Established in 1979 as a community development corporation, East Liberty Development now refers to itself as a “community based organization” to emphasize its focus not just on physical development projects, but also on neighborhood planning, advocacy, investment, and partnerships. Its 2010 achievements include the release of an updated community plan, the redevelopment of several vacant lots into a play yard, and an $800,000 below-market rate loan to support the development of a large national retail chain which agreed to green building practices, local hiring preferences during construction, and permanent in-store jobs. ELDI plans to use the loan repayments to fund the marketing and promotion of the East Liberty business district, an area that includes small businesses.