Rooted in Potential.
Built from Within.
Owned by All.
REAL ESTATE-CENTERED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Strengthening local economies in historically disinvested communities through responsive, real estate-centered economic development.
Baptiste Pointe LLC strengthens local economies in historically disinvested communities through responsive, real estate-centered economic development. We believe development should do more than transform places—it should create lasting value, expand local ownership, and strengthen the people and communities who call them home.
Our approach is grounded in a simple philosophy: Own it. Restore it. Sustain it. We advance real estate and economic development projects that build local ownership, restore community wealth and opportunity, and promote environmental sustainability. By centering the people who live and work in a place, we help create communities that are locally rooted, collectively shaped, and built to endure.
We help historically disinvested communities build lasting wealth through community-centered real estate and economic development.
Who We Are
Our impact
35,000+
People directly impacted by our work
6
Communities served across the region
$12.5M
Capital deployed in community investment
488K+ SF
Of renovated community assets
OUR CORE VALUES
Cooperative
economics
We cultivate systems that keep wealth circulating locally — building shared prosperity through collective ownership and community-driven decision-making.
Ownership
Vehicles
We create tangible pathways for residents, entrepreneurs, and communities to own their land, control their corridors, and build generational wealth.
Restorative
Economics
We direct capital and expertise toward repairing the economic harm done to historically excluded communities — restoring assets, rebuilding wealth, and creating lasting economic resilience.
Environmental
Sustainability
We pursue real estate development that honors the land, minimizes environmental impact, and builds communities designed to thrive for generations to come.
OUR Story
Our CEO / Founder grew up watching two very different realities play out in front of him — communities full of potential that were being quietly abandoned, and communities that were thriving because of intentional investment. That contrast never left him. It made him ask — who gets what, when, where, how, and why?
That question has driven his entire career — from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, to the Cook County Land Bank, to JLL, to Capitol Hill. Across the public and private sectors, he kept seeing the same thing: communities don't lack potential. They lack the economic foundation and real estate infrastructure to convert that potential into lasting wealth.
Baptiste Pointe LLC exists to change that. We are a real estate-centered economic development organization rooted in cooperative economics, ownership, and restoration. We work in historically disinvested communities to provide real estate advisory services to organizations that spur economic development.
We don't believe communities need saving. We believe they need investment, tools, and ownership. Our job is to be a catalyst for all three.
Our Services
Catalytic community development starts with informed decisions, strategic investment, and thoughtful execution. Baptiste Pointe provides the real estate and economic development expertise to help turn potential into progress—take projects from idea to impact—by evaluating feasibility and identifying capital opportunities to guide projects from pre-development through construction.
Our integrated approach connects the 5 Stages of Catalytic Community Development to move real estate projects forward and create enduring value for the communities it serves.
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The organization shapes the vision, the community need, and the impact it wants to create.
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Assess the Operations Budget
Define the Project Parameters
Identify the Critical Next Steps
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Identify Funding Sources
Assess Debt Service Capacity
Determine the Project Budget
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Define the Search Area
Estimate the Project Budget
Identify the Right Project Site
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Secure Financial Sources
Conduct Site Due Diligence
Solicit Bids for the Core Team
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Obtain Construction Permits
Confirm Project Budget
Set Construction Schedule
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The organization opens its doors and runs the asset for lasting community impact.
Our Clients & Representative Projects
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Dion's Chicago Dream: Dreamville Campus
Client Name: Dion’s Chicago Dream
Community Area: Englewood – Chicago, IL
Social Impact Category: Food Insecurity
Project Budget: $3M
Project Square Footage: 20,000 SF
Our Role: Site Selection, Pre-Development, Capital Strategy and Management, Owner’s Representation
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Black Girls Dance: Full Circle Performing Arts
Client Name: Black Girls Dance
Community Area: South Chicago – Chicago, IL
Social Impact Category: Arts & Culture
Project Budget: $2.6M
Project Square Footage: 18,000 SF
Our Role: Site Selection, Pre-Development, Capital Strategy and Management, Owner’s Representation
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It Takes A Village (ITAV): Bronzeville Campus
Client Name: It Takes A Village (ITAV) Family of Schools
Community Area: Bronzeville – Chicago, IL
Social Impact Category: Education
Project Budget: $2M
Project Square Footage: 400,000 SF
Our Role: Pre-Development, Capital Strategy, Owner’s Representation
*served as internal Director of Real Estate, prior to Baptise Pointe
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Leave No Veteran Behind: South Shore HQ
Client Name: Leave No Veteran Behind
Community Area: South Chicago – Chicago, IL
Social Impact Category: Social Services
Project Budget: $2.5M
Project Square Footage: 8,000 SF
Our Role: Pre-Development, Capital Strategy and Management, Owner’s Representation
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Bethel New Life: Mildred Wiley Wellness Hub
Client Name: Bethel New Life
Community Area: Austin – Chicago, IL
Social Impact Category: Housing & Sustainability
Project Budget: $3M
Project Square Footage: 6,250 SF
Our Role: Owner’s Representation
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Elite Striders Drill Team: Performing Arts Center
Client Name: Elite Striders Drill Team
Community Area: Waukegan, IL
Social Impact Category: Arts & Culture
Project Budget: $1.5M
Project Square Footage: 11,271 SF
Our Role: Capital Strategy and Management, Owner’s Representation
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Girls Inc. of Chicago: Strong - Bold - Beautiful
Client Name: Girls Inc. of Chicago
Community Area: Washington Park – Chicago, IL
Social Impact Category: Social Services
Project Budget: $3.5M
Project Square Footage: 25,000 SF
Our Role: Site Selection, Pre-Development, Capital Strategy and Management, Owner’s Representation
our leadership
Kenneth Gilkes Jr., MPA, MSRE
Kenneth Gilkes Jr. is a real estate and public administration executive with expertise in economic development, project management, and strategic planning. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director of the Cook County Land Bank, where he oversaw planning, acquisition, and disposition and led his team to a 7% increase in sales. Before that, as Director of Real Estate and Economic Development at Community Education Network (ITAV Development), he led the acquisition of a 400,000-square-foot school campus and managed housing development projects in distressed communities. Earlier in his career at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), he negotiated more than $500 million in economic incentives for clients.
Mr. Gilkes holds a Master of Science in Real Estate from Roosevelt University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a licensed real estate broker and a former adjunct professor at Roosevelt University. He is also a member of Lambda Alpha International, the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and ICSC.
Bring your next opportunity into focus.
Baptiste Pointe partners with owners, investors, and institutions to turn catalytic community development ideas into lasting community impact.