LITTLE VILLAGE — Three important commercial corridors on the Southwest Side are getting a financial boost to support and attract small businesses as they recover from the economic impact of Operation Midway Blitz.
The city awarded two local nonprofits a total of $250,000 for a program to activate storefronts along the 26th Street and Cermak Road commercial corridors in Little Village, according to a city press release. Latinos Progresando and the Little Village Chamber of Commerce will lead the program, which aims to bring businesses to vacant shops. A separate effort is awarding money to help businesses on Archer Avenue.
Small businesses on these renowned streets are the “lifeline” of Chicago’s Latino neighborhoods, but they’ve seen lingering declines in foot traffic due to Operation Midway Blitz and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Luis Gutiérrez, executive director of Latinos Progresando.
Four businesses on Cermak Road closed last year, and the number of vacant storefronts increased to 61 in 2025 from 45 at the start of the pandemic in 2020, according to data collected by Latinos Progresando.
With the grant, Latinos Progresando will help interested entrepreneurs open pop-up shops in vacant storefronts along West Cermak Road between Rockwell Street and Albany Avenue. The Little Village-based nonprofit has been working to strengthen the Cermak commercial corridor since 2018, Gutiérrez said. Its goal for the first year of the program is to bring business to two empty shops, he said.
The nonprofit hopes the efforts can attract businesses interested in staying open permanently. The Cermak corridor generates about $200 million annually, according to data compiled by Latinos Progresando.
“This is where small business owners are making their money for their families, community members come out to shop and come out to work,” Gutiérrez said.
Stronger commercial corridors generate more tax revenue for the city, create local shopping options for neighbors and increase public safety, he said.
Meanwhile, the Little Village Chamber of Commerce is looking to fill four of the 20-30 vacant storefronts on 26th Street, said Jennifer Aguilar, executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. Its program will provide entrepreneurs with financial assistance to set up shop and to cover rent for the grant’s duration, Aguilar said.
Business owners interested in applying to the program can fill out this form or reach out to Latinos Progresando and the Little Village Chamber of Commerce for more information.
Other Efforts
Latinos Progresando is also working to support businesses in Latino- and majority-Mexican neighborhoods across the city, Gutiérrez said.
The group surveyed businesses in the city’s majority-Mexican neighborhoods, and 95 percent reported lower daily sales since the start of Midway Blitz. For 75 percent of responding business owners, revenue has declined by at least 30 percent since federal immigration enforcement measures began in the city, according to Latinos Progresando.
The nonprofit is providing financial aid to businesses in neighborhoods such as Little Village, Brighton Park, Belmont Cragin and suburban Oak Lawn as part of its Our Shops, Our Chicago campaign, he said. Earlier this week, the Southwest Collective announced Latinos Progresando awarded $45,000 in financial aid to nine businesses in Brighton Park as part of the campaign.
Business owners can use the funds to support their recovery, whether it is to catch up on missed rent or mortgage payments, pay overdue bills or cover other costs. Selected businesses include restaurants, retail shops and service providers along South Archer Avenue.
The Southwest Collective, in partnership with the 12th Ward Office, helped Latinos Progresando identify businesses that could benefit from the grants, said founder Jaime Groth Searle.
“We chose the nine because they have a deep connection in the community. They’re pretty resilient, but have had to deal with a lot of stuff they haven’t had to deal with,” she said.
The Southwest Collective is helping business owners develop contingency plans to better prepare for future crises. Latinos Progresando and the Little Village Chamber of Commerce are offering technical assistance and support with marketing, signs, building an online brand and crafting strategies to attract customers.
Through the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, business owners can also receive support in applying to city, state and county programs for small businesses, getting legal or financial guidance or improving business operations.
Local leaders and business owners continue to urge neighbors to shop locally and encourage others to visit the commercial corridors in Latino neighborhoods.
“Anything that people can do to support will help our corridors,” Gutiérrez said. “Think of shopping in [local] corridors first and continue to organize your friends, family and events to visit these spaces.”
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