TITLE
REQUEST TO OFFICIALLY NAME PARK NO. 517 AS “INTERFAITH PARK”
BODY
To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District
I. Recommendation
It is recommended that an order be entered authorizing the General Superintendent or their designee to officially name Park 517 as Interfaith Park.
Proposed Park or feature: Park No. 517
Location: 5914-5924 North Sheridan Road
Community Area: Edgewater
Ward: 48
Proposed Name: Interfaith Park
II. Explanation
Park No. 517
Park 517 is a 0.65-acre property in the Edgewater Community Area of Chicago. It is proposed that the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners enter an order to authorize the General Superintendent or their designee to officially name Park 517 as Interfaith Park. This proposed name has the support of Alderperson Manaa-Hoppenworth, the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Archbishop Cupich, and State Representative Cassidy. During the 45-day notice period, the Chicago Park District received 162 comments; of which, 155 were in support of the proposed name and 7 were in opposition.
Proposed Name: Interfaith Park
Park 517 is situated diagonally from Emanuel Congregation, a Reform Judaism synagogue that has been in its present location since 1954. A long-serving rabbi, Herman Schaalman, and his wife, Lotte, were well-known in the community as well as both academic and religious circles for their work fostering interfaith dialogue and cooperation. They worked with people of all backgrounds, religions, identities, and walks of life in a commitment to inclusivity, and sought to bring people together with fairness and justice. Their leadership has been keenly influential in the Edgewater community’s actions to help refugees, the mentally ill, and the hungry poor. It is in recognition of the lasting influence of the Schaalmans and the commitment of the community to inclusivity that it is proposed to name Park 517 as Interfaith Park.
III. Park Naming Procedures
Pursuant to Chapter VII, Section E of the Code of the Chicago Park District, (the Naming Ordinance), this request to name the park feature had been forwarded to the Secretary of the Chicago Park District, who filed a copy of this request and initiated a notice period to solicit public input. Notices were posted in parks and sent to advisory councils located within a one-mile radius of the park site. Elected officials were also notified of the proposal, including the alderperson of the ward in which the park is located. The notice period of forty-five (45) days soliciting public input regarding the naming proposal was initiated on July 10, 2024. There has been positive support for this proposal from community members, with 155 comments in support of the name and 7 in opposition. Staff recommends that Park No. 517 be named Interfaith Park.