Title
REQUEST TO OFFICIALLY NAME PARK NO. 581 AS THE PRAIRIE 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 his designee to officially name Park No. 581 as The Prairie Park.
Proposed Park or feature: Park No. 581
Location: 11625 South Oakley Avenue
Community Area: Morgan Park
Ward: 19
Proposed Name: The Prairie Park
II. Explanation
Park No. 581
The Chicago Park District assigns an official park number to every property. In some instances, parks attain names that are well-known within their communities, even when the sites have never been officially named by the Chicago Park District. Occasionally, these parks have signage with those names or are listed in various maps as such. In order to avoid confusion, it is proposed that the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners initiate the 45-day notice period to solicit public input to name Park No. 581 as The Prairie Park. This proposal has the support of Alderman O’Shea, the Park Advisory Council, the Beverly Area Planning Association, the Southwest Morgan Park Civic Association, and local residents.
Proposed Name: The Prairie Park
Park No. 581 is an 8.74-acre property in the Morgan Park Community Area of Chicago. For many decades, there were few houses in the area, leading locals to refer to the space as “the prairie.” Even though the space does not fit the technical definition of a prairie, a strong sense of community familiarity with “the prairie” remains, as many families have stayed in the neighborhood through successive generations. The land was originally owned by the Board of Education. When ownership was transferred to the Chicago Park District in 2016, the official number assigned was Park No. 581. However, many in the community continue to know this passive green space nestled in the neighborhood as The Prairie 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 with the Committee on Programs and Recreation 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 alderman 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 December 13, 2023. There has been positive support for this proposal from community members, and only one anonymous opposition letter has been received. Staff recommends that Park No. 581 be named The Prairie Park.