Curtis: 500 new housing units in Kankakee by 2030

KANKAKEE – Only moments after taking the mayoral oath of office for the second time, Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis laid out a series of lofty goals, including the creation of 500 new residential units by 2030.

“It’s a bold goal, I know,” Curtis said just after Monday’s meeting concluded. “If you don’t set lofty goals, you will never reach them.”

Within the city that has long struggled to gain new housing developments, Curtis said there is no reason Kankakee cannot succeed with new housing.

Simply put, he is not letting past failures impede future success.

In setting his political agenda for his fresh second term, there is no question the mayor is leaving caution for others. He is aiming high.

“I realize this goal of 100 units per year is lofty, but we have to dream big and set the bar high to make a difference,” he said to the 12 council members in attendance, along with a large gathering on the night seven current council members were once again sworn into office.

“Accomplishing such a feat will lead to even greater prosperity for our future,” he said. “Roof tops drive retail development, with retail development comes additional sales taxes, real estate taxes and jobs.

“In the end all this helps drive the continuation of lower real estate taxes and making our city more desirable for residents to call home.”

In the wide-ranging address, Curtis, who served nine years as a 6th Ward alderman before running for the city’s top elected office in 2021, once again pressed upon housing, this time improving existing properties.

He said he would “work daily over the next 18-24 months to improving and bettering” housing.

“Our goal is compliance. Our goal is communication. Our goal is courtesy and workability with owners,” he said.

Curtis said during the past 60 days, the city has worked to strengthen the code enforcement and building departments with new hires and training.

“... We are committed to providing them all the resources they need to be an effective and professional department,” he said.

Curtis said the goal in the new fiscal year which began May 1 is to implement the Neighborhood Stabilization department introduced this past year. The focus of the department will be abandoned houses and upgrading their exterior appearance.

The vast majority of these structures have been left by owners, and banks are working toward having them foreclosed upon.

Often when they are foreclosed upon, they simply sit. With virtually no upkeep taking place, they decay.

He said the city works with the Kankakee Regional Land Bank, an organization focused on bringing back abandoned properties, as well as the city’s Adjudication Office and its building and code enforcement departments.

“Unfortunately some homes can’t be saved and just need to be torn down due to fire or being exposed to the elements for far too long,” he said.

City, mayor to aid home rehab

Demolitions, he said, have been funded through federal sources, but those monies have become more difficult to capture.

As a result, the city will take its own step.

“Tonight, I would like to ask for council to approve a $100,000 demolition line item within the budget moving forward each year,” Curtis said. “While $100,000 may seem small, it is a start.”

He didn’t stop there. He also presented for implementation a $25,000 line item that would allow up to $500 grant for exterior improvements on an owner-occupied dwelling.

“While this is only 50 homes at a time each year, we can improve our city block by block and bring pride and joy to each neighborhood,” he said.

Curtis is not only committed to tapping into the city budget to aid in this effort, but also his own pocket.

He said he will introduce a new program to provide for a local hardware store gift card to reward a home in each ward, each month in which exterior improvements have been made.

The improvement could be as simple as a newly-painted front door, trimming of bushes, planting of new landscape to possibly even larger improvements.

To kickstart this program, Curtis will personally donate $1,000. He will also reach out to the local businesses to annually fund it.

Curtis talked of millions which will be poured into infrastructures, notably the redevelopments of the Interstate 57 interchanges at 312 and 308, as well as the complete rebuild of Illinois Route 50 – meaning Indiana and Harrison avenues as well as portions of Fair and River streets and South Schuyler Avenue.

He also noted the long-awaited completion of Hobbie Avenue will soon take place.