Community Development Grant — Large (> $5M)
DPD Large-tier reimbursement grant for catalytic capital projects exceeding $5,000,000. Citywide. Rolling application — no deadline. Replaces the legacy NOF Large Grant catalytic tier. Typically used for anchor development, large mixed-use redevelopment, and projects requiring City Council financial approval.
Check an Address — Free Snapshot
Compare the geocoded point for a Chicago address with the boundary used to screen Community Development Grant — Large (> $5M). A match is a location signal; review the current program source for the boundary's role and remaining criteria.
Published criteria — confirm with City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development
- Project located within Chicago city limits
- Catalytic capital project: large new construction, major adaptive-reuse, anchor development
- Developer LLC, large 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or institutional sponsor
- Total project cost > $5,000,000 (Large tier)
- Good standing with State of Illinois and City of Chicago; capacity to manage public-financing compliance
Community Development Grant — Large (> $5M) is administered at the city level. Depending on the program, eligibility may depend on the specific location, property type, or business activity rather than a single drawn boundary.
Boundaries are precise and change over time, so whether a specific address falls inside a mapped zone always depends on that exact address. The fastest way to check is to run a free snapshot for the parcel you have in mind — mapped coverage is a location signal, not an eligibility determination.
Citywide — eligible anywhere within Chicago city limits. No zone gate, but Large awards almost always require City Council approval which involves the ward alderperson.
Range on file · > $5M reimbursement (catalytic)
Current published terms as of 2026-07-02
- +Reimbursement grant exceeding $5,000,000
- +Citywide eligibility — designed for projects too large for NOF or the Medium CDG tier
- +Covers construction, major rehabilitation, equipment, and qualified soft costs
- +Stacks with TIF Redevelopment Agreements, federal credits (NMTC, HTC), state credits, and Cook County classifications
- 1Discuss the project concept with DPD before formal application
- 2Submit complete pro forma, financing stack, project narrative, and community impact analysis via the DPD Submittable portal
- 3DPD reviews on a rolling basis; awards typically require City Council ordinance and public hearing
- 4Execute grant agreement and disburse reimbursement against invoices on completion milestones
Schedule a project concept meeting with DPD at (312) 744-4190 before submitting
- Detailed project narrative + catalytic impact analysis
- Full pro forma with sources & uses, debt service schedule, and operating projections
- Itemized capital budget with contractor bids and design documentation
- Project timeline with construction milestones
- Proof of site control with all contingencies cleared
- Entity documentation (developer LLC docs, partnership agreements, nonprofit determination)
- Match documentation (Large awards generally require substantial matching capital)
- Environmental assessments and zoning/landmarks approvals as applicable
- Community engagement record (letters of support, ward briefings)
This page is a starting point, not eligibility, legal, or tax advice. Verify current requirements, deadlines, and boundaries with the administering agency before applying or spending money — program rules and funding change over time.
- Phone
- (312) 744-4190
- Web
- Visit site ↗
Last verified 2026-07-02
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TIF-funded reimbursement grant for permanent building improvements to commercial and industrial properties. Open on a monthly TIF-by-TIF rollout schedule (July 1-30 and August 1-30 windows open for eligible districts in those months). Administered by SomerCor.
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