01 / Resources
Every program, one door
Grants, loans, SBA programs, workforce training — collected, translated into plain English, kept current.
Chester, Illinois — on the Mississippi
A river town betting on itself.
A new, community-led effort to grow our hometown — one place for the grants, programs, and people it takes to build in Chester.
37.9197° N, 89.8258° W
pop. 7,640 · est. 1829 · 61 mi s. of st. louis
A brand-new initiative with old-fashioned ambition: make it easier to start, build, and stay in Chester.
Chester had electric streetlights before Chicago did. Twain wrote about our riverfront. Being ahead is a local tradition.
02 / Projects
Show the work
Storefronts, rehabs, new businesses — as they happen, we document them here so momentum is visible.
03 / Community
Built by neighbors
No agency, no consultants — people from Chester putting in the hours. There’s a seat for you.
The working river — grain barges on the Mississippi at Chester
The toolbox.
resource directory · official source links
Program finder
Start with what you’re building.
Search grants, loans, training, and other support by project, audience, and Chester eligibility.
start a business
SBA loans & free SBDC counseling
From business plan to first hire — federal loan programs and one-on-one help from the Illinois SBDC.
sba.gov ↗rehab a building
Façade, historic & rehab programs
State and federal incentives for bringing old brick back to life — tax credits included.
dceo.illinois.gov ↗find a grant
State & rural development grants
IL DCEO, USDA Rural Development, and regional foundations — matched to what you’re building.
rd.usda.gov ↗hire & train
Workforce programs (WIPS & more)
Use Illinois workNet to find employer services for recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining workers.
illinoisworknet.com ↗go rural
USDA & rural business programs
Loan guarantees, energy grants, and rural business development funds most towns never tap.
rd.usda.gov ↗not sure where to start?
Tell us what you want to build.
We’ll point you at the right program and sit with you through the paperwork.
Ask us anythingYear one
We’re just getting started. Literally.
NOW
Site + resource directory live
Official-source programs, organizations, and a step-by-step startup guide.
FALL 2026
First projects announced
The first project pages, with status and next steps.
WINTER 2026
First community meeting
Open table: what should we fix, fund, and fill first?
2027
Building & lot inventory
A public map of every space you could build in downtown.
Rail-served — the yard along the riverfront
Community
This only works if it’s ours.
Investing in Chester isn’t an agency — it’s neighbors. Three ways in, pick any of them.
Come to a meeting
First open session this winter. Bring opinions and a covered dish.
Bring a project
A business idea, a building, a skill to lend — tell us and we’ll find it a lane.
Life here
A fifteen-minute life on the bluffs.
No commute. A river out the back door. A house that costs a fraction of the metro average — and neighbors who show up.
Your move
Build here.
No track record yet — just a town worth betting on. One call and we’ll map the grants, buildings, and people you need.