Fundraising Kicked into High Gear for School Street Park

Cost estimates for what will soon be Lake View’s largest playlot are coming in higher than expected, so organizers behind making the park a reality are kicking fundraising efforts into high gear.

This comes after the School Street Playlot Advisory Council held a public design meeting Nov. 15, followed by a meeting with the Chicago Cubs. The team has pledged $750,000 to pay for construction costs, but Cubs’ architect and Lake View resident Steve Weiss said some things looked over budget.

“He expressed some concerns about the cost for the amount of equipment in our current design, but overall thought we had a makings of a great community park,” said the council’s president, Jackie Earley. “He is working closely with the playground equipment company to get a true cost for the equipment and customization we'd like, and from there we will discuss either increasing our fundraising efforts or scaling back the design.”

• PHOTOS: School Street Playlot Gets New Designs for Construction

So in order to meet community expectations, Earley and her team are revving up their fundraising efforts. One anonymous local family has even pledged to match every the donation that comes with brick purchased through the organization’s “Brick-by-Brick” program up to $10,000.

The fundraising bricks start at just $150. 

And that’s just the beginning. The School Street Playlot Council says $15 will be donated for every tree purchased from City Tree Delivery, or from their lot in front of Big Star in Bucktown. People just need to use the promo code SCHOOLPARK online or mention the School Street Playlot to ensure the donation is recorded. 

Perchance Boutique at 3510 N. Southport also paired with the organization, planning a sale on Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. where shoppers get 10 percent off their purchase. In turn, an additional 10 percent of the sale goes toward funding the playlot.

And lastly, Earley and her team will be at the Southport Holiday Stroll event on Dec. 7 doing a “Photo with Santa Fundraiser” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Sheil Park. For a suggested $10 donation, families get a professional digital photo, similar to their event at the Southport Halloween event.

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, with Earley says her team working toward a groundbreaking in the spring of 2013.

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