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| "Hortus in Urbe" translates to "Garden in a City" |
Take a look at the Chicago Park District's 2011 - 2015 Capital Projects Construction Plan. I read through the 40 page document and found just a couple of minor restoration projects listed for 41st Ward parks. No major renovations or new green spaces. Interesting.
Here is the link to the report:
http://www.cpdit01.com/resources/capital-construction.cip/general-information/2011%20-%202015%20Capital%20Improvement%20Plan.pdf
There have been significant increases in population numbers, especially for children ages 0 - 18 over the last decade, within the 41st Ward. Has park space been expanded or improved? Have extra park programs been added?
How about a long overdue indoor or outdoor ice rink for the 41st ward? The nearest Chicago Park District indoor ice rink is located at California and Addison, McFetridge Park (the only indoor ice rink for the entire North Side of Chicago), about seven miles away.
How about martial arts, dance, art and music programs through the Chicago Park District for the 41st Ward? Why do families living in the 41st ward have to pay for recreational & sports programs privately? Take a look at some of our neighboring suburban park districts and the phenomenal park programing they have available for children... and families in surrounding suburbs are paying the same or less for public park services.
Send comments and ideas...
http://youtu.be/dwazhCRVMcg
ReplyDeleteTake a look at this You Tube video of John McDonough, President of the Chicago Black Hawks, on the day he brought the Stanley Cup to Brooks Park (near Harlem & Touhy). The other day, I heard John McDonough say the proudest moment of his career was bringing the CUP back to Brooks Park and the neighborhood he grew up in. To bad there isn't an ice rink for the kids in the neighborhood...so many of the kids I know want to skate and play like one of the Hawks, their home town heros.
With all due respect to the blogger - Are you really serious?!
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be suggesting: major renovations to existing parks, purchasing of new green spaces, creation of extra park programs, construction of a new ice rink. In this economy?!
How precisely would you fund any of these initiatives at this particular moment in time?
You seem to be trying to "fix" a problem that frankly "isn't broken" strictly speaking.
I read last weeks Chicago Tribune article about how over half of the 77 communities in Chicago are "park poor" or could be referred to as "park deserts". The article said there should be 2 acres of open space for every 1000 people. The open space shortages mainly exist for "in-land" communities, rather than shore/beach land communities.
ReplyDeleteDaley went millions over budget on creating Millenium Park (Billenium Park as John Kass calls it), and no one stopped him, even though communities like ours have had no park upgrades in decades.
If you look at your property tax bill, a significant sum of money does go to the Chicago Park District. What have we gotten in return for our park district property tax dollars in the 41st?
1:27pm - take a look at the report in the post. There are millions of dollars set aside for capital projects through 2015. For this ward to not be included in at least one major project for the next four years seems odd to me, especially with more people moving into the community - usually that means more property tax dollars going into the city budget. Nothing wring with advocating for our fair share of the EXISTING budgeted dollars for park upgrades in the 41st ward.
ReplyDelete@1:27pm... I'm asking some questions after looking at the four year Chicago Park District Capital Projects report ~ not trying to fix anything.
ReplyDeleteReports like these have only recently become available. I think citizens should be able to access reports like this one and ask questions about how our tax dollars are spent.
Moreover, we should be able to make suggestions about how we want our park district tax dollars spent.
Like you, I am acutely aware of the economic climate ~ and the need for our tax dollars to be spent fairly and wisely.
I just wanted to take a minute to point out the new adaptive sports and dance program at Norwood Park. I view this as a much needed and valuable upgrade to the park and I thank the alderman for the role she had in its implementation!
ReplyDeleteApproximately 59,000 people live in the 41st Ward. So, it has been established that we need 2 acres of open space/1000 residents = 118 acres of open space in the 41st Ward.
ReplyDeleteThere are 2.24 acres of land in one city block.
For the 41st Ward then, we should have approximately 53 city blocks worth of open space dedicated as city park land.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-09/news/ct-met-openspace-problems-20111009_1_park-poor-areas-rogers-park-open-space
ReplyDeleteChicago Tribune Article
I just looked at the report, and I'm wondering if the 41st ward even exists.
ReplyDelete11 parks & playlots in all of 60631
ReplyDelete3 parks & playlots in all of 60656
I would like to see the # of tax dollars collected from the 41st ward and the # of dollars spent on the 41st ward by the city.
ReplyDeleteThe Chicago Park District is a Joke. Managed by layers and layers of management.
ReplyDeleteIm waiting for Rahm to start dismantling it. The way he's going it should be soon. Good
Ex. Brooks Park resods the field in 2010 but doesn't touch the kids playground equipment. The field looks exactly like it did before it was sodded. Waste of probably $30,000
If you want an ice rink there is an open rink in Park Ridge at Cumberland and Devon.
My kid played on a suburban baseball team this summer, and I was completely impressed with all the suburban parks and fields he played on. Can't say the same for the parks near here. They look unkept and shoddy in comparison
ReplyDeleteI went to the Wildwood aldermanic forum last Spring and listened to the candidates talk about park upgrades, including Mary O'Connor. Everyone seemed to think at the time, we needed more, parks, upgraded parks and more programming. I guess it was all election time rhetoric, though.
ReplyDeleteI could not disagree with 1:27 more. The Blogger is spot on. We need all the mentioned improvements, especially the ice rink. We generate far more tax revenue than the Riis Park area, yet they have had an ice rink for years.
ReplyDeleteWe in the 41st already pay more than our share to fund such improvements. And there would be even more cash for Park improvements if we did not have car dealerships taking 6 million in TIF cash, or the Mercantile Exchange spending 15 million of our tax money on their bathroom.
That is "how precisely" we would fund these initiatives, 1:27, by demanding a refund of these TIF dollars. And tax the rich.
I think 1:27pm thinks we are all here to pay property taxes to fund projects all over the city - everywhere but here.
ReplyDeleteIts going to be a long 3.5 years. Time to start looking for a new alderman.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the blogger, time to take a serious look at the parks. Nothing new in decades and nothing appealing about them either
ReplyDeleteI looked at the report. Who determines where park money goes? Because it sure isn't going here.
ReplyDeleteIf we have to use suburban parks, as suggested above for skating, maybe we should pay them through our proerty taxes and skip paying the city. Why should we pay the city if we aren't getting anything for our dollars.
ReplyDeleteSpasato and Arena are questioning the budget. Good for them. At least they aren't just going along. Their peps say no to libary cuts and increase sticker cost and Arena and Spasato speak out for them. It looks like they are going to be good for their wards.
ReplyDeleteI have lived here for 22 years and haven't seen any new park ANYTHING. I sent my kids to suburban sports programs and they used suburban ice rinks (Park Ridge, Niles and Skokie).
ReplyDeleteNo way the 41st has 53 city blocks of park space
ReplyDeleteAlderman O'Connor has been extremely helpful to the organizations who are trying to fundraise for a new playlot in Edison Park. Visit www.edisonpark.com to sign the online petition and for more info. BTW the Park District just denied a plaque for Monument Park in memory of veteran and community activist Jim DelMedico.
ReplyDeleteThanks, 3:28pm. There is a separate post about the Edison Park Fieldhouse Playlot, posted earlier today... if you go to the post, the on-line petition is embedded there, too.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is outrageous that Jim DelMedico would be denied this honor. This is what the alderman should be extremely helpful on. Why name a park after a corporate head who is still living over a veteran that gave SO much to this community. I would take the figth for DelMedico to the public if I were the alderman. He was a true role model. He was working in our community every day, to help seniors, vetarns and children. I don't see the Black Hawks leader out there doing that!
ReplyDeleteRaising money from the private sector and acting as a partner with the park district is the thing of the future. Edison Park Athletic assn, Oriole Park baseball and Oriole Park youth council are great examples. Edison youth after years of neglect to Olympia Park this past year spent a lot of money fixing up the diamonds in the park and they look and play great. Oriole Park baseball diamonds are incredible. Edison Park teams got to play at Oriole this past summer and their diamonds are incredible all maintained by the baseball league from what I am told. Grass infield lights all paid for with money raised by the programs and help from local alderman and senators and business. Oriole Parks Gym was just redone on grants obtained by the Oriole Park youth council. Dont just sit and complain, get involved. There are grants out there as Edison Park school is installing a new track and athletic area all paid for by a grant from Nike. Become involved in your community park and claim it from the city as Edison Park Athletic did. Dont believe me go check out the fields at Olympia. Alderman Doherty was a big advocate and Mrs Oconnor from what I hear has been very supportive. Private money and fundraising is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteI'm a professional grant writer and development director, and I know how privately funding gov't entities work. They work for small, one- time projects, but not for much else. And with the economy tanked most corporations that used to fund park projects are pulling back or have cut funding to very small grants. Most corp grants are one time grants and you need to come up with a sustainability plan to get them.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to burst your bubble,but these days, you can't count on grants. Fundraising has dried up too. It just a reality these days.
Not to burst your bubble but Edison school is doing it now and Oriole Park did it last year. How did they get it done. The grants are there and the comunnity money is there you just have to work for it. Even if a one time project its still worth it. Cant deny that
ReplyDeleteLots of bubble bursting going on: Money from NIKE to fund the basic upkeep of parks? No thanks. I'd rather NIKE pay their damn taxes, instead of offshoring to avoid paying. And while they are at it, NIKE should quit using child labor to make their ugly shoes.
ReplyDeleteBuy New Balance shoes with Made in USA tag. Tell your kid why it matters that their shoes are not made by other kids in overseas sweatshops.
The city should be MATCHING your private grants dollar for dollar to reward communities who go through all the hard work of applying for grants.
ReplyDeleteThe city should not depend on middle class people to fund public parks, while other parts of the city take our tax dollars like millenium park.
Even the boathouse project is being matched in a 50/50 public/private partnership with WSB Gaming who want our city's casino business.
Don't let the park District take advantage of your hard work. Make them pay too.
The Chicago Park District budget is loaded with people who are patronage. They need to go. As for private funding - its not a way to sustain a park. Once the money is spent, there isn't money budgeted to do the upkeep, and it looks terrible a few years later. We pay to have the few parks we have maintained. Why aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad edison park and oriole park received private money for a field up-do and lights. But what about the kids who don't play baseball? Are we funding parks to be sports specific? Thats not the intention of the public parks - supposed to be used by everyone. For the dollars collected from property taxpayers in the ward, we should have astro-turf in every park and a brand new ice rink.
ReplyDelete