The North Side’s newest public nature preserve will be improved with walking trails, scenic overlooks, and environmental upgrades through a $700,000 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan approved today by City Council.

The wooded, 21-acre site on the 5900 block of North Western Avenue in Lincoln Square was acquired by the City from Rosehill Cemetery in 2011. Characterized by rolling topography and deciduous trees, its central feature is a seven-acre pond. Fencing, new entrances, and other enhancements are also planned for the site.

“Having been inaccessible for many years, the site will finally be opened for public appreciation,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. “The improvements will make it a destination point for the entire North Side.”

The TIF assistance will help finance the preserve’s $3.5 million development cost. The balance is being funded by a federal grant.

Never developed for cemetery purposes, the property will eventually be transferred to the Chicago Park District.

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