Community Unites to Support Play Garden

The long-underused green space just south of the McKinley Park library is due for a big overhaul — one that neighborhood kids will love. A coalition of local community groups, active neighbors and supporting institutions is coming together to build a play garden where children can climb, dig, imagine and explore while enjoying nature.

Although plans and meetings have been underway since 2016, the effort kicks into high gear this Saturday, March 25, at a gala fundraiser in Bridgeport. Held at the Co-Prosperity Sphere at 3219 S. Morgan St., the benefit starts at 7 p.m. and includes drinks and light appetizers. Tickets for this 21-and-over event cost $25 and are available to purchase online at the event's online signup page.

The garden's play features are designed to appeal to children.McKinley Park resident Katie Flores is one of the key organizers for this effort. She's rallied other neighbors to help and has received support from neighborhood groups and institutions, including the McKinley Park Advisory Council, the McKinley Park Community Garden, the Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center, Montessori Foundations of Chicago and the offices of 2nd District State Representative Theresa Mah and 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas.

"We hope to provide kids with the chance to get their feet wet and their hands dirty, to use sticks and stumps to build the forts of their daydreams, and to create their own lasting nature memories," Flores said. NeighborSpace, a Chicago-based, non-profit land trust, owns the property at 3518-28 S. Wolcott Ave. and is an active partner in the play garden plans and fund raising.

When complete, the garden is envisioned to offer all kinds of outdoor play for kids and spaces where neighbors can connect. A play stage will be centered in the space, letting kids entertain themselves and their parents and offering a location for area schools and community groups to gather for performances. A forest climbing path will circle the garden, leading to a multi-level fortress topped by a bat house and flagpole. A mud kitchen and shipwreck gravel pit will engage children's imaginations and let them get their hands dirty.

As Flores and fellow garden volunteer Jessica Fong noted in a recent interview with Radio Free Bridgeport, the space is ideally suited for this overhaul, since it already has many of the things required for the play garden, including mature trees and foliage, water and electricity access, and land that's already been graded and landscaped. The still-substantial cost for the play garden — ballparked at above $100,000 — will hopefully be reached within a year, given continued organizing and fund raising, as well as further support from the community and institutions.

In addition to supporting the play garden by attending the Saturday gala, neighbors can donate via the garden's online fund-raising page at Public Good. Donations of $100 and more will be commemorated with a wood etching displayed in the garden.

The garden's organizing committee is also seeking in-kind donations of natural materials, expertise in construction and landscaping, and sweat equity. Anyone interested in providing an in-kind donation is encouraged to email mckinleyparkplaygarden@gmail.com.

Community members who wish to get involved or provide feedback can also attend the next play garden planning meeting, set for 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, at the McKinley Park branch of the Chicago Public Library, 1915 W. 35th St., Chicago. This is an opportunity to discuss plans for the space, ask questions and learn how to support the project, Flores said. In addition, more information is available on the play garden's Facebook page.

The play garden plan, drawn up by site design group ltd., illustrates the potential layout of the play garden. In the above illustration, north (and the library property) is to the right, and South Wolcott Avenue is eastward beyond the bottom of the drawing.

Click the following link to download the PDF version of this design plan, which also includes example photos of play features:

 McKinley_Park_Play_Garden_Plans-Site_Design_Group.pdf3.67 MB