AUBURN GRESHAM — A Black-owned flower shop and community gathering space will soon open in Auburn Gresham, bringing another development to the up-and-coming 79th Street corridor.
Auburn Gresham resident Tatiana Williams will open Tati’s Floral and Suites this fall at 1415 W. 79th St. The floral shop will be the entrepreneur’s first brick-and-mortar space.
Williams was a finalist for the city’s winter 2024 Community Development grant. Her anticipated grant total is $200,392.50. She will use the city funding for a “complete gut rehab,” a new roof and renovations to the vacant building’s facade, she said. The total cost of the project will be about $245,000, she said.
The city grant helps bridge the funding gap many entrepreneurs face when opening businesses on the South Side, Williams said.
Without it, “I would be trying to figure out how to put this all together,” she said.
Williams has also launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $60,000 goal to complete interior and exterior renovations. You can donate here.
When neighbors visit Tati’s Floral and Suites this fall, they can expect a vibrant shop overflowing with flowers, Williams said. Neighbors can buy personalized arrangements for special events and holidays or to add a pop of color to their homes.
The business will have six suites entrepreneurs can rent, a community room for local artists to display their work and an outdoor patio in the back of the building where neighbors can gather, Williams said.
Williams hopes to add a community garden and host farmers markets, she said.
“I love my community, and I know it’s lacking services like a flower shop,” Williams said. “I’m excited to bring something new and let the community experience it.”
A lifelong South Sider, Williams moved to Auburn Gresham in 2021, she said. She joined her block club, soon becoming its president. She also got involved with Block by Block Auburn Gresham, a nonprofit led by residents and business owners that works to revitalize the community, and connected with Ald. David Moore (17th), whose ward includes the store.
Through Williams’ work with Block by Block, she noticed dozens of vacant and abandoned buildings scattered across Auburn Gresham, she said. Developments like the Healthy Lifestyle Hub were underway, but Auburn Gresham deserved more that would represent its potential, Williams said.
“I wanted to be part of the change,” she said. “Why can’t our community have a thriving 79th Street corridor?”
Williams has always loved flowers’ ability to brighten someone’s day, she said.
“You can never go wrong with a flower,” she said.
Williams applied to buy the 79th Street building from the Cook County Land Bank in late 2021. Hers was chosen out of 101 applications, and she bought the building in 2022, she said.
While the building rehab got underway, Williams jumpstarted her floral business, Tati’s Floral, in her home’s basement studio, creating colorful arrangements for neighbors with flowers like hydrangeas — her favorite — and roses, she said.
Tati’s Floral and Suites joins a long list of new and upcoming projects on Auburn Gresham’s 79th Street Corridor.
A renovated Jamaica Jerk Villa Bar & Grill opened in September 2022. The Auburn Gresham Healthy Lifestyle Hub opened in October 2022 and has become a destination for medical care, banking and educational resources.
Auburn Gresham Apartments, a $43 million Invest South/West project, will soon complete construction. It’s steps away from sustainable, affordable housing and renovated retail space that opened in winter 2023.
Auburn Park, a Metra station more than a decade in the making, is expected to open later this year. A “reimagined” Save A Lot grocery store could open in April.
Hopefully, Tati’s Floral “wakes people up” and encourages them to fill other vacant buildings in the community, Williams said.
“I’m excited about not only my project but the future of Auburn Gresham. There are a lot of great things happening on the corridor,” she said.
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