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Illinois State-Designated Cultural Districts

Latest News

Program Overview

Governor Pritzker's administration on September 22, 2023, launched the application to apply to become a State-Designated Cultural District in Illinois. On October 30, 2024, Governor Pritzker announced the second round of applications for State-Designated Cultural Districts.  State-Designated Cultural Districts are communities, towns, or specific geographic areas that have a distinct shared historical and cultural identity that binds the community together.

The purpose of this program is to:

  • Promote distinct historical and cultural communities;
  • Encourage economic development and entrepreneurship;
  • Encourage the preservation and development of historic and culturally significant structures, traditions, and languages;
  • Foster local cultural development and education;
  • Provide a focal point for celebrating and strengthening the unique cultural identity of communities; and
  • Promote growth and opportunity without generating displacement or expanding inequality.

Recipients will be eligible to apply for $3 million in funding that will be tailored to fit the needs of individual Cultural Districts and support the goals of the program to foster economic development and help communities preserve their unique cultural identities. The state will launch the funding opportunity following the selection of the final five cultural districts.

Program Participants

Governor JB Pritzker and DCEO announced (10) designees on February 26, 2024. As outlined in statute, DCEO selected ten recipients (five for 2023 and five for 2024) and will be selecting an additional five recipients in 2025, with a focus on downstate and rural communities.

State-Designated Cultural Districts for 2023 & 2024 are:

Designee

Location/District Name

City of Champaign (2023)

Champaign - North First Street Cultural District

City of Chicago (2023)

Chicago - Bronzeville District

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (2023)

Chicago - Chinatown 

DevCorp North dba Rogers Park Business Alliance (2024)

Chicago - Clark Street/Camino Clark

Greater Chatham Initiative (2024)

Chicago - Mahalia Jackson 79th Street Cultural District 

Little Village Community Foundation Corp (2024)

Chicago - Little Village 

Puerto Rican Cultural Center (2023)

Chicago - Puerto Rico Town

SkyART NFP (2024)

Chicago - South Chicago Cultural District 

Springfield Urban League Inc. (2023)

Springfield - Central East Cultural District

The Springfield Project (2024)

Springfield - The Southtown Cultural District 

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) on May 20, 2025, announced five new recipients as official State-Designated Cultural Districts.

State-Designated Cultural Districts for 2025 are:

Designee Location/District Name
Austin African American Business Networking Association (2025) Chicago – Soul City
City of Bloomington (2025) Bloomington - City of Bloomington’s Downtown Cultural District
City of Rockford (2025) Rockford - Heritage District
County of Johnson (2025) Vienna - Historic District of the City of Vienna
Self-Reliance Association (2025) Chicago - Ukrainian Village