West Lakeview Community Excited to See Green with New Park

West Lakeview residents will be granted their nearly decade-long wish of having a park built in their community when a .9 acre lot opens up this summer at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Addison Street.

 “It has been a long road and a lot of talk,” said Stacey Paradis, vice president of the West Lakeview Neighbors . She has been campaigning to get the park built in response to complaints that the North Side area lacks parks and green space.“Size wise, it is a small park, but it’s in a prominent area,” said Paradis. The Addison Brown Line el station is just around the corner.

The neighborhood has a few “pocket parks” that are small and easy to maintain such as Merryman Park, located nearly half a mile away. However, that space is less than one-fifth an acre.

According to a Chicago Park District design, the triangular shaped land will contain two separate play structures, a set of swings and new landscaping including large shade and evergreen trees.

One of the play structures will be geared toward children ages 1 to 5 and the other for children ages 5 to 11, said Paradis. There will be a regular set of swings, a set for infants and one swing that will comply with standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Old resale shops used to sit on the proposed site. After they were knocked down the area needed to be environmentally cleaned, said former 32nd Ward Ald. Ted Matlak, who played a large role in moving the park's development forward while he was in office. After the land was cleaned, the City of Chicago donated it to the park district. That was two or three years ago, said Matlak, who was defeated in 2007 by opponent Scott Waguespack.

“My goal when I was alderman was to get as much park space as possible,” said Matlak. He added around four acres of park space to the ward during his time in office.

Including the cost of cleaning, the park has cost around $2 million to this point, according to Matlak.

Local businesses, including Dinkel’s Bakery, 3329 N. Lincoln Ave., have donated money to help build the park, said Paradis.

The bakery gave $1,000 because they believe the park will bring a much needed green space to the area, said Norm Dinkel, third generation owner of the family bakery. Dinkel said his late father the former owner of the bakery, always thought there weren’t enough parks in the neighborhood.

Dinkel called the intersection the “gateway to the Lincoln Avenue shopping” and said it has been an eyesore for years. He hopes it will get people outside and walking around more.

“I want kids running around instead of sitting in front of the computer,” he said.

The Lakeview Chamber of Commerce will be donating as much as $3,500 to purchase one of the play structures for the park, said Executive Director Heather Way.

“We realize the importance of giving back to the community,” Way said, adding that residents will be happy to see something else there other than “horrible” resale shops.

The West Lakeview Neighbors have also been fundraising with a “Park Paver Campaign,” selling bricks for $50 and $100 which will be laid at the entrance of the park, said Paradis.

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said the park district is planning on laying sod and making improvements to the park area in April.

Paradis said the park is scheduled to be complete by June or July.

“We’re very excited. Everybody knows it will be a great asset to the community,” Paradis said.