CHICAGO – Thanks to support from State Senator Elgie Sims, Calumet City and Lansing will both see major investments as part of the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets program.

“Local business districts are the backbones of our communities – from being great places to work to great places for entertainment,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “Investing in our business community helps us make equitable recovery from the pandemic and inflation by creating jobs and growing a stronger local economy.”

With new federal funding made available through the American Rescue Plan Act, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity administered grants to 50 commercial corridors throughout the state. Calumet City will see more than $685,000 to improve the Burnham Avenue corridor, while Lansing will see $875,000 to replace to sidewalk in the business district.

The Rebuild Illinois program is a historic $45 billion investment in Illinois’ transportation infrastructure and state facilities, passed in 2019 with support from Senator Sims.

DCEO originally administered $50 million for the program in 2021. Due to federal funding, the state allocated an additional $56 million to support 29 more projects. With matching funds from recipients, a total investment of $215 million was made in downtowns across Illinois.

For a full list of recipients, visit Illinois.gov.