Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives is a neighborhood-based community development organization that had its beginnings over a decade ago as Pullman Bank Initiatives. At that time, the organization formed a partnership with NHS Redevelopment Corporation to buy eight historic row houses in Chicago’s Pullman District with the goal of restoring the row houses to their original state in order to help rejuvenate the community.  As Pullman Bank Initiatives evolved into Park Bank Initiatives, a subsidiary of Park National Bank, progress in the Pullman neighborhood evolved into Pullman Park, a mixed-use economic development serving the Calumet region. In January 2010, CNI was created with the support and financial backing of US Bank, N.A. as part of its acquisition of the former Park National Bank, and was determined to continue building on the success of its predecessor. Formally launched on July 1, 2010, CNI achieved its federal not-for-profit exemption status in August of the same year.

Our mission is to strengthen Chicago area low- to moderate-income communities by collaborating with neighborhood stakeholders on community development efforts, acting as a developer and resource that supports economic development and neighborhood revitalization, and coordinating capital and resources to support community projects.  Our primary activities focus on large scale commercial real estate development, residential neighborhood preservation, New Markets Tax Credits deployment and microlending.

CNI’s initial focus is on the communities that were served by the Park Bank Initiatives, including Far South Side neighborhoods such as Pullman, Roseland, Englewood, and West Side neighborhoods such as West Garfield Park, Lawndale and Austin that have populations over 90% African American. The long-term goal of CNI’s officers and board members is to expand capacity in order to be responsive to development opportunities in low-income communities throughout the greater Chicagoland area.

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