TITLE
REQUEST TO INITIATE 45-DAY NOTICE PERIOD TO NAME PARK 567 AS DONT FRET PARK
BODY
To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District
I. Recommendation
Pursuant to Chapter VII, Section E of the Code of the Chicago Park District (the “Code”), the General Superintendent recommends that the Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District (the “Board”) approve the initiation of a forty-five (45) day notice period to solicit public input to name Park 567 Dont Fret Park.
II. Information; Authorization
Park: Park 567
Location: 1801 N Milwaukee Ave.
Community Area: Logan Square
Ward: 32
Proposed Name: Dont Fret Park
Authorization: The Board hereby authorizes and directs the Secretary to perform, or cause to be performed, all such acts to effectuate this notice of solicitation for public input for this proposed naming, including, without limitation the initiation of the forty-five (45) day notice period, the posting of the notice at the subject park’s fieldhouse (or if there is no fieldhouse in that park then at the nearest fieldhouse) and sending the notice to advisory councils of parks within a one (1) mile radius of Park 567.
III. Park Naming Procedures and Criteria for Naming of a Park
The General Superintendent or their designee (“General Superintendent”) accepts written requests to name a park. Upon receipt, such written requests are forwarded to the Secretary and designated Chicago Park District (“Park District”) staff. The designated Park District staff conduct a comprehensive review and analysis of the request to ascertain if the request meets the criteria set forth in Chapter VII, E.2 of the Code for naming a park. Park Staff then present their analysis and review to the General Superintendent.
In considering a proposed name of a park, the General Superintendent shall consider the extent of public support for, and public opposition to, the proposed name. There shall be a general presumption in favor of names reflecting historical or physical features of neighborhoods, rather than names honoring persons or organizations. If a proposed name honors a person, (i) the person shall have been deceased for a least one (1) year prior to consideration; and (ii) the person shall have demonstrated a continued commitment and made an extraordinary contribution to civic betterment, locally, nationally or internationally. If the proposed name is of an organization, the organization shall have demonstrated a continued commitment and made an extraordinary contribution to civic betterment, locally, nationally or internationally. If the proposed name is of an event, then (i) the event shall have occurred at least one year prior to consideration; and (ii) the event shall have local, national or international significance. No proposed park name shall: (i) duplicate the name of another park or park feature within the City of Chicago; (ii) endorse or advocate religion or a specific religious belief; (iii) have obscene connotations; or (iv) malevolently portray, demean or intimidate any racial or ethnic group.
Upon a finding that the criteria for naming the park has been met, the General Superintendent may make a recommendation to the Board for initiation of a notice period of at least forty-five (45) days to provide notice of and to solicit public input on the proposed naming. If the Board initiates the notice period, the General Superintendent may recommend the proposed naming of the park to the Board at the conclusion of the notice period.
IV. Explanation
In 2026 the Friends of Dont Fret, an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the late City of Chicago (“City”) artist requested in writing that the Park District name the currently unnamed Park 567 located at 1801 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, to Dont Fret Park. This naming request is supported by the Friends of Dont Fret, the Bucktown Community Organization, the Wicker Park/Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, the Wicker Park Advisory Council, and 1st Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata.
Dont Fret was born and raised in Wicker Park, where Park 567 is located, and his work championed ordinary Chicagoans, bringing into the visual sphere the spirit of the literary works of greats like Nelson Algren and Studs Terkel. Murals created by him appeared throughout the City. He achieved his first recognition at the Chicago Cultural Center’s “Chicago Street Art” show in 2013. His work was featured on the Chicago Tribune's front page in May 2014, and the Chicago Reader named him best street artist of 2015. His largest work, drawing on the legacy of the Carl Sandberg poem “City of Big Shoulders,” was a series of fifty-five (55) portraits of everyday Chicagoans titled “The People in Your Neighborhood.” This piece was exhibited on the City’s downtown river walk in 2020. Outside of the City, his work has been exhibited in cities such as New York, Denver, San Francisco, Budapest, Warsaw, London, Sao Paulo and Berlin.
Park District staff conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of the criteria for naming and presented their review and analysis to the General Superintendent. The General Superintendent considered the proposed name of the park and found that the criteria set forth in Chapter VII, Section E.2 of the Code had been met as follows: (1) the proposed naming has substantial public support; (2) Dont Fret passed away in April 2025 and thus has been deceased for at least one (1) year prior to this recommendation to the Board; and (3) through his artwork, Dont Fret has demonstrated a continued commitment and made an extraordinary contribution to civic betterment locally. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the Park District to initiate a forty-five (45) day notice period to solicit public input to name the currently unnamed park.