Bowmanville. In Ravenswood, banners are available for purchase on Clark Street, Damen Avenue, Montrose Avenue, Wilson Avenue, Lawrence, and Ravenswood Avenue. In Bowmanville, banners are available on Foster Avenue, Damen Avenue, and Balmoral Avenue.

We cannot guarantee a specific location for your banner, but we will work to get it as close to your preferred location as possible.

  • Clark Street, between Sunnyside and Ainslie
  • Damen Avenue, from Argyle to Wilson
  • Montrose Avenue, between Damen and Clark
  • Ravenswood Avenue, from Irving Park to Lawrence
  • Lawrence Avenue, between Leavitt and Clark
  • Damen Avenue, between Argyle and Bryn Mawr
  • Foster, between Ravenswood and Western
  • Balmoral between Damen and Ravenswood
  • Bryn Mawr, between Ravenswood and Damen

Traffic Data

Clark#22 Bus – daily ridership12,431
DamenDaily vehicular traffic12,550
#50 Bus – daily ridership6,131
Damen Brown Line station ridership1,705
MontroseDaily vehicular traffic16,633
#78 Bus – daily ridership5,030
Montrose Brown Line station ridership1,656
LawrenceDaily vehicular traffic23,700
#81 Bus – daily ridership8,474
Ravenswood UP-N Metra station boardings2,630
Ravenswood UP-N Metra station alightings2,545
FosterDaily vehicular traffic24,650
#92 Bus – daily ridership3,887
Data based off of 2019 reports made by the City of Chicago CDOT, CTA, and Metra.

The Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and SSA #31’s Ravenswood Façade Rebate Program encourages local small businesses and property owners to improve the physical appearance of their storefronts

By providing local businesses and property owners financial assistance, these programs improve the appearances of the neighborhood buildings, resulting in increased attractiveness, business retention and marketability.

Before and After

Façade Rebate Program

One of the storefront improvement programs that we offer is the Ravenswood Façade Rebate Program. This program encourages local small businesses and property owners to improve the physical appearance of their storefronts. By improving the physical appearance of storefronts, the program strengthens Ravenswood’s standing as a commercial destination for shoppers from across the city. This funding assists local small business owners looking to upgrade, preserve or restore their storefronts while also aiding those who would not otherwise be able to complete aesthetically beneficial projects.

Program Eligibility

Businesses interested in the Facade Rebate program must be within the published SSA #31 boundaries. Eligible projects can receive a rebate of up to 50% of the total cost, with a maximum rebate of $5,000.

Download the Façade Rebate Program application (PDF).

Application Process & Requirements

To apply for the Façade Rebate Program, you must complete the application form. Once completed, the application is reviewed by the SSA Commission. If the application has been approved, you will be notified with an approval letter. Construction should be complete within 180 days of the issuance of the permit. After the project is complete, you must notify the SSA of its completion. We will then issue you the rebate!

Please Note:

  • Applications for the program are considered in the order they are received until all available funds have ben distributed for that fiscal year.
  • Prior to beginning construction, you must receive an approval letter from the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce. If you begin work on the project without written approval, you will not be eligible for the program. 
  • Rebates are given only after all work has been approved, completed and paid for, and all documentation has been received by the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce.
  • All proposed improvements must meet the design guidelines set forth in facade rebate program document and are subject to review and approval by the SSA #31’s commission.

Façade Rebate Application Prep-List

  • A completed application form, including the Summary of Costs Estimates and signed statement of understanding
  • $50 non-refundable application fee (credit card, check, or money order)
  • Photographs of the existing building and the proposed project area
  • Detailed plans and specifications for the proposed project
  • Detailed cost estimates from at least three contractors for each improvement task
  • Owner’s deed and tenant’s lease, if applicable
  • Current lien report policy showing the property is free of liens (except mortgage liens)
  • Certificate of Good Standings from the state of Illinois
  • Any applicable permits form the city
  • Written consent from and contact information for the property owner, if the applicant is not the owner.

Storefront Improvements In Action

Past Façade Rebates Issued

2023: $5,950+ awarded

  • Bold Ventures
    1448 W Montrose Ave
  • Haitian American Museum of Chicago
    4410 N Clark St

2022: $1,650+ awarded

  • Mindful Baking Cafe
    1942 W Montrose Ave

2021: $5,300+

  • KOVAL Distillery
    4241 N Ravenswood Ave
  • O’Shaughnessy’s Public House
    4557 N Ravenswood Ave
  • Pick Me Up Cafe
    4882 N Clark St

2020: $9,000+ awarded

  • Beyond Design
    4515 N Ravenswood Ave
  • Dollop Coffee Co.
    1636 W Montrose Ave

2018: $15,000+ awarded

  • Foremost Cleaners/Hayes Properties
    4701 N Damen Ave
  • Ravensgoods/Hayes Properties
    4703 N Damen Ave
  • Ravenswood Nail Party
    1716 W Lawrence Ave
  • T Salon/Hayes Properties
    4705 N Damen Ave

2017: $6,635+ awarded

  • Spoken Cafe
    1812 W Montrose Ave
  • Suvarna Chiropractic
    1827 W Montrose Ave

2016: $5,975+ awarded

  • Anna’s Asian Grill & Sushi
    1804 W Irving Park Rd
  • Empirical Brewery
    1801 W Foster Ave
  • Kinetic Lofts
    4846 N Clark St

2015: $9,650+ awarded

  • Band of Bohemia
    4710 N Ravenswood Ave
  • Japanese American Service Committee
    4427 N Clark St
  • Michael Hart
  • Salon Elan Vital
    4737 N Damen Ave

2014: $6,050+ awarded

  • Brew Camp
    4639 N Damen Ave
  • Dolce Casa Cafe
    4947 N Damen Ave
  • Noktivo
    4831 N Damen Ave
  • Tuan B/Naturally Yours Events
    1946 W Montrose Ave

Connecting business and community.

The Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce is committed to building a Ravenswood that connects business and community, one member at a time. Won’t you join us?

Become a Member

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