New Economy Oak Park

Welcome!  This group is a network that supports local buying by Oak Park area institutions.  It collaborates on building our local community using innovative approaches to economic development, green job creation, and neighborhood stabilization.

The Cleveland Model is an inspiring example of the new economy that our group’s members want to see happen in Oak Park.  In this model, large not-for-profit “anchor institutions” use their purchasing power to stabilize a neighborhood’s cooperative, sustainable businesses.More...

The setup in Cleveland -- Three large institutions located in a low-income, Black neighborhood where 40% are unemployed.  The institutions are Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospital.  

What they do -- Each year the institutions spend $3 billion on purchases alone (not counting staff and construction expenses).  Now they buy a small percentage of their purchases from local, independent coops that are integrated through Evergreen Cooperatives Corp (ECC). 

 

ECC is a network of for-profit, owner-operated companies in the neighborhood.  It has a rotating fund which starts up one or two new cooperatives each year.  Three of the cooperatives are large:

• A hydroponic green house that can produce 3 million heads of lettuce yearly. 
• An industrial-scale laundry that services the institutions and others. 
• A solar panel manufacturer that does large-scale installations. 

Our New Economy Oak Park group wants to bring the Cleveland Model, or something like it, to Oak Park or Oak Park and Austin.  We have many smart people, many struggling people, and a growing number of green local businesses right in this area.  And we have substantial institutions – two hospitals, two colleges, two high schools, large churches.  

What if a portion of Oak Park institutional purchases were bought from an organization of local, sustainable businesses?

Links:

•  Evergreen Cooperatives, Structure & Leadership  
• Gar Alperovitz on the Cleveland Model  
• A Strategy Intensive with Gar Alperovitz

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