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Similar visions a century apart

Consultant sees parallels to Daniel Burnham's work

By Wailin Wong | Tribune staff reporter

February 24, 2009

Almost a century separates the work of Chinwe Onyeagoro and Daniel Burnham, the architect whose vision for Chicago still can be seen in the city's lakefront and other community spaces. But Onyeagoro sees connections between Burnham's legacy and her work at urban economic development firm O-H Community Partners.

"I feel very strongly that he engaged the private sector and the business community in thinking about their role in investing in the region," said Onyeagoro, who is participating in the Burnham Plan Centennial, a commemoration of Chicago's modern rebirth that will formally kick off this spring.Five years ago, when Onyeagoro co-founded her firm, she focused on attracting investment. But she came to see that commercial development didn't always "trickle down to job creation for folks in the community."

Now Onyeagoro encourages new businesses to allocate a portion of new jobs for local residents. In the current economic climate, the need for employment takes on greater urgency.

"Many of these residents are of moderate income or have not had chronic unemployment issues. ... There's a great opportunity, when some of the stimulus money comes through, for private sector businesses to really begin to partner with local employment centers," she said.

Onyeagoro, 30, is a first-generation Nigerian-American and the youngest of seven siblings. She's eager to adapt her Chicago-honed economic development model for Nigeria and has started reaching out to potential partners in sub-Saharan Africa. Another ambitious project she is developing is a feature-length screenplay about her friendship with two other entrepreneurs. If the film gets made, Onyeagoro would like Zoe Saldana to play her. But for now, it's about accurately capturing her life on paper.

"It's always a challenge ensuring that those voices are authentic," Onyeagoro said.

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wawong@tribune.com