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Mayor Meets with Business Owners on South Side

By Andrea V. Watson | January 18, 2015 9:02am | Updated on January 19, 2015 9:32am
 Mayor Rahm Emanuel made time on Saturday to answer questions from business owners on the South Side.
Mayor Meets with Business Owners on South Side
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CHATHAM — Mayor Rahm Emanuel met with business owners and Chatham residents at a South Side bakery on Saturday to hear their concerns and questions.

Stephanie Hickman, a Chatham resident and business owner worked with the Chatham Business Association’s president, Melinda Kelly to host the private event. Brown Sugar Bakery’s owner, Stephanie Hart, opened her doors, 328 E. 75th St., to the group of 50.

Teyonda Wertz, the South Shore Chamber Inc. executive director, said she attended because she wanted to remind the mayor about the South Shore community’s food desert problem. Wertz wants more grocery stores with better quality food to come to the community. The Dominick's closed down in 2013, leaving residents with fewer options. Now the city can use eminent domain over the empty building, but the changes Wertz wants to see won't happen overnight, she said.

“I wanted to hear his input and so by being able to talk to him, I was able to see that he is still focused on [South Shore],” Wertz said.

Before the mayor arrived, attendees were provided lunch and a variety of dessert options that Hart spread across the table. The sweet aroma of baked treats filled the air as people mingled while waiting for Emanuel to make his entrance.

The actual meeting was closed to the press because the mayor wouldn’t be able to conduct a “candid” conversation with reporters in the room, said Leonard Langston, a campaign worker for Emanuel, before he asked DNAinfo Chicago to leave.

After Emanuel finished the intimate discussion with the business owners, he was escorted to a waiting vehicle by security. 

Many attendees lingered after he departed.

Shirley Evans Wofford, president and CEO of Lambent Risk Management, said that this was her first time hearing the mayor speak in person and that he came off as being honest.

Hickman said that a variety of topics were discussed, which included the Obama Presidential Library, new development projects on the South Side, education and small businesses.

Otis Monroe, CEO of the Monroe Foundation said he asked a public policy question. 

“While the city has done a great job in creating micro-finance opportunities directly to the city, I asked the mayor if he would be willing to consider legislation or public policy that would hold banks accountable for doing direct micro lending,” Monroe said.

He said cities like Los Angeles and Cleveland use that model, which has helped increased lending opportunities for small businesses. Monroe wants Chicago to do the same. He said Emanuel said he was interested and that he wants to see proposed legislation in the next two weeks or so.

Hart said that she always enjoys opening her doors to the community and the event was a success.

“It’s always important for me at Brown Sugar Bakery to offer my community a space so that they can express themselves and promote their ideas and dreams,” she said.

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