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REQUEST TO OFFICIALLY NAME PARK 567 TO DONT FRET PARK
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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 request to officially name Park 567 to 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 General Superintendent or their designee (“General Superintendent”) to perform, or cause to be performed, all such acts, including, without limitation the placement of signs with the official name, and to execute and deliver any and all agreements, documents, instruments or certificates as the General Superintendent deems necessary, advisable or appropriate, to effectuate this official naming.
III. Park Naming Procedures
Pursuant to the Code, this request to name the park has been forwarded to the Secretary, who filed a copy of this request. Chicago Park District (“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 Dont Fret Park and found that the criteria set forth in Chapter VII, Section E.2. of the Code had been met. On September 9, 2026 the Board initiated a notice period of forty-five (45) days to solicit public input. Notices were posted at the subject park’s fieldhouse (or if there is no fieldhouse in that park, at the nearest fieldhouse) and sent to advisory councils of parks located within a one-mile radius of the park. Elected officials were also notified of the proposal, including the alderperson of the ward in which the park is located. There has been positive support for this proposal from community members, with two hundred six (206) comments in support of the name and one (1) comment in opposition. The General Superintendent recommends that the park be named Dont Fret Park.
IV. Park Naming Procedures
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 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. Among his largest works was a series of fifty-five (55) large vinyl portraits displayed along the City’s downtown riverwalk. His work was 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, nationally and internationally.
The proposed name follows the criteria set forth in Chapter VII, Section E.2. of the Code for naming a park, which states, in part, that: the General Superintendent “shall consider the extent of public support for, and public opposition to, the proposed name” and “[i]f a proposed name is of a person, then (i) the person shall have been deceased for at least one 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.” Therefore, it is in the best interest of the Park District to name Park 567 Dont Fret Park.