The City of Chicago, which previously sponsored a design contest for winter outdoor dining, is now awarding grants to create new outdoor dining spaces.
“Last spring, we expanded outdoor dining out of necessity,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot posted on social media Friday. “Now, we’re expanding it because we love it.”
Lightfoot said the Chicago Alfresco program is a new citywide initiative to design and create “long-term outdoor spaces across all our neighborhoods.”
Grants of up to $250,000 per applicant will be awarded for projects that create “active community spaces that promote outdoor dining” or otherwise support community identity by transforming common spaces.
The program is part of the city’s push for more neighborhood tourism, according to a statement.
No grant funds can be used to purchase items for use by an individual restaurant or bar, however, such as dining tables, chairs or lighting for an individual sidewalk cafe, the city noted.
The program is funded by Diageo, a producer of alcoholic spirits and beers.
The grant proposals are being accepted by the city’s Department of Transportation. Proposals are being accepted to reimagine one of Chicago’s 50 public plazas; possibly close a street or an alley for outdoor dining; or repurpose curbsides or parking spaces, the city said.
Proposals must be submitted by April 15, with grantees selected by the end of that month and groundbreaking slated to start on June 1.
Winning projects will be those that demonstrate strong community support and public benefit, as well as those that promote economic development and outdoor dining while also keeping public walkways unobstructed.
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