Park District to rehab, build 77 playgrounds this year

Chronicle Media
Playground in Hyde Park. Photo - Adam Jones, Ph.D.

Playground in Hyde Park. Photo – Adam Jones, Ph.D.

77 playgrounds will be refurbished or built in parks across the city this year. In addition, Chicago Public Schools will build 26 playgrounds at schools that have space for a playground but don’t currently have one and will replace one existing school playground.

“Not only are we undertaking one of the most aggressive playground rehabilitation programs in the country, we’re ahead of schedule and are on track to hit our five year goal of 300 refurbished playgrounds through Chicago Plays! one year ahead of schedule,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Playgrounds provide children a place to play, parents to bond and neighbors to come together; from building new playgrounds to adding hundreds of acres of new park space, we are investing to create a quality of life for children and families that is unmatched.”

Over the next five years, the park district will rebuild, repair and/or refurbish 300 playgrounds in communities across Chicago. In 2014, 103 playgrounds were refurbished, and in 2013, 61 playgrounds were rehabilitated through the program.

“Playgrounds not only enhance the physical and cognitive development of our children, but play a significant role in bringing neighbors and communities together,” said Michael Kelly, Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO. “That is why this program is so important, and the Chicago Park District is excited to make these investments for today’s children, and future generations.”

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.

Chicago Plays! 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.

Additionally, CPS will build playgrounds at the 26 schools that have space for but do not have a playground. Currently, 397 CPS schools have at least one dedicated playground, but 47 elementary and middle schools in CPS owned or leased buildings don’t have at least one playground. Of these 47, nine don’t have enough space for a playground and 12 are 300 feet or less away from a park playground. The remaining 26 schools have space for a playground and are not close to a park playground; in addition, the playground at Solomon will be replaced with a new playground. The total cost of the CPS playgrounds is $8 million, funded through CPS Capital Funds.

In 2015, the Park District is planning on refurbishing or building playgrounds at the following parks:

Andersonville Park, 5233 N Ashland Ave.

Ashmore Park, 4807 W Gunnison St.

Beilfuss (A.W.) Park, 1725 N Springfield Ave.

Bell Park, 3020 N. Oak Park Ave.

Blackhawk, 2318 N. Lavergne Ave.

Bogan (William) Park, 3939 W. 79th St.

Buckthorn Park, 4347 S. Calumet Ave.

Burnham (Daniel) (Shore Playlot), 5400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

Calumet Park,9801 S. Avenue G

Catalpa Park, 4330 S. Kedvale Ave.

Columbus (Christopher) Park, 5793 W. Adams Blvd.

DeBow Park, 1126 E 80th St.

Dixon (Lorraine) Park, 8701 S.

Dauphin Ave. Dobson Park, 7521 S. Dobson Ave.

Douglas (Stephen) Park, 1470 S. Albany Ave.

Douglas (Stephen) Park, 1400 S. California Ave.

Dvorak (Anton)Park, 1119 W. Cullerton St.

Edison Park, 6755 N. Northwest Hwy.

Elston (Daniel) Park, 3461 N. Troy St.

Emmerson Park, 1820 W. Granville Ave.

Foster Park, 1400 W. 84th St.

Garibaldi (Giuseppi) Park, 1520 W. Polk St.

Grape Park, 2850 N. Avondale Ave.

Hale Park, 6140 S Melvina Ave.

Hartigan (David) Beach, 1040 W. Albion Ave.

Hasan Park, 6855 S. Oglesby Ave.

Houston Park, 5001 S. Cottage Grove Ave.

Howard (Ure) Beach, 1300 W. Howard St.

Humboldt (Baron Von) Park -Lagoon, 2800 W. LeMoyne Dr.

Independence Park, 3945 N. Springfield Ave.

Kensington Park, 345 E 118th St.

Keystone Park, 1655 N. Keystone Ave.

Korczak (Janusz) Park, 6156 N. Claremont Ave.

Langdon (Mary Margaret) Park, 1754 W. Albion Ave.

Le Claire Courts – Hearst Community Center, 5116 W. 44th St.

Legion Park, 3200 W. Hollywood Ave.

Legion-Thorndale Park, 3150 W. Thorndale Ave.

Leland Giants,7526 S. Lowe Ave.

Limas (Juliann Hope), 2410 S. Trumbull Ave.

Lincoln (Abraham) Park – Sheridan, 3920 N. Recreation Dr.

Lincoln (Abraham) Park, 929 W. Hollywood Ave.

Linden Park, 1139 N. Pulaski Rd.

Malus Park, 5426 S. Shields Ave.

Mann (James) Park, 3035 E. 130th St.

Maple Park, 2047 N. Spaulding Ave.

Mason Park, 4100 W. West End Ave.

Mozart Park, 2036 N. Avers Ave.

Mulberry Park, 3150 S. Robinson Ct.

Nelson (Andrew) Park, 2953 W. Nelson St.

Oakley Park, 6441 S. Oakley Ave.

Pasteur Park, 5825 S. Kostner Ave.

Periwinkle Park, 100 W. 66th St.

Pietrowski (Sylvester) Park, 9650 S. Avenue M

Pottawattomie Park, 7339 N. Rogers Ave.

Rainbow Beach Park, 2700 E. 75th St.

Rainey Park, 4350 W. 79th St.

Ravenswood Manor Park, 4626 N. Manor Ave.

Robichaux Park, 9247 S. Eggleston Ave.

Saint Louis Park, 347 N. St. Louis Ave.

Scottsdale Park, 4620 W. 83rd Pl.

Shedd (John G.) Park, 3660 W. 23rd St.

Sherman – Garfield Blvd Park, 5444 S.

Sherman Park Sherman – Racine Park, 1159 W. 54th St.

Sintic (Gregory) Park, 2835 S. Wallace St.

Spikings Farm Park, 4706 N. Pulaski Rd.

Spruce Park, 5337 S. Blackstone Ave.

Starr (Ellen Gates) Park, 2306 W. Maypole Ave.

Sun Yat-Sen Park, 300 W. 24th Pl.

Vittum (Harriet Elizabeth) Park, 5014 W. 50th St.

Vogle Park, 2100 W. Lawrence Ave.

Walnut Park, 3801 W. 45th St.

Washington – 60th Park, 550 E. 60th St.

Washington (Dinah) Park, 8215 S. Euclid Ave.

Welles (Gideon) Park, 2330 W. Montrose Ave.

West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St.

White (Willye B.) Park, 7631 N. Ashland Ave.

Wolfe Park, 3325 E. 108th St.

 

In 2015, CPS is planning on building playgrounds at the following schools:

Brighton Park, 3825 S Washtenaw Ave

Joplin, 7931 S Honore St

Cook, 8150 S Bishop St

King Elementary School, 644 W 71st St

Eberhart, 3400 W 65th Pl

Northwest, 5252 W Palmer St

Davis, N 3014 W 39th Pl

Orozco, 1940 W 18th St

Wentworth, 1340 W 71st St

Jackson, A, 1340 W Harrison St

Sheridan, 533 W 27th St

Earle, 2040 W 62nd St

Randolph, 7316 S Hoyne Ave

Claremont, 2300 W 64th St

Lavizzo,138 W 109th St

Dubois, 330 E 133rd St

Heroes, 8344 S Commercial Ave

Finkl, 2332 S Western Ave

Montefiore, 1310 S Ashland Ave

Ashburn, 8300 S St Louis Ave

Fairfield, 6201 S Fairfield Ave

Mount Vernon, 10540 S Morgan St

Hernandez, 3510 W 55th St

Madero, 3202 W 28th St

Kipp Bloom Charter Campus, 5515 S Lowe Ave

Solomon, 6206 N Hamlin Ave