​The meeting was organized around 3 topics: 1) Where the port has been, 2) Where the port is now, and 3) Where the port is going. In the 2 years since Mr. Harris has been Director of the port, it is true that a lot has been accomplished. In 2017, the port increased revenue by 11.6% while simultaneously decreasing debt by 61.6% - no small feat. Reducing the debt with the help of the Illinois General Assembly and receiving $2.3 million in grant funding contributed to these numbers. Additionally, a 2017 combined economic impact study on the Port concluded that the Port is responsible for 6,381 jobs and produced a total revenue of $1,186,986,000. The Port has also received a Local Technical Assistance (LTA) grant from Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to help develop a Master Plan for the Port. This momentum, combined with the constant outreach to understand international port best practices and to educate others about opportunities in Chicago, is advancing the Port in ways we have not seen before.   

​When it comes to where the Port is now, the State of the Port address showed us how the momentum from 2017 has started to materialize into concrete projects and actions. In 2018, the Port received over $17 million in grant funds to start work on the much-needed infrastructure repairs that will not only help make the port more functional but also improve appearance and perception. Infrastructure repairs focus on improvements at Butler Drive, the backbone of the Port, as it connects water-bound cargo to trucks and trains, and includes 1.2 miles of road improvements and 1.7 miles of rail improvements. One of the Port’s major goals is to become the region’s transportation logistics leader by increasing all port activity and focusing on multi-modal aspects including barge, ship, rail, and truck. Improvements at Butler Drive is a first step towards this goal. 

The Port is committed now, and in the future, to support the surrounding community. Some examples include housing bees for the honey production of  Sweet Beginnings, a local social enterprise that sells raw honey and honey-infused body care products, working with The Nature Conservancy to identify ways to remediate and restore Square Marsh, and collaborating with Active Transportation Alliance on ways to connect the bike park and trails at Big Marsh to Pullman. When it comes to bringing development to the Port, community feedback is highly valued, so there will be a public meeting on September 15th regarding a request for proposal (RFP) for a hotel and boat house to be built near Harborside Golf Course. A hotel would provide local jobs and many other community benefits, and Mr. Harris wants to make sure the community has an opportunity to share their ideas and give feedback prior to the RFP release. Details on this meeting can be found at IIPD.com.

Another big goal is to make the Illinois International Port District the nation’s greenest port by investing in renewable energies, and leading in conservation efforts and environmental practices. The Port has already released an RFP for solar panels to be mounted on the port’s transit sheds, pictured to the left. 

There have been concepts put forth for wind turbines and thermal energy as well. The Port has the potential to produce more renewable energy on site than it consumes, so the Port would look into power purchase agreements that would allow them to share excess energy with the surrounding neighborhoods of Hegewisch, Pullman and Riverdale – another example of being PART of the community versus just being IN the community. ​

Finally, a framework called E.R.I.C. was introduced that will help guide the Port’s future work.

• Economy / Environment: focusing on jobs, new cargo/commodities, and expansion of services while investing in renewable energies and air monitors to reduce emissions and improve air quality.
• Resources / Recreation: leveraging the unique location, land, and connectivity of the port to increase economic and recreational opportunities.  
• Industry / Innovation: engage in new land leases, industries, and invest in new facilities while investing in systems such as automation and recycling to increase productivity and efficiency.
• Community / Conservation: working with neighborhood organizations to understand community needs and gather feedback on economic development projects, while preserving the rare and natural resources at the Port that will result in increased recreational opportunities. 

​Putting these values at the center of the Port’s upcoming projects and Master Plan will ensure the Illinois International Port District stays true it’s tagline: The Greatest Multimodal Facility in North America. 

Christopher Rudd, the founder of ChiByDesign, is originally from the Calumet region, and joined this project to assist with community engagement. “The biggest reward that I have experienced working on this project is to see youth and community members from many different walks of life show interest in one another and the natural world. An insight that has struck me during this work is how much residents of the Calumet Region actually want to be responsible for the upkeep and preservation of the region.”
 
Andre explains some of the prototypes being tested with the community: “We have created game simulations, sensor-based public installations (fusing art, technology, and science), and new digital platforms for civic empowerment.” These prototypes are: 1) Mini Calumet- a simulation tool that uses educational programs to reconnect local youth with the environment, 2) Flag Calumet- a modular installation structured on the intersection of art, science, and sensor technology that serves as a facilitator between local residents and the environment, and 3) Value Calumet- a digital platform for civic empowerment that matches demand and supply while mediating efforts to optimize local resources.
 
These prototypes aren’t typically what one would imagine when thinking about Brownfield redevelopment, but that is the point of the IIT ID project. “The Future of Brownfields" report is intended to introduce new ways of thinking about Brownfield redevelopment in the Calumet region, based on design methods, systemic approaches and asset evaluation.
 
After the summer portion of community engagement is completed and the prototypes are refined, the staff at IIT ID hopes to further advance the work on these prototypes into three micro-pilots in the coming year.
 
To learn more about this project, read both “The Future of Brownfields” and “Brownfields: Critical Paths for Regional Redevelopment” reports. If you have further questions or would like to become involved in this initiative, please reach out to Ashley at ashley@calumetcollaborative.org. 

This month, there has been significant progress in one of Calumet Collaborative’s core initiatives of advancing a Calumet National Heritage Area. National Heritage Areas are lived-in landscapes where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a nationally important place. A Calumet National Heritage Area tells the story of the resilient people and nature that call the region home and embraces the region’s industrial innovation and transformation. Telling this story unifies the Calumet, and a positive, cohesive perception of this region will bring an abundance of opportunities to residents and visitors alike.
 
The Calumet Collaborative and Calumet Heritage Partnership have established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and formed a coordinating committee that aims to gain national designation for a Calumet Heritage Area by the United States Congress. This committee will advance on the ground efforts as a Heritage Area even if no national designation is received. A Calumet Heritage Area will bring a sense of pride to the residents, make visible the rich natural and cultural assets so they can be enjoyed, and create economic opportunities for the region through job creation and contribution to local economies.
 
In mid-May, the Calumet Heritage Partnership submitted its final revision of the Calumet National Heritage Area Initiative Feasibility Study to the National Park Service (NPS). The feasibility study makes the case for legislation to be introduced to the United States Congress, who ultimately designates National Heritage Areas (NHAs). The Park Service advises Congress on NHA designations; in the case of the Calumet region, whether to create what would be the nation's 50th such entity. In 2014, the feasibility study process was initiated, and a draft study was released for public comment in 2016. The formal feasibility study submission to the NPS in July 2017 included public comments and their responses, along with nearly 80 letters of support.
 
“The National Park Service's response to the feasibility study submission was very positive. It also opened an opportunity to think more deeply about the study, and to incorporate their suggestions into this revised version. We look forward to their response to this version,” says Mark Bouman, who is the Chicago Region Program Director in the Keller Science Action Center at the Field Museum. Mark serves as the Co-Chair of the Calumet Collaborative Board of Directors, and as a board member and Past President of the Calumet Heritage Partnership that has advocated for the area for nearly two decades. “To be clear, the Park Service's response is advisory, as it's Congress who ultimately decides whether a National Heritage Area is to be created or not. But one thing the very process of working on a study like this has pointed out: in many ways we already have a Calumet Heritage Area, with nationally significant stories and partners ready to tell them. We're all eager to move forward with these on the ground efforts, and the partners are doing that now.”
 
The story of the Calumet Region is beginning to be captured in a regional Identity and Branding exercise. A brand that unifies the region will be key for the Calumet Heritage Area. “Creating a unified brand for the bi-state Calumet area will have tourism and economic benefits for all of us,” said Mandy Burrell Booth, communications senior, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. “We hope it will draw more visitors to the region and raise awareness among locals about the many incredible places and stories our region has to offer.” 
 
This May, Mandy Burrell Booth helped lead an Identity and Branding exercise with the Calumet Collaboration’s Communications Committee. Over a course of 3 informative and productive meetings, the Communications Committee identified available resources that tell the story of the Calumet. The committee also determined work that needs to be done to create the Identity and Branding for the Calumet region. The output is a roadmap that will be used to bring the Identity and Branding of the Calumet to life. This includes community engagement on a proposed identity and brand, wayfinding products and design specifications, and a toolkit for wayfinding implementation. 
 
Telling the stories of the Calumet region creates a sense of place, which is crucial for the transformation of the region into a thriving place to live, work, and play. If you are interested in being a part of this effort, there are many opportunities to add your voice to the Calumet National Heritage Area and Wayfinding initiatives. Please reach out to Ashley to find out how you can become involved at Ashley@calumetcollaborative.org.

In mid-March, the Collaborative kicked off the first Conservation Action Planning (CAP) meetings for identified “gap areas” at three sites in northwest Indiana: Oak Ridge/Hoosier Prairie in Lake County, Moraine/Sunset Hill in Porter County and Galena/Ambler Flatwoods in LaPorte County. During the first round of meetings, the groups for each focus area shared their knowledge and expertise to collectively decide on boundaries and conservation targets. Over the course of the next two meetings in April and May, targets will be solidified and their related threats and risks will be evaluated. At the end of the process, a report will be written with suggestions for partnerships and opportunity areas for conservation work.
 
Calumet Collaborative is serving as project manager and stakeholder convener throughout the CAP process. Leading the charge with the Collaborative is the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (Indiana DNR) Lake Michigan Coastal Program. Coastal Resources Planner Kaitlyn McClain says this project is a “natural partnership” between organizations.
 
“The coastal program has always sought out opportunities to support sustainable development. We knew going in, Calumet Collaborative’s major strength is in convening partners. This project will not only greatly improve conditions in these gap areas, but will advance both of our organizations’ missions and enhance cooperation and connectivity throughout the region.”
 
The sites were selected after preliminary conversations centered around existing conservation efforts on managed land; These “gap areas” have not been covered by previous planning efforts.
The goal is to advance land and wildlife conservation in the Calumet region, while restoring and/or maintaining biodiversity and high-quality habitat. It takes into consideration prior efforts by Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision, Calumet Land Conservation Partnership, and the Indiana Dunes Ecosystem Alliance.
 
The plan will use The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Conservation Action Planning model, which helps guide conservation teams to develop focused strategies and measure success.
 
“This planning pulls together partners and helps build a more cohesive approach to conservation across the Calumet to move between high level landscapes and smaller sub-geographies,” northwest Indiana regional director for the Indiana chapter of The Nature Conservancy Paul Labus says. “Places like these gap areas are the last examples of the natural history of the Calumet region.  Protecting, restoring and managing these resources gives people an opportunity to connect with nature in close proximity to where they live.”
 
The CAP process will also help to identify species of interest and their most critical threats, recognize the social, economic, political and cultural factors involved, and monitor outcomes to adapt and learn throughout the life of the project.
 
The Collaborative is taking on the role of convener and project manager for this project because it plays an important part in achieving one of the organization’s main initiative goals of developing integrated, comprehensive bi-state conservation strategies for the Calumet region.
 
Along with Calumet Collaborative, Indiana DNR and TNC, additional partners include: The Field Museum, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Save the Dunes, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC), Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and ArcelorMittal Foundation. Other stakeholders from municipal, county and state land managers, National Park Service resource managers, active watershed and conservation groups and members of the Calumet Collaborative Conservation Work Group will be invited to participate in upcoming planning meetings in April and May.
 
If you’re interested in participating in this project or want to learn more, contact Emily Prisuta at emily@calumetcollaborative.org.
 

This past December, Calumet Collaborative achieved a major milestone in its work to become an independent nonprofit organization.  It received its official 501(c)(3) status from the United States Internal Revenue Service.
 
For the past year, Calumet Collaborative has been building a thoughtful, inclusive organization focused on transforming the Calumet region through sustainable development. They have been developing and convening a robust group of decision makers and stakeholders, narrowing in on its focus areas, and starting their work on four initiatives: brownfield redevelopment, comprehensive regional wayfinding, advancement of the Calumet National Heritage Area and integrated bi-state conservation strategies.
 
The new status will give the organization an opportunity to apply for grants and seek funding from larger corporations, foundations and individuals to support its financial and long-term sustainability.
 
“We are an action-oriented organization focused on creating public private partnerships to advance resiliency in the region by catalyzing innovative projects through collective action. This will only help us make additional progress as we can seek sources of funding otherwise unavailable to us,” Calumet Collaborative acting executive director Sarah Coulter says.
 
Mark Bouman, Calumet Collaborative co-chair and Chicago region program director in Keller Science Action Center of the Division of Science and Education at The Field Museum adds, “Calumet Collaborative is the first of its kind in the Calumet region. An official 501(c)(3) status poises Calumet Collaborative to take a real leadership role in sustainable development in the region.”
 
In early 2018, the organization will partner with two research institutions, Illinois Institute of Technology Institute of Design and University of Illinois Chicago’s Natalie P. Voorhees Center on two different brownfield redevelopment projects. It will also be leading efforts related to conservation action planning for gap areas in northwest Indiana through the Indiana Department of Natural Resource Lake Michigan Coastal Management Program. 

Underutilized vacant land has long been a challenge in the bi-state Calumet region but there are many that believe they are assets waiting to be developed. Many of these vacant or underutilized sites have an additional complication of being a brownfield.  Together with several partners, Calumet Collaborative is working on a systemic approach to not only change that impression, but to develop innovative strategies and tools to reuse these areas in a way that’s never been done before.
 
Calumet Collaborative’s advisory council recognized both the potential and need for collective action around brownfields. As such, the advisory council determined bi-state brownfield redevelopment should be one of Calumet Collaborative’s four initiatives.
 
A brownfield is defined as a property that the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse is complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
 
Calumet Collaborative will be utilizing a portion of a $50,000 Chicago Community Trust grant to support the work of the  Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Institute of Design. A diverse group of masters and PhD students with varying academic backgrounds will take on a semester-long project to create solutions and regional regeneration strategies that focus on brownfield redevelopment through multi-system integration while engaging those not previously involved in this work.
 
Michael Davidson, Calumet Collaborative board member and Chicago Community Trust senior program officer in sustainable development says, “Calumet Collaborative can invest research dollars to elevate the discussion and determine why it’s been so difficult to make changes in this space and determine how we can improve the process. This project is a chance to conduct sustainable development in a unique way and reframe brownfields discussion from liability to asset, threat to opportunity.”
 
Associate Professor in Design, Carlos Teixeira, along with his colleagues, Associate Professor of Environmental Management and Sustainability, Weslynne Ashton, and adjunct faculty and PhD student Andre Nogueira, will be coordinating the IIT students’ efforts.
 
 Dr. Teixeira adds, “Instead of seeing brownfields as a problem, we can see brownfields as the point of reference where new development can happen. They’re idle assets that are underutilized. They’re enhancers, not constrainers.”
 
The design project will run concurrently with a brownfield mapping and inventory project that is being led by experts from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago  and assisted by faculty and students from the University of Illinois at Chicago Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement as part of their work as an EDA University Center. These coordinating efforts will be overseen and further directed by the Calumet Collaborative brownfields work group made up of advisory council members and other subject matter experts.
 
“By mapping existing assets, we can determine how they can be leveraged through brownfields with the end goal of building sustainable solutions,” Dr. Teixeira says.
 
The IIT team indicates pursuing brownfield research will provide the chance to scale up their existing tools to deeply impact the Calumet region.
 
“Brownfield redevelopment hasn’t seen a lot of innovation in a long time. We can provide stakeholders with a new set of lenses to work from,” Dr. Ashton details. “We don’t pretend to be brownfields experts, but can provide a proven platform for stakeholders to co-create.”
 
Davidson explains it’s important to note this new approach will be an aid to those already involved in brownfield redevelopment work.
 
He says, “It will not invalidate those efforts, but bring capacity to other organizations’ efforts to help them succeed.”

Gary resident Dereeka Rollins, a new mom who works for Gary’s Redevelopment Department, says she wants to see “businesses in Gary grow and offer more employment. So many people here are not employed.” To help achieve that goal, she’s working on a project with other residents to support a business incubator/co-working space for people in the city’s Miller Beach community. Known as The Stage, this repurposed building is bringing business to The Steel City.

Gretchen Sipp, another Gary resident, is The Stage Manager at the space. "I am a die-hard Gary citizen. I grew up in Gary. I've been in Gary for 30 years. It is my home. I've left, I've come back. I've left, I've come back. This is where I'm planted. So, for me, I want to see the true essence of what a Gary citizen looks like," says Sipp, adding, "…I think we are on the verge of something big."

Their effort is one of many in northwest Indiana to revitalize communities through the input and collaboration of local organizations and people who work and live there. For 25 years, the Legacy Foundation, which is based in Merrillville has been supporting this work through a wide variety of grants for programs and initiatives in Lake County communities. (The county is the second largest in the state). In the course of a year, the foundation typically gives out more than $800,000 in scholarships and between $1.3 and $1.8 million in grants, which range from about $2,000 to $25,000.

The foundation is not locked in to funding one particular issue but responds to community needs in a wide variety of areas. For example, the foundation funds a first of its kind medical-legal partnership for northwest Indiana between Indiana Legal Services and HealthLinc, which provides no-cost, civil legal aid to HealthLinc patients who are in need of legal services for issues related to their health. In Hammond, a Legacy Foundation grant expanded a youth career program to include training and internships in high-growth industries such as healthcare, IT and construction. In Gary, the foundation supported the state’s second fully ADA compliant canoe and kayak launch at Marquette Park. The Legacy Foundation donated $25,000 to help construct the launch, which provides access to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

“The Legacy Foundation has focused on building philanthropy in Lake County,” says foundation president Carolyn Saxton. “What we’ve seen is that community foundations can promote philanthropy where they are located and make a difference that can hopefully be sustained over time.”

The foundation’s work is about more than making individual grants. The Legacy Foundation also encourages Lake County residents to consider how they might be more philanthropic in their long-term estate planning. As a result, over 300 charitable funds have been established that are financially managed by Legacy and support the charitable interests of individuals and organizations. This type of long-term philanthropy provides support for charitable projects identified by the donors not only for today but for years to come.

Legacy manages and promotes the local Donor Advised Fund for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which funds a wide range of organizations and projects in Gary.

The foundation serves as a resource center to nonprofits, providing training for staff and board members on fundraising, organizational issues and other topics. In addition, the foundation offers scholarships to Lake County students as motivation to graduate high school and complete college.

In recent years, the foundation has been more proactive about how it reaches area communities. One prominent example is its Neighborhood Spotlight program, which was created in 2013. Through this program, residents from Hobart, Griffith, and Gary’s Miller Beach and Emerson communities identify and address key issues. “People in these communities determine what their priorities are,” says Saxton. “The Spotlight program is a catalyst that encourages community involvement and action.”

The foundation funds a “community builder” in each neighborhood – a person whose job is to engage residents in this process. (It’s similar, Saxton says, to what community organizers do.) “The idea is to get existing stakeholders – people who live here – at the table,” says Jessie Renslow, community builder for the program in Miller Beach, where issues identified by residents have included transportation, jobs, education and economic development. Renslow, who grew up in Gary, describes herself as a “multi generation Gary-ite” who lived in California before moving back to the area.

Renslow says, “The Legacy Foundation realized the importance of doing a community plan in our communities. When you have a community choose attainable goals, it can happen. People really buy into the process.”

Brenda Burch has been a community builder for the program in Gary’s Emerson community. The Gary native and former pastor says the Spotlight program supported a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of Emerson. One major priority identified by residents, she says, is revitalizing Emerson School, which was closed in 2008 and, she says, could be reopened as a community center.

Meanwhile, Gary resident Zully Alvarado says the new canoe and kayak launch in Marquette Park reflects the community’s priorities – and is already affecting people on a personal level.

Alvarado has been an accessibility issues advocate for many years and uses a wheelchair. “I love what we’ve been able to do,” she says. “As a woman who is a wheelchair user, I never imagined that this would be available to me. People see me first as a paddler, not just as someone who’s in a chair.”

“The Neighborhood Spotlight program,” she adds, “is a model we can showcase for other communities.”

For more about the Legacy Foundation, click here.

The Calumet Collaborative held its second advisory council meeting on September 12. The goal of this meeting was to clarify and emphasize the roles of its board of directors, advisory council and working groups and to share how work is determined and organized to fulfill its mission of transformative sustainable development in the Calumet region.
 
The organization’s four working groups – explore and align bi-state brownfields redevelopment strategies; advance a bi-state wayfinding system; advance the Calumet National Heritage Area and advance comprehensive, bi-state conservation strategies reported out their progress and plans for the near and long-term.
 
Brownfields
 
There are nearly 450,000 brownfields throughout the United States and thousands in the Calumet region alone. A brownfield is a property in which, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
 
The Calumet Collaborative was recently awarded a grant from The Chicago Community Trust that will be used to collect bi-state brownfields data, identify the best practices used in the remediation of these sites and create a tool to assist in the redevelopment of brownfields in the Calumet region. The Calumet Collaborative Brownfields Working Group plans to examine the information collected to identify work already being done, to find gaps in the work and to prioritize and determine the highest and best use for these properties.
 
Wayfinding
 
Calumet Collaborative’s Wayfinding Work Group is reviewing past successes and focusing their efforts on further engaging Indiana stakeholders. They will be revisiting past work that includes the narrative and concept development of the Calumet region.
 
This work aims to remedy the fact we live in a fragmented region that is difficult to navigate regardless of what mode of transportation you use. It aims to connect people to all significant assets of the area, including the many sites of Calumet heritage.
 
In line with the work group’s broader plan, conversations are in the works to consider how wayfinding and placemaking correlate with the bigger picture of regional identity and a cohesive regional brand that can be shared with the masses.
 
Calumet National Heritage Area
 
The Calumet Collaborative is focused on advancing the Calumet National Heritage Area (CNHA) through collaboration with the Calumet Heritage Partnership, The Field Museum and other stakeholders. A national heritage area is a National Parks Service program that recognizes areas of historical significance throughout the country. The CNHA is bookended by two national parks, Pullman National Monument and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
 
The process of becoming a national heritage area has multiple steps. The CNHA has received positive feedback on the first draft of its feasibility study and is working with the NPS office in Washington D.C. to finalize their next draft.
 
While this process is underway, Calumet Collaborative’s CNHA Work Group will continue to focus on unique ways to shed light on the amazing stories of the Calumet region.
 
Conservation
 
Natural areas in the Calumet region are in varied stages of management. Some have been well managed for years, others have had no land management at all. The Calumet Collaborative Conservation Work Group is working towards identifying gap areas in the region.
 
Progress is already underway to begin conservation action planning for three gap areas that include Oak Ridge/Hoosier Prairie, Moraine/Sunset Hill and Galena/Ambler Flatwoods. This planning will be completed through an Indiana Coastal Management non-competitive grant that will develop a strategic plan to collect data, prioritize parcels, convene stakeholders, fundraise for land acquisition and determine lead agencies for future work and management.
 
The conservation working group is also working on a long-term plan that will utilize the Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision (GIV). They will use the extensive work of the GIV to identify and breakdown regional priorities into smaller, manageable and implementable projects.
 
“In a short period of time, Calumet Collaborative’s advisory council and work groups have created action-oriented plans that will catapult the good work already being done in the Calumet region to the next level,” Calumet Collaborative’s Acting Executive Director Sarah Coulter says. “We are eager to continue to convene to move the needle in the positive direction.”
 
If you, or an individual you know, has related, subject matter expertise and would like to be involved in Calumet Collaborative’s working groups or you have a project you feel is in alignment with our focus areas, please reach out to Acting Executive Director Sarah Coulter at sarah@calumetcollaborative.org.

​Calumet Collaborative’s board members, advisory council and staff met in June to take the first steps on four key initiatives that will shape the organization’s work over the next several years and advance its mission to foster a new level of collaboration in sustainable development and create a thriving Calumet region.

The four bi-state initiatives are exploring and aligning brownfield redevelopment strategies, implementing a bi-state wayfinding system, advancing the Calumet National Heritage Area and advancing comprehensive conservation strategies.

“Our intention at Calumet Collaborative is to build on the great work that has been done in the region,” says Sarah Coulter, Calumet Collaborative acting executive director. “We are working with communities and organizations to support the transformation of the Calumet region – and a future that is sustainable and inclusive.”

The advisory council’s 39 members include equal representation from Illinois, Indiana, and bi-state organizations, as well as economic, community and environmental stakeholders. At the meeting, they identified potential projects that could drive each initiative. Work groups including additional organizations and volunteers will meet later this summer to hone the project ideas.

“The Calumet Collaborative provides a unique opportunity to align and leverage resources that transcend traditional political boundaries in support of established sustainable development principles that align economic and community development goals in tandem with environmental conservation outcomes,” says Bill Steers, Calumet Collaborative board of directors chair and ArcelorMittal Americas Communications & Corporate Responsibility general manager. “With input from advisory council members and their organizations, it is clear that our partners believe this partnership will create a unique platform to advance sustainable development opportunities across the bi-state Calumet region.”

Calumet Collaborative covers southeast Chicago, south Cook County and northwest Indiana. It works across agencies, organizations and research institutions utilizing public-private partnerships to leverage resources and provide greater impact than one organization can achieve on its own.

Calumet Collaborative: Initiatives
Brownfields
For decades, the challenge of brownfields – former industrial or commercial sites affected by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant - has affected the region as communities seek ways to fund and redevelop these properties and learn from examples of productive reuse.

“Brownfields are still very much an issue in our communities,” says Kristi DeLaurentiis, executive director of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, whose work on the issue has included helping to run a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfield revolving loan fund to clean up sites thoughout south Cook County.

DeLaurentiis sees great potential in bi-state collaboration on this issue. “The greater Calumet region is linked no matter where the state line bisects us,” she says. “We have to think of it holistically and as an integrated system. We are certainly stronger together.”

Wayfinding
On the most basic level, wayfinding is about connecting people to places. It ties natural areas and recreation together for residents and visitors to enjoy. It includes directional and interpretive signage that helps not only guide, but educate. Calumet Collaborative’s wayfinding efforts will reflect the stories of many of the region’s treasures and how they connect to neighboring assets in Illinois and Indiana.

Kathy Schneider, who is the first superintendent of the Pullman National Monument, takes a broad approach to wayfinding. “We are not an island – we are part of a larger story. That’s a great benefit of Calumet Collaborative; it can help connect us to other stories in the region.” For Calumet Collaborative, Schneider says, the question is “What can we do to give people an orientation to our communities and the Calumet region?”

Calumet National Heritage Area
Calumet National Heritage Area aims to tell the nationally significant story of the Calumet region.

Mike Longan, Calumet Heritage Partnership president and Valparaiso University geography professor, says this effort can call attention to what is special about the region. “The thing that makes this region unique is the juxtaposition between industry and nature – the fact that we are this industrial powerhouse region but also this national treasure. We have to celebrate the innovation that occurs in industry and labor history, and the diverse people the region has attracted.”

The Calumet Heritage Partnership, with the support and participation of Calumet Collaborative, is in the process of submitting a feasibility study to the National Park Service to create a Calumet National Heritage Area.

Future working groups will help guide this process and coalesce with wayfinding to further identify, describe and celebrate the region.

Conservation
Calumet Collaborative advisory council members have identified numerous conservation issues that affect communities in the region, including urban forestry and green infrastructure. Another prominent issue is the threat of invasive species. “We are all dealing with this problem - it’s a regional issue,” says Natalie Johnson, Save the Dunes executive director. “There is a great need for regional management of land that can be conserved. When you’re talking about invasive species, it’s clearly not an issue that is confined to one area or community.”

Johnson sees great potential in Calumet Collaborative to “increase the size of our canopy across the region. We can multiply our efforts,” she adds. “That’s the power of what collaboration can do.”

Steers and many others involved in the Collaborative emphasize that its role is not to replace current efforts or organizations, but to help build capacity in key focus areas. That could mean a wide range of things, from acting as a resource to groups that are trying to access funds, to providing information on important issues, to convening leaders from both states to focus on joint initiatives, and more.
Participants in all four work groups are developing actionable plans and projects.

The board of directors and advisory council will meet again on September 12 to discuss work group updates and progress and to determine what steps to take next.

​If you’re interested in participating in a Calumet Collaborative work group, please contact Calumet Collaborative acting executive director Sarah Coulter at sarah@calumetcollaborative.org.