With a new board of directors, dedicated partners, and a timely strategic plan, the Foundation for Homan Square (FHS) is on strong footing to build from our many successes. We have completed the transition of property management teams from The Shaw Company to IFF (formally Illinois Facilities Fund, now serving the Midwest from six regional offices), a well-respected community development financial institution. The Greater Homan Square Strategic Development Plan has been created to focus FHS and our community partners on a shared vision for development that contributes to an income inclusive, healthy community.
“The Shaw Company has done an amazing job for the past twenty years helping us manage our properties at Homan Square,” said Kristin Dean, Chairperson of the Foundation for Homan Square Board. “IFF will be a great and resourceful partner as we work to inspire economic development in the broader Homan Square community.”
“The remarkable, 25-year transformation of Homan Square is rooted in the vision and commitment of community leaders, the Foundation for Homan Square and Shaw Development,” said Kirby Burkholder, President of IFF’s Social Impact Accelerator. “The FHS-IFF partnership honors that incredible legacy and looks to build on it by committing IFF’s full suite of resources — our financing, real estate tools, and research capacity—to further realize the Homan Square community’s vision.”
The new strategic plan developed with the Community Advisory Council and Homan Square Leadership Council has several key goals:
- Explore opportunities for development within an expanded Homan Square footprint;
- Develop quality housing across the spectrum of affordability;
- Develop mixed-use and commercial projects that provide space for community programming and local businesses; and
- Inspire potential investment in specific projects within the larger Plan.
These goals will guide the work of IFF and FHS as they work to extend the original vision of Homan Square and meet new challenges and
opportunities.