Devon Avenue Special Service Area (SSA) #43
In July 2006 the West Ridge Chamber of Commerce submitted an application to the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development to make Devon Avenue from Kedzie(w) Damen (e) and Western Avenue from Arthur (n) to Granville (s) a Special Service Area. 

What is an SSA?
For over 30 years, the SSA program has provided communities with the financial means to create, maintain and manage clean, attractive and competitive commercial districts.  SSA's raise funds by placing a small assessment on each taxpaying property within a certain boundary.  SSA's are governed by the State of Illinois statute, authorized by a City of Chicago ordinance and administered locally with oversight by a local Board of Commissioners.  Over 35 communities in the City of Chicago use SSA programs.

Why is a Devon Avenue SSA needed?
Business and civic leaders have long recognized that Devon Avenue's sidewalks  are too often uninviting with litter and lack of many pedestrian friendly amenities found in other neighborhood commercial districts.  The SSA tool was identified by property owners, tenants and civic leaders as a professional tool to respond to these challenges with dedicated long-term resources by procuring private services to improve Devon Avenue's sidewalks and public spaces, provide new pedestrian friendly amenities and initiate programs to attract new customers to the area.  Similar SSA programs have been effective in Andersonville, Greektown and Lincoln Square.

What services are provided?
In the City of Chicago SSA programming often includes sidewalk cleaning and beautification, landscaping, marketing, security enhancement services, parking and traffic circulation improvements programs and minor capital improvement financing.  The Devon Avenue SSA will contract for private sidewalk sweeping.landscaping of public spaces and security enhancement services.  The Devon Avenue SSA will also plant and maintain sidewalk flower planters to be located throughout the service district.  Additional programs to attract new customers to the area will be considered.  A nine member Board of Commissioners consisting of local SSA taxpayers and area tenants will have the responsibility of approving an annual budget to appropriate SSA funds toward clearly stated service goals and objectives. 

Big Belly Solar Powered Trash Compactor Locations
S/W corner Devon @ Leavitt           S/W corner Devon@ Bell
N/W corner Devon @ Bell               S/W corner Devon @ Oakley
N/W corner Devon @ Claremont      S/W corner Devon @ Claremont
N/W corner Devon @ Western         S/W corner Devon @ Western
S/E corner Devon @ Artesian          N/W corner Devon @ Campbell
N/E corner Devon @ Talman           S/W corner Devon @ Talman
S/E corner Devon @ Rockwell          N/W corner Devon @ Rockwell
S/W corner Devon @ Maplewood      N/E corner Devon @ Washtenaw
S/W corner Devon @ Fairfield         S/W corner Devon @ California
N/W corner Devon @ Mozart           S/W corner Devon @ Sacramento
N/E corner Devon @ Fransisco         N/W corner Devon @ Richmond
S/W corner Devon @ Albany           N/W corner Western Ave @ Granville


Click below to watch a Medill School of Journalism News Cast on the Devon Avenue Big Bellies.
Medill News Cast on Devon Ave Big Bellies

SSA #43 Commissioners

Payram Bereliani - Great Chicago Food & Beverage 3149 W. Devon
773-465-9030

Irshad Mehboob Ali Khan - Property Owner 2510 W. Devon
773-888-7289

Tareq Ali Khan - Property Owner 6342 N. Rockwell
312-298-2876

Irv Loundy- Devon Bank 6445 N. Western
773-465-25000

Bhavesh Patel - Sahil 2603-08 W. Devon
773-338-3636

Susan Patel - Patel Handicraft's & Utensils
847-571-5123


Pete Valavanis - Cary's Lounge 2251-53 W. Devon
773- 544-1646