About
Our Approach Heading link
Complement. Co-Create. Catalyze.
Promote green economic development in the Chicago region through strategic community driven services that expand forward looking eco-friendly businesses and develop a highly skilled workforce talent pool that is prepared for these opportunities.
Read more about our approach and work here.
EDA Center @ UIC Service Region Heading link
Located along the southern edge of Lake Michigan, the Calumet region is a unique and vibrant ecosystem that encompasses some of the area’s most precious environmental gems, a robust and growing industry rooted in specialized manufacturing and robotics, as well as a diverse community of people who live and work in the area.
The region is also a place of national attention. The recently designated Pullman National Monument attracts visitors from all over the country who are eager to see the first model, planned industrial community in the United States. The Indiana Dunes National Park is another key attraction that anchors the eastern edge of the corridor including Gary, currently a Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative. The area is also home to multiple Class I railways, the confluence of two transcontinental Interstates and a NAFTA Interstate route, and international shipping via the St Lawrence Seaway, Lake Michigan, Calumet River and Lake Calumet. Efforts are also underway to designate the Calumet region a National Heritage Area, which will include economic development strategies that build on the corridor’s industrial and environmental history.