Publication Date
Spring 2025
Document Type
Capstone Project
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration
Department
Public Administration
First Advisor
Natalia Ermasova, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Mary Bruce, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Craig Anderson, MOL
Abstract
The Village of Bradley (VoB) entered a collaborative relationship with Governors State University (GSU), College of Art and Science, Division of Arts and Letters, Public Policy and Administration Unit for the Spring 2025 semester. The VoB, located in Kankakee County, Illinois, is seeking the research of economic development corporations in Illinois and creating a website for Bradley Economic Development Corporation.
The VoB has a small-town environment, with hopes of reversing the loss of the population base and developing a new revenue stream. The Village of Bradley has a motto of “Proud of Our Past, Focused on Our Future”. Its name was changed from North Kankakee to Bradley in 1895 after the David Bradley Manufacturing Company agreed to move its operations to the growing industrialized area. It sits in the scenic Kankakee River Valley of Illinois and is part of a larger urban area that includes the City of Kankakee and the Villages of Manteno and Bourbonnais in Kankakee County. The Village has a current population of approximately 15,695 people (U.S. Census, 2024). According to the Village of Bradley (2021), the median household income in Bradley is projected to increase by 9% from $61,800 to $67,400 by 2024. The VoB is hopeful this Bradley Economic Development Corporation will support economic development projects.
Recommended Citation
Brooks, Denee P.; Jones, Cole W.; Lewis, Dasjah; Ramadani, Donat; Sheppard, Nicole B.; Sutton, Tamika; and Taylor, Tamera A., "Business Retention and Expansion Program for the Village of Bradley: Bradley Economic Development Corporation Pratical Capstone Project" (2025). All Capstone Projects. 697.
https://opus.govst.edu/capstones/697