INVEST IN
URBAN JUNCTURE
Rebuilding a historic Chicago neighborhood into a Black food & culture hot spot
WHAT WE DO
We’re taking our historic Chicago community that’s been abandoned by banks and businesses and joining with friends, neighbors, and partners to rebuild it into the vibrant hub of Black culture and commerce it once was. We’re developing restaurants celebrating black cuisine from across the globe, launching and co-working facility to lift up the next generation of community enterprises, and operating an award-winning garden to attract visitors and bring residents together.
OUR AMBITION
We’re recapturing the Promise of Bronzeville – a community that reflects the rich culture and diversity of this historic nenighborhood, that works for residents of long-standing as much as for urban professionals just moving in, and that provides a unique destination for visitors from near and far. We have to build unique, culture- and place-based enterprises, re-connect neighbors and expand economic opportunity in our neighborhood.
- We raised $9 million to bring delicious Black cuisine from across the globe to 51st Street and the CTA Green Line station, the heart of Bronzeville.
- We purchased and renovated 16,000 sq. ft of building space and acquired two other nearby properties.
- Our first restaurant, The Bronzeville Jerk Shack, won “Best Jerk Chicken in Chicago” from RedEye.
- We created award-winning community garden and bicycling initiatives that bring neighbors and guests together celebrate Bronzeville.
- We engaged 1000 people per week in events and activities during the 2015 summer season.
WHY I LIKE URBAN JUNCTURE
Our founding directors created the Chicago Community Loan Fund to steer capital to heart of finance community develop projects that would create local jobs, help build community wealth, and as importantly, empower neighborhood residents to drive change. The mission, the objective of Urban Juncture fit us perfectly. And on the credit side, we were comfortable putting in $2.2 million investment because the Urban Juncture team developed a well researched business plan that was supported by many community stakeholders and a number of public and private stakeholders.
THE BUZZ ABOUT URBAN JUNCTURE
Bronzeville Jerk Shack serves the best jerk chicken in Chicago. If you don’t frequent the neighborhood, it’s worth a ride over on the nearby Green Line.
This section of the 3rd Ward desperately needs more healthy dining options like Bronzeville Cookin’. I want to commend Bernard Loyd for identifying that insufficiency and investing in the community in which he resides.