on the city's far South side is seeing the benefits of economic investment.

693 million dollar investment into the Pullman community has generated a 1.5 billion dollar economic impact.

That's according to a new report commissioned by the Chicago neighborhood initiatives, its nonprofit real estate developer that's spent over a decade investing in the area.

Joining us now are David Doig, the president of the Chicago neighborhood initiatives.

Longtime Pullman resident violent a wily and 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale, who sparse outside Ward includes neighborhoods like Pullman, Rosedale and Riverdale.

Welcome all of you.

Good to see you.

Thank all here.

So Alderman Bill, let's go back in time a little bit.

What were some of the economic struggles that Pullman residents might have been facing 15 years ago or so?

Well, it was the food desert.

We have a food desert.

We have helped desert.

>> And we've addressed all of those things by bringing the Walmart and the Walmart was the first anchor that catapulted all the development that you see today if it had not been for Walmart initially.

>> Breaking ice, you would see anything on Bishop Ford Expressway.

So really proud that Walmart was there.

And now we see Johnson, we have got bring food desert at the time.

But what else was was troubling.

The community.

What else was when we do have a new job work on.

We didn't have any jobs and opportunity.

The red still was not in existence people still couldn't get to jobs.

So job started coming in.

And now that you see the investment, the jobs, the company, and doing housing where, you know, we have a sports complex, that woman community center.

And I mean, when you look at all those things, we came at it from a holistic approach.

And that's why you see crime coming down.

That's why you see the investment property values going up.

And we're really proud of their accomplishments that we it all but development you're talking about, of course, this what cni his work to develop in Pullman park.

It is on the former Ryerson Steel site which 180 acre plot.

>> That's been turned into mixed use development.

David, you all you commissioned research from the firm Anderson Economic Group, and it found that your organization's investments translated to more than 7800 jobs, 4,570 one of which very specific are in Pullman.

It decreased unemployment rates by more than 7.8% dropping from 21% to 13% and pushing median household income in Pullman up from almost 38,002 over 56,000 between the years, 2010 2023.

How are you?

How have you been able to ensure that the economic investment in Pullman would would be retained to the benefit of the community?

That's there.

for full.

Let me just give a shout out to all the reveal.

We couldn't have done this without stable political leadership in and having.

>> And all the men who had been alderman for 10, 15 years, even before we started in now, that being the most senior member of City Council has really helped So that's been fundamental key part of of our development strategy as a place based developer.

We really look at of the neighborhood and figure out kind of what the needs of the neighborhood are and then and then endeavor actually improve those change those and deliver for for the neighborhood.

So the older mentioned the Walmart, the need for quality job.

So our focus on industrial was very much motivated by the need for quality living wage the recreation that was identified need 15 years ago that the committee said we need a safe place for our kids to play after school and during the winter.

So we worked with the alderman to develop the Plumbing Community Center.

So all of these things are they resonate originally from the community.

And then as a community developer, our job is to execute on those aspirations and those How how is pullman's would've chosen are selected or why Pullman for for all of this?

Because the argument could be made in number of Chicago.

Yeah, it could use an organization like this for sure will.

And we think every neighborhood needs that level of investment.

>> I think what what was unique for us this week we started out of a local bank that had purchased the old Pullman bank.

And so we were physically located there.

And at that time, the bank president said, you know, for taking deposits from the neighborhood, we should also be investing.

So was a very much kind of this old-school banking mentality.

And that's really how we got started.

We bought the writers and still we're part of the bank.

And so that kind of got us going.

We took an entire year.

Just listen to the community did over 70 community meetings and out of that came those aspirations and desires of the community had.

So literally for the last 15 years just been trying to execute on those those expectations of the community for Linda, I know you have lived in Pullman for knocking on 40 years.

Tell me about the passion of Pullman garden that year because I know gardening is your passions in and thank you.

The passion Pullman garden.

>> Is our community garden.

>> It's been exist in 60's since 2009 Thank appeal they do got together okay, we can do this weekend renovate this car because they had gone under kind of fell into the little disrepair because the people that, you know, when a lot of participating.

So we partner with Avery space and we.

Land develop.

That.

Develop them side donated to us.

And so tomorrow I see and I read it and I see in the So we're having I'm going to work from Britain tomorrow.

What can folks expect from this garden?

expect fresh food growth?

They can expect social activities.

We'll have a chess table standard out there.

You in the ground we'll help or a sun shade.

We will have different activities such as we host a movie night was some love.

We have.

We have plans to have spoken word, poetry and so Lyons and a lot activities that we think will be from unity activities games.

You've been there for 37 How would you say Pullman has changed?

>> You know, what would you say?

It's like today versus 20 years ago.

25 years ago versus today versus 25 years ago.

We have so much growth.

It has really exciting to have the pool in historical National Park.

Join us Walmart joining us.

It's been exciting to have the Portland Community Center.

was indoor space the difference.

little strip mall in a different restaurants that we have.

It's it's really been exciting for a lot of community membership and the residents wait.

We're excited about all the new development alderman Bill.

How could other communities across the city of Chicago replicate what's happening here?

Well, first, I would have to do is listen to the community.

>> And then assemble a great team carry out the vision of the community because that's what we have done.

David mentioned 70 I think it's 77 community meetings that we have before we go ground won't act and we listen to the community and we had a plan and we are sticking to the plan and having a great developer having you know, like he's my tenure in the city council and have a residence stand behind the vision.

I think that's what you need.

And so once you put that plan in place, you can not deviate from that plan because every community can have a plan and it's going to be unique to that particular community.

And you just have to work tandem with your community needs some community people in front of great developer and work that plan and I guarantee you'll see results.

David, you're from has been working with Pullman since 2010 as we and a lot's changed since particularly recently or in the last, you know, 5.10, years President Donald Trump, eliminating dei programs recently in the community development, financial Institutions Fund.

>> Which is institution that provides federal tax credits and other incentives to help developers finance developments in underserved communities.

How's all that affected?

Your work?

Yes, so I think the good if there is any good news in the bill, was the new market tax credit program was permanently extended.

>> So this is something we've been working on for decades.

So that was a that was a good thing and the opportunity zone legislation was extended for another 10 years.

So there were some silver linings, I think in the bill, the downside is, you know, when you look at a lot of these programmatic cuts, whether that's too CDFI programs, whether that's to housing assistance programs, medical, you know, Medicare, Medicaid, those those things are are you going to be devastating in terms of providing the resources for some of the work groups like ours to across the city.

>> mean, and despite, you know, the extension orbit making permanent some of the things that you mentioned like the new market tax credit, opportunity zones, are we sure that, you know, developers in the obviously yours is is based there, but will other developers continue to to maintain the work that they do in underserved communities.

I think it's a great question.

I think we're gonna have to see how that plays I the good news in Chicago is, you know, we do have local resources.

So things like tiff and economic development, bonds and those kind of things.

>> Help spurred that kind of development.

And the state's been very supportive of our work.

so generally not relied heavily on federal resources other than those tax relief programs.

But most of our development resources has come from either the state or or the city of Chicago.

>> Filing the about 30 seconds left.

What else would you like to see happen in your community?

I like to see more housing renovation will affordable housing go up, which is what is in the plans.

And I would like to see more community involvement in different areas of our community.

I like to see more people come out.

To the parks and more people come out to the community said what people come out with their families, bringing their their company or their guests to the neighborhood to explore into tour and have a good But yeah, everybody wants everybody have a good time.

All right.

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