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Pullman
City of Chicago
Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI) was created in 2010 to coordinate resources,
economic development and neighborhood revitalization efforts in Chicago’s low-to moderateincome neighborhoods. Our challenge - create safe, vibrant neighborhoods with affordable
housing, good jobs, recreational opportunities and access to basic goods and services.
CNI’s primary activities have focused on large scale commercial real estate
development, residential neighborhood preservation, New Market Tax Credits
deployment and microlending in low- to moderate-income communities throughout
Chicago. We are a developer, a partner, and a resource hub for creating sustainable
opportunities in Chicago’s low- and moderate-income neighborhoods
1000 East 111th Street, 10th Floor | Chicago, IL 60628 | 773-341-2060 | cnigroup.org
Photos By Marc PoKempner
PULLMAN
RICH PAST, UNIQUE PRESENT, AMBITIOUS FUTURE
WELCOME
The brainchild of railcar magnate George M. Pullman, the original town of Pullman
was one of the nation’s first planned industrial communities; and arguably its most
beautiful. Beyond its architectural significance, Pullman played an important role in
the history of urban design, transportation, labor and race relations.
Located only fifteen miles from the Chicago Loop and adjacent to Lake Calumet,
Pullman is bounded by 103rd Street on the north, 115th Street on the south, the
Bishop Ford Expressway on the east and Cottage Grove on the west. From its
beginnings the community offered its residents access to recreation, employment
and to the city center.
For the past century the Pullman neighborhood has been able to retain both its architectural
heritage and working class character despite tough times and fighting against
threats of the entire community being razed to make way for a light industrial park.
Today, Pullman stands as a unique Chicago community, the only one among
Chicago’s 50 city landmark districts to enjoy state and national landmark status and
to be recognized by the American Planning Association as one of the nation’s 10
Great Neighborhoods. While celebrating its past, evidenced by more than 50,000
visitors annually; Pullman remains focused on building for the future by investing in
housing, diverse employment, ample retail choices and recreation opportunities.
LIVE
George Pullman was a proponent of the “commercial value of beauty” and Pullman’s
design and architecture reflects that belief. Brimming with iconic, red brick rowhomes
accented by green and red trim, along with integrated well-landscaped parks and
greenspaces, the Pullman community was described by the Times of London as “the
most perfect town in the world.” One hundred years later, preservation and restoration
efforts by individual homeowners and community development groups have rendered
the historic housing a major asset upon which the neighborhood is rebuilding.
CNI has invested more than $5 million to renovate dozens of historic rowhomes in
the Pullman neighborhood, all of which have been sold to new owner-occupants
who value the community’s past and are confident in its future.
Embracing the value of diversity, Mercy Housing has invested more than $15 million
to preserve and renew the Pullman Wheelworks, the adaptive reuse of a former
Pullman Company facility that is home to 200 low-income families. The State of
Illinois and the City of Chicago have also heavily invested in the restoration of historic
homes and structures throughout the community. In Spring of 2012, HUD Secretary
Shaun Donovan toured the Pullman community and noted that the strategy “is not
just about one building or one block, it is about saving an entire community.”
Increasingly a destination of choice for young creative minds, future plans call for
the development of creative space for artists to live, work, gather and share ideas.
Pullman is also recognized as a burgeoning family community, offering the
neighborhood access to two of Chicago’s top performing elementary and high
schools within a one mile radius, ample park and community garden space and
some of the City’s best-priced housing stock. A farmer’s market is held weekly
throughout the summer with organic samplings from nearby farms. Pullman offers
excellent access to public transportation, with two Metra electric stops and multiple
CTA bus routes running throughout the community. Recreational enthusiasts enjoy
nearby hiking and biking paths, a links-style golf course and boating.
WORK
The Lake Calumet region of Chicago has historically been one of the City’s
largest industrial employment centers. Located at the intersection of the nation’s
waterways, rail networks and major highways, Pullman and the surrounding Lake
Calumet region are once again becoming a destination for employers who value its
unparalleled location.
Most recently, Method Home, a leading manufacturer of green cleaning supplies
and soaps, announced that it was constructing a 150,000 square foot manufacturing
facility in Pullman. The company reviewed more than 100 sites, before choosing
Pullman for its access to transportation and skilled workforce. When fully
operational, Method will employ more than 100 people.
In the past five years, there has also been significant growth and expansion of
existing Chicago companies, creating and retaining thousands of new construction
and permanent jobs. Some highlights include:
Finkl & Sons Chicago based A. Finkl& Sons, the world’s leading manufacturer of specialty steel alloys, has
completed the construction of a new 44-acre $150 million manufacturing campus. The project created
300 temporary construction jobs, retained 300 existing jobs, and has the potential to create an additional
150 job opportunities for local residents over the next five years.
Asphalt Operating Services, Inc (AOS) AOS completed construction of a $62 million liquid asphalt facility creating
50 permanent jobs. Constructed on 50-acres of formerly vacant property, the facility includes a terminal with
dock space along the Calumet River as well as space to receive and transfer shipments by rail and truck.
Ford Motor Company Ford continues to invest in its 113-acre Chicago Assembly Plant, undertaking a $400 million
modernization effort in 2004 and a more recent $134 million investment in precision manufacturing equipment
to be used by the 1,000 employees who produce the Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Ford Explorer on the site.
Imperial Zinc Corporation Imperial Zinc, one of the largest producers of zinc alloys and zinc anodes in the
United States, recently replaced a fire damaged structure with a new 100,000 square foot world class
facility that has state-of-the-art processing and laboratory equipment, allowing the company to maintain
its production in Chicago, retaining 45 existing jobs.
These companies join an already robust group of manufacturers including the
University of Chicago Press, Dutch Farms, Argus Brewery and Kellogg’s.
SHOP
Pullman’s Market Square was one of the most unique small-scale urban spaces in
America. The two-story Market provided a venue for fresh meats, produce and other
market goods. Today, Pullman is building on that heritage. With the support of the City
of Chicago, CNI created an integrated strategic plan to anchor renewal in the Pullman
community with the redevelopment of a 180-acre site along 111th Street and the
Bishop Ford Expressway. Sitting on the grounds of a former steel factory, the mixeduse development includes retail and industrial sites, housing and recreation space.
The first phase of development includes a 150,000 square foot full-service Walmart,
as well as a Ross Dress for Less and Planet Fitness gym. The $100 million first
phase of development generated nearly 300 construction jobs and 1,000
permanent jobs. The second phase of development will include neighborhood
retail and restaurants.
A key component of the Pullman Park development will be the development of a
new, 140,000 square foot recreation center to be located at 104th and Woodlawn.
The Pullman Recreation Center will provide space for a variety of team sports
including indoor baseball, football, soccer, and lacrosse. It will also provide flexible
meeting spaces to accommodate community events, classes and programs and
attract heavier volumes of traffic to the retail site.
VISIT
Juxtaposed beside Pullman’s commercial, industrial and residential assets is an
abundance of natural areas, wetlands, parks, and forest preserves. The Lake Calumet
region has been designated as part of President Obama’s Millennium Reserve
Initiative, that will focus on transforming the greater Calumet region of Chicago into a
one-of-a-kind public destination with more than 2,500 acres of open space, honoring
the region’s industrial past while protecting and restoring natural ecosystems.
Building on Pullman’s unique history and the preservation efforts of both resident
and organizations, Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk and Congresswoman Robin
Kelly introduced legislation that will establish the Pullman National Park. The goal of
the Pullman National Park is to preserve and interpret for the benefit of future
generations the significant labor, industrial, social, civil rights and architectural
history associated with the Pullman legacy.
Whether interested in African American history, labor history, city planning or
architecture, over the last decade Pullman has experienced and built on the everincreasing number of tourists who come to the community. Annual events include
the Historic Pullman House Tour, the Pullman Garden Walk, the Holiday Candle
Walk, the South of the Loop Art Show, the Dia de los Muertos Altar Walk, the
Backyard Film and Music Festival and the Labor Day Bike Ride.
According to the Study completed by Market Feasibility Advisors LLC, designating
Pullman as a National Historical Park will bring more than 300,000 visitors to the
area each year; create 350 jobs annually and $15 million in annual wages; and sustain
$40 million in economic activity for the community.

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