April 17, 2014

Mayor Emanuel, Chicago Park District to Rehab, Build 103 Playgrounds this Year

Playground Groundbreakings Held at Lindblom Park, Murray Park and Kucinski-Murphy Park

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Park District General Superintendent Michael P. Kelly, Friends of the Park officials and community members broke ground today to build new playgrounds at Lindblom Park, Murray Park and Kucinski-Murphy Park. These three playgrounds are part of the 103 neighborhood playgrounds that will be refurbished or built across the City in 2014.

"Not only are we making significant investments in safe places for our children to play, we're actually ahead of schedule and will be halfway to our five-year goal in just two years," said Mayor Emanuel. "Whether it's creating the largest bike-sharing program in the country, the largest rails-to-trails conversion in the world or ensuring that every child in Chicago is within a 10 minute walk of a park or playground, we are investing to create a quality of life that is unmatched."

Chicago Plays! playground renovation program was launched last Spring by Mayor Emanuel, who announced that over the next five years, the Chicago Park District will rebuild, repair and/or refurbish 325 playgrounds in communities across Chicago. Last year, 50 playgrounds were rehabilitated through the program. Additionally, 11 soft surface playgrounds were rehabbed by the Park District. In order to prioritize equipment replacement, the Chicago Park District worked with Friends of the Park to seek community input to determine which playgrounds were in greatest need of repair.

"Mayor Emanuel's Chicago Plays! program was developed to insure that families across the city can access colorful and inviting playgrounds," said Michael Kelly, Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO. "We are pleased to be able to renovate more playgrounds and impact more communities than expected this year."

In 2014, 92 playgrounds will be refurbished through the Chicago Plays! program and an additional 11 soft surface playgrounds will be rehabbed. Groundbreakings will continue throughout the year and playgrounds will be completed between June and November.

Mayor Emanuel also announced today that Lindblom Park will receive a new turf track and field with the help of a $2 million investment from TIF funding. In addition to building a community asset, the facility will benefit Lindblom High School athletes.
The program invests approximately $125,000 in new playground equipment at each park location for a total program cost of $37,500,000, providing a broad investment in capital projects throughout the City.

The Park District is planning on refurbishing or building playgrounds at the following parks:

Note: An asterisk is marked next to soft surface playgrounds not funded by Chicago Plays!

Anderson (Louis) Park, 3748 S. Prairie Ave
Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St
Baraga (Frederick) Park, 2440 S. Leavitt St.
Barnard (Erastus) Park, 10441 S. Longwood Dr.
Bradley (Josephine) Park, 9729 S. Yates Ave.
Brooks (Oscar) Park, 7100 N. Harlem Ave.
Brown (Sidney) Memorial Park, 644 E. 86th St.
Brynford Park, 5640 N. Pulaski Rd.
Burnside (Ambrose) Park, 9400 S. Greenwood Ave.
Carpenter (Philo) Park, 6155 S. Carpenter St.
Carver (George Washington) Park, 880 E. 132nd St.
Central Park, 721 N. Central Park Ave.
Chippewa Park, 6758 N. Sacramento Ave.
Chopin (Frederic) Park, 3420 N. Long Ave.
Christiana Park, 1533 S. Christiana Ave.
Clark (John) Park, 4615 W. Jackson Blvd.
*Cornell (Paul) Square Park , 1809 W. 50th St.
Cosme (Margaret) Park, 2100 W. 91st St.
Cragin Park, 2611 N. Lockwood Ave.
Davis (Dr. Nathan) Square Park, 4430 S. Marshfield Ave
Davis (Margaret) Park, 5427 W. Division St.
Dawes (Charles G) Park, 8040 S. Damen Ave.
DeGeorge (Bernice) Park, 4905 W. Wabansia Ave.
DeJulio (Anthony) Park, 6056 N. Landers Ave.
Dixon (Lorraine) Park, 8701 S. Dauphin Ave.
Douglas (Stephen) Park, 1820 S. Farrar Dr.
Drexel (Francis) Park, 6931 S. Damen Ave.
Durkin (Martin) Park, 8441 S. Kolin Ave
*Eckhart (Bernard) Park , 1330 W. Chicago Ave.
Edison (Thomas Alva) Park, 6755 N Northwest Hwy
Edmonds (Molly) Park, 711 W. 60th Pl.
*Flower (Lucy) Park, 2550 W. Moffat St.
*Goudy (William) Square Park, 1255 N. Astor St.
Grand Park, 3531 W. Grand Ave.
Grandparents' Park, 5445 N. Chester Ave.
*Grant (Ulysses) Park , 331 E. Randolph St.
Green (Jeffery) Park, 6500 N. Algonquin Ave.
Green Briar Park, 2650 W. Peterson Ave.
Hamlin (Hannibal) Park, 3035 N. Hoyne Ave.
*Hiawatha Park, 8029 W. Forest Preserve Ave.
Hollywood Park, 3312 W. Thorndale Ave.
Hoyne (Thomas) Park, 3417 S. Hamilton Ave.
Humboldt (Baron Von) Park, 1300 N. California Ave.
Jackson (Andrew) Park, 6375 S. Stony Island Ave.
Jackson (Andrew) Park, 1625 E. 56th St.
Kells (George) Park, 3201 W. Chicago Ave.
Kelvyn (William) Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood Ave.
Kennicott (Jonathan) Park, 4434 S. Lake Park Ave.
Ken-Well Park, 2945 N. Kenosha Ave.
Kucinski-Murphy (Vicki, Rosebeth) Park, 1635 W. 33rd Pl.
Lamb (Harold) Park, 1400 W. 109th St.
Lazarus (Emma) Park, 1257 W. Columbia Ave.
Lee (John) Park, 3700 W. 87th St.
Legion Park, 3000 W. Catalpa Ave.
Lerner (Leo) Park, 7000 N. Sacramento Ave.
Lincoln (Abraham) Park, 929 W. Hollywood Ave.
Lindblom (Robert) Park, 6054 S. Damen Ave.
Lowe (Samuel) Park, 5203 S. Lowe Ave.
Lunt (Orrington, Stephen) Park, 2239 W. Lunt Ave.
Mason (Elizabeth) Park, 4100 W. West End Ave.
Matanky (Eugene) Park, 6937 N. Ridge Blvd.
McKeon (Joseph) Park, 600 W. 36th St.
McKinley (William) Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd.
Merrill (George) Park, 2131 E. 96th St.
Miller (Samuel) Park, 848 S. Miller St.
Montgomery (Mabel) Park, 2632 W. 66th St.
Monticello Park, 1814 N. Monticello Ave.
Monument Park, 6700 N. Avondale Ave.
Morgan (Thomas Leeds) Field, 11710 S. Morgan St.
Murray (David) Park, 1743 W. 73rd St.
Ogden (William) Park, 1300 W. 64th St.
Oriole Park, 5430 N. Wolcott Ave.
Palmer (Potter) Park, 200 E. 111th St.
*Park 553, 2800 S. Sacramento
*Park 574, 2540 W. Jackson
Park No. 520, 916-20 N. Honore St.
Park-View Park, 3823 W. School St.
Paschen (Christian) Park, 1932 W. Lunt Ave.
Pine Park, 9507 S. Oglesby Ave.
*Pleasant Point Park, 6813 W. Imlay St.
Railroad Junction Park, 7334 S. Maryland Ave.
*Riis (Jacob) Park, 6120 W. Fullerton Ave.
Roberts (Daniel) Square Park, 5230 W. Argyle St.
*Robinson (Jackie) Park, 10540 S. Morgan St.
Rogers (Phillip) Park, 7345 N. Washtenaw Ave.
Ronan (George) Park, 3000 W. Argyle St.
Schaefer (Edward) Park, 2415 N. Marshfield Ave.
Simons (Almira) Park, 1640 N. Drake Ave.
Smith (Wendell) Park, 9912 S. Princeton Ave.
Snapping Turtle Park, 540 N. Albany Ave.
Snowberry Park, 1855 W. Huron St.
Strohacker (Howard) Park, 4347 W. 54th St.
Summerdale Park, 7262 W. Summerdale Ave.
Superior Park, 2101 W. Superior St.
Sweet Clover Park, 650 N. Leamington Ave.
Sycamore Park, 5109 S. Greenwood Ave.
The Grove Park, 8421 S. Morgan St.
Throop (Amos Gager) Park, 1811 S. Throop St.
Thuis (Grace Zwiefka) Park, 4759 Lavergne Ave.
Warren (Laurence) Park, 6650 N. Claremont Ave.
Western Park, 907 N. Western Ave.
White (Edward) Park, 1120 W. 122nd St.
Wieboldt (William) Park, 1747 W. Nelson St.

This program compliments the major announcements the Mayor has previously made regarding parks, including a comprehensive plan to build and improve parks throughout the city so that every Chicagoan is within a ten minute walk of a park.

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For more information about the Chicago Park District's more than 8,100 acres of parkland, more than 580 parks, 26 miles of lakefront, nine museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, nearly 50 nature areas, thousands of special events, sports and entertaining programs, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or contact the Chicago Park District at 312.742.PLAY or 312.747.2001 (TTY). Want to share your talent? Volunteer in the parks by calling, 312.742.PLAY.