Title
REQUEST TO INITIATE 45-DAY NOTICE PERIOD
TO RENAME BUCKTHORN PARK IN HONOR OF HADIYA PENDLETON
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 his designee to initiate a 45-day notice period to solicit public input to rename Buckthorn Park in honor of Hadiya Pendleton.
Proposed Park: Buckthorn Park
Location: 4345 S. Calumet Ave., Chicago, IL. 60653
Community Area: 38- Grand Boulevard
Ward: #3
Proposed Name: Hadiya Pendleton Park
II. Explanation
The Chicago Park District naming and renaming procedures allow for the naming of features in parks, including playgrounds and buildings. Alderman Pat Dowell and requested that the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners name Buckthorn Park in honor of Hadiya Pendleton. This proposal has support of Alderman Pat Dowell, the Grand Boulevard community, and the Pendelton family.
In 2011, the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners approved a proposal to enlarge Buckthorn Park. This expansion project increases the small playlot from less than a quarter acre in size to a 2 acre park. The Chicago Park District hired Planning Resources Inc. to develop plans for the expansion project. Working with the Alderman Pat Dowell, community groups, and the Park District, the consultant has created a design that honors the cultural heritage of Bronzeville and includes a new playground, interactive water feature, a walking path, and fitness stations. Bronzeville's significance as a hub for music, literature, and other arts will be highlighted through features such as a "musical staff path," sculptural seating to emulate books and musical instruments, and inscriptions in planters and knee walls.
The new park is considered a fitting tribute to Chicagoan Hadiya Pendleton (1997 - 2013). An honor student at King College Prep High School, Hadiya Pendleton was killed...
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