Council Asks for Feedback on Biggest Park in Lake View

By the end of the week, designs will be completed for Lake View’s new School Street Park, but officials want to give neighbors the final say before moving forward.

The School Street Playlot Advisory Council is holding a public design meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Sheil Park so residents can get one last look at updated designs before they’re handed to Cubs for construction.

“We are in the process of finalizing park designs and identifying the true fundraising gap,” reads an email from the council’s president Jackie Earley. “This Thursday, we are discussing the final park designs and we are really hoping for a large turnout from the community… Our goal is to complete the designs this week and turn them over to the Cubs Architect by the end of the month!”

Sitting on four lots of land at 1230 W. School Street, the park is slated to be the largest in Lake View, besides Lincoln Park on the lakeshore. The almost 20,000-square-foot park has been one of Ald. Tom Tunney’s (44th) goals for 10 years, and its on track to soon becoming a reality.

Earley says her team is still working toward a groundbreaking in the spring of 2013, but they have a long way to go in terms of fundraising. While Tunney secured funding to purchase the land and the Cubs have pledged to pay for a majority of construction costs, the council is still tasked with raising $200,000 for extra park features.

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“We are still working towards a Spring 2013 groundbreaking, and a Fall 2013 completion date, but please know that our fundraising work is not complete,” Earley wrote. “…We have made over $10K in the past three months, but we still have a long way to go.”

Residents interested in donating to the park fund or in purchasing an engraved brick can visit the School Street Playlot’s website. The meeting at Sheil Park is located at 3505 N. Southport Ave.  

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