The Chicago City Council today approved several ordinances supporting the expansion of local businesses.

4545 W. Armitage, Inc.
The first ordinance authorizes a Class C property tax incentive for the environmental remediation of the site located at 4545 W. Armitage Ave. and the rehabilitation of a warehouse building in the Hermosa community for future productive use.

The Class C incentive would support a $673,000 clean-up and redevelopment of a 13,900 square foot facility for reuse as candy storage and distribution space for A&D Candy.  The storage facility will also include office space.  

Renovation of the single-story building will help support an additional five new jobs and the retention of 26 existing jobs in the 31st Ward.

The development entity, 4545 W. Armitage Inc., owns and operates A&D Candy Inc.  The family-owned business, headquartered in Chicago, opened in 1988 and has grown to become one of the largest wholesale candy distributors in the U.S., serving small grocery and convenience stores.

67th/Wentworth TIF District
Another ordinance authorizes the creation of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District in parts of the 6th and 17th Wards.in order to encourage development and further investment in the Englewood and Grand Crossing communities.  

The proposed 67th/Wenthworth TIF on the City’s South Side will provide a way to help redevelop the former Kennedy-King College site, help facilitate new commercial and residential development and upgrade infrastructure to enhance the community areas.

The goal of the redevelopment area is to improve older commercial strips along State, Halsted, 71st and 75th streets and rehabilitate existing housing stock and stabilize the area and encourage the development of vacant parcels.
The TIF boundaries will include Marquette Road on the north, Cottage Grove Avenue on the east, 79th Street on the south and Green Street on the west.  

Accretive Health Inc.
The next ordinance authorizes $6 million in TIF financing to help fund an expansion by Accretive Health, Inc. at 231 S. LaSalle St. in the Loop.

Plans call for Accretive to renovate the fifth floor of the building and operate a processing and training facility at the site in the 42nd Ward.  The City will commit $1.4 million towards build-out costs of the 44,380 square foot space and $4.6 million for training costs, which will result in 650 new entry level jobs over 10 years.  

Accretive manages healthcare revenue cycles for hospitals and physician networks by streamlining their patient insurance and benefit verification processes, medical treatment documentation and coding and bill preparation.

Founded in 2003, the Chicago-based company employs 175 employees at its headquarters at 401 N. Michigan Ave.