McKinley Park News - About the McKinley Park Neighborhood Plan

The cover of the McKinley Park Neighborhood Plan shows the neighborhood's distinctive clocktower landmark and lagoon.The McKinley Park Neighborhood Plan is a Local Technical Assistance project of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) won in 2017 by the McKinley Park Development Council and released in February 2021.

The neighborhood plan, the result of years of outreach, communications, coordination and planning, resulted in a downloadable PDF document comprising the neighborhood plan and its many pages of neighborhood plan information, goals and next steps. This follows an earlier Executive Summary and Existing Conditions Report for the project.

The McKinley Park News covered the process of creating and releasing the neighborhood plan from beginning to end, including:

"McKinley Park Lands Neighborhood Plan via New Development Council" — October 18, 2017
"Neighborhood Development Planning Advances at Council Meeting" — February 22, 2018
"Neighborhood Development Plan Project Set to Launch for McKinley Park" — July 12, 2018
"Neighborhood Throngs to Development Plan Launch; Council Members Elect Expanded Board" — July 19, 2018
"Development Council Advances Neighborhood Planning at Business Focus Group" — September 25, 2018
"Neighborhood Plan Advances at CMAP Workshop" — May 16, 2019
"Development Council Talks TOD, Preps Preview of Neighborhood Plan" — October 9, 2019
"Neighborhood Plan Solicits Penultimate Feedback at Development Council Meeting" — October 18, 2019
"Council Releases Draft Goals for Neighborhood Plan, Solicits Final Feedback" — October 29, 2019
"Neighborhood Plan Release Portends New Era of Development for McKinley Park" — February 13, 2021

Photo gallery from "Neighborhood Throngs to Development Plan Launch; Council Members Elect Expanded Board" shows the big turnout on July 18, 2018:

A CMAP facilitator assists workshop participants considering development concerns.
Workshop participants center their attention around a large map of the neighborhood, which each group used to highlight assets and areas of concern.
The kids table members work hard to contribute their ideas toward what they want to see in the neighborhood.
CMAP facilitator Ricardo Lopez explains the process of researching information to inform a neighborhood development plan.
National Latino Education Institute Executive Director Elba Aranda-Suh talks about the institute after being introduced by McKinley Park Development Council President John Belcik.
Lively discussion ensues at one of the workshop groups.
Workshop participants get information on the background of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning at the meeting.
Participants from a wide swath of the community attend and share their input on neighborhood development.
McKinley Park Development Council board member Samantha Belcik takes a breather during the run-up to the meeting.
Close to 100 people participate in the workshop at the National Latino Education Institute.
Illinois 2nd District State Representative Theresa Mah discusses the results of her group's breakout session.
Workshop participants discuss development concerns.

A CMAP facilitator assists workshop participants considering development concerns.

Workshop participants center their attention around a large map of the neighborhood, which each group used to highlight assets and areas of concern.

The kids table members work hard to contribute their ideas toward what they want to see in the neighborhood.

CMAP facilitator Ricardo Lopez explains the process of researching information to inform a neighborhood development plan.

National Latino Education Institute Executive Director Elba Aranda-Suh talks about the institute after being introduced by McKinley Park Development Council President John Belcik.

Lively discussion ensues at one of the workshop groups.

Workshop participants get information on the background of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning at the meeting.

Participants from a wide swath of the community attend and share their input on neighborhood development.

McKinley Park Development Council board member Samantha Belcik takes a breather during the run-up to the meeting.

Close to 100 people participate in the workshop at the National Latino Education Institute.

Illinois 2nd District State Representative Theresa Mah discusses the results of her group's breakout session.

Workshop participants discuss development concerns.

McKinley Park Neighborhood Plan contents include the below sections. N.B. The McKinley Park News has corrected typos and errata found in the original document and added editorial photos as relevant (and so noted).