MAYOR EMANUEL, CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT CELEBRATE COMPLETION OF 150TH PLAYGROUND OF CHICAGO PLAYS! PROGRAM
Ribbon cut on 100th playground completed in 2014, 50 playgrounds completed in 2013
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Alderman Will Burns, Chicago Park District General Superintendent Michael Kelly and members of the Hyde Park community today hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on the new playground at Sycamore Park in Hyde Park. The Sycamore Park playground was last updated in 1991.
“We are celebrating a great milestone for the City today. Not only is this the 100th playground that has been rebuilt or rehabbed this year, it is the 150th playground to be completed as part of the Chicago Plays! program,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Playgrounds are where communities come together, friendships are formed and where the social fabric of a neighborhood is woven together; this program is a great example of how we are investing in every child in every community.”
The Chicago Plays! playground renovation program was launched in the spring of 2013 by Mayor Emanuel, who announced that the Park District would rebuild, repair and/or refurbish 325 playgrounds in communities across Chicago over five years. This playground is the 100th to be completed this year as part of the program; last year, 50 playgrounds were completed as part of the program. At 150 playgrounds completed to date over two years, the City is one third of the way to its five year goal in just two years.
“It give me great pleasure to celebrate this exciting milestone. Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays program builds strong communities, and strong communities build a strong Chicago,” said Superintendent Kelly. “On behalf of the Chicago Park District, we thank the mayor for his leadership on this initiative.”
Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! 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 Chicago Park District partnered with Friends of the Park to seek community input to prioritize locations.
To date this year, 100 playgrounds at the following parks have been completed through Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! program:
Anderson Park, 3748 S Prairie Ave
Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W Lake St
Baraga Park, 2440 S Leavitt St
Barnard Park, 10441 S Longwood Dr
Bradley Park, 9729 S Yates Ave
Brooks, Oscar Park, 7100 N Harlem Ave
Brown Memorial Park, 644 E 86th St
Brynford Park, 5640 N Pulaski Rd
Burnside Park, 9400 S Greenwood Ave
Carpenter (Philo) Park, 6155 S Carpenter St
Carver (George Washington) Park, 13320 S. Dobson
Central Park, 721 N Central Park Ave
Chippewa Park, 6758 N Sacramento Ave
Chopin Park, 3420 N Long Ave
Christiana Park, 1533 S Christiana Ave
Clark (John) Park, 4615 W Jackson Blvd
Cornell Square Park, 1809 W. 50th St
Cosme Park, 2100 W 91st St
Cragin Park, 2611 N Lockwood Ave
Davis Square Park, 4430 S Marshfield Ave
Davis (Margaret) Park, 5427 W Division St
Dawes (Charles G.) Park, 8040 S Damen Ave
De George Park, 4905 W Wabansia Ave
De Julio Park, 6056 N Landers Ave
D’Elia Park, 6340 N Lakewood Ave
Douglas (Stephen) Park,1820 S Farrar Dr
Drexel Park, 6931 S Damen Ave
Durkin (Martin) Park, 8441 S Kolin Ave
Eckhart Park, 1330 W Chicago Ave
Edmonds (Molly) Park, 711 W 60th Pl
Flowers (Lucy) Park, 2554 W Moffit St
Goudy Square Park, 1255 N Astor
Grand Park, 3531 W Grand Ave
Grandparents Park, 5445 N Chester Ave
Green Briar Park, 2650 W Peterson Ave
Green (Jeff) Park, 6500 N Algonquin Ave
Hiawatha Park, 8029 W Forest Preserve Ave
Hollywood Park, 3312 W Thorndale Ave
Hoyne Park, 3417 S Hamilton Ave
Humbert (James) Park, 632 W 31st ST
Humboldt (Baron Von) Park, 3025 W Augusta Blvd
Jackson Park (64th and Stony) 6375 S Stony Island Ave
Jackson (Chrysalsis) Park, 1625 E 56th St
Kells Park, 3201 W Chicago Ave
Kelvyn Park, 4438 W Wrightwood Ave
Kennicott Park, 4434 S Lake Park Ave
Ken-Well Park, 2945 N Kenosha Ave
Kucincski and Murphy Park, 1635 W 33rd Pl
Lamb Park, 1400 W 109th St
Lazarus Park, 1257 W Columbia Ave
Lee Park, 3700 W 87th St
Legion Park, 3050 W Hollywood Ave
Legion-Catalpa Park, 3000 W Catalpa Ave
Lerner Park, 7000 N Sacramento Ave
Lindblom Park, 6054 S Damen Ave
Lowe Park, 5203 S Lowe Ave
Lunt Park, 2239 W Lunt Ave
Matanky Park, 6937 N Ridge Blvd
McKeon Park, 600 W 36th St
McKinley Park, 2210 W Pershing Rd
Merrill Park, 2131 E 96th St
Miller Park, 848 S Miller St
Montgomery Park, 2632 W 66th St
Monticello Park, 1814 N Monticello Ave
Monument Park, 6700 N Avondale Ave
Morgan Field Park, 11710 S Morgan St
Murray Park, 1743 W 73rd St
Ogden (William) Park, 1300 W 64th St
Olympia Park, 6566 N Avondale Ave
Oriole-North (2-5 Play) Park, 5549 N Oriole Ave
Oriole-South (5-12 Play) Park, 5430 N Olcott Ave
Palmer Park, 200 E 111th St
Park No 520, 916-20 N. Honroe St.
Park View Park, 3823 W School St
Paschen 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 Park, 6100 W Fullerton Ave
Roberts Square Park, 5230 W Argyle St
Jackie Robinson Park, 10540 S Morgan St
Rogers Park, 7345 N Washtenaw Ave
Ronan Park, 3000 W Argyle St
Simons Park, 1640 N Drake Ave
Wendell Smith 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
Superior Park, 2101 W Superior St
Sweet Clover, 650 N Leamington Ave
Sycamore Park, 5109 S Greenwood Ave
The Grove Park, 8421 S Morgan St
Throop Park, 1811 S Throop St
Thuis Park, 4759 N Lavergne Ave
Warren – Claremont Park, 6650 N Claremont Ave
Warren – Pratt Park, 2350 W Pratt Blvd
Warren – Seeley Park, 2050 W Pratt Blvd
Western Park, 907 N Western Ave
White Park, 1120 W 122nd St
Wieboldt Park, 1747 W Nelson St
Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! program underscores 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 in within a ten minute walk of a park.
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