Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!) program

The Department of Planning and Development's Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!) program is designed to help community-based organizations revitalize underutilized land along neighborhood retail corridors.

The program is seeking proposals to create strategic community gathering spaces that serve as destination points for local residents, shoppers, commuters and neighborhood visitors. Viable proposals are eligible for up to $500,000 in City funding for construction, design and maintenance costs. Proposed plaza locations may be publicly or privately owned but must be located within moderate- or low-income areas. Proposed improvements to existing plazas and gathering spaces will also be considered.

The POP! initiative, under the direction of DPD Commissioner Maurice Cox through Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot's commitment to neighborhood reinvestment, will provide funding for approximately 10 to 15 POP! plazas to be created citywide. A pilot effort launched in 2020 resulted in the creation of the POPCourts! community gathering space at Chicago and Lockwood avenues in Austin in 2021.

A first-round Request for Proposals (RFP) for new plazas was issued by DPD in February 2022 and closed March 11. A second-round RFP was issued Tuesday, March 22, with an application deadline of Friday, April 8. Delegate agencies, business organizations and chambers of commerce are encouraged to respond.

POP! is part of the Chicago Recovery Plan’s ambitious $1.2 billion strategy for equitable economic recovery and support for thriving and safe communities.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Download the Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!) Program Round 2RFP on the Department of Procurement Services' iSupplier portal. (See DEPT. OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT, Solicitation #8594/Specification #1243875)

RFP RESPONSES DUE:
12 p.m. (CST) Friday, April 8th, 2022
Proposals must be submitted via an iSupplier (eProcurement) online response/application. Emailed or faxed proposals will not be accepted.