Chicago’s top community-oriented architects and neighborhood developers will once again be recognized for their contributions to the city’s vitality at the ninth annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards—the only awards given specifically for neighborhood based development.
As in past years, Mayor Daley will serve as the keynote speaker at the event, which will be held on Feb. 6 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
“Each year we look forward to recognizing the very best of community development in Chicago,” said Andrew Mooney, senior program director of LISC/Chicago, the non-profit organization that first created the award program. “The developments that we honor through these awards are creating a more promising future for Chicago by revitalizing and strengthening the city on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis.”
Created in 1993 to highlight the efforts of architects, developers and organizations that focus their work in the city’s neighborhoods, the event has grown to be one of the Chicago’s most anticipated events, attracting more than 1,200 people eager to learn from the outstanding efforts. Awards are given in six categories by a juried process that includes representatives of the architectural, financial, government and development leadership of the city.
The Non-Profit Neighborhood Development Group of the Year award will recognize an outstanding organization with a significant history of neighborhood-changing community development.
The Outstanding Non-Profit Neighborhood Real Estate Project award category recognizes a single project (residential, commercial or community facility) created by a non-profit development group.
The Outstanding For-Profit Real Estate Project award will go to a single project (residential, commercial or community facility) created by a for-profit organization.
The Non-Profit Community Building Award will recognize an organization that exemplifies the ability to create a healthy neighborhood through organizing, project development or program implementation.
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Architectural Excellence in Community Design—three awards are given—will recognize developments that are making a significant contribution to the social, visual and cultural life of Chicago’s neighborhoods through excellent design.
Also, The Friend of the Neighborhoods Award will be presented to an individual for their lifetime achievement and commitment to community development organizations.
Prior to the award ceremony, and as part of a long-standing tradition, there will be a panel discussion of issues that are having an impact on community. This year’s CNDA Forum theme is Globalization & Conflict & Neighborhood.
Whether one views globalization as a great opportunity or a threat, there is no question that the economic and political changes that attend it have consequences for every neighborhood. Since September 11, 2001, and with the specter of war before us, global issues are closer than ever before. Speakers at the CNDA Forum will address the impact of global trends on the prospects and challenges that our communities face.
The ninth annual CNDA Awards ceremony will be held Feb. 6 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago at 151 E. Wacker Dr. A forum will be held at 3 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 4:30 p.m. and a reception at 6 p.m. For more information, call (312) 822-0505. |
