The McKinley Park Dog Park is on track to receive 100 percent of its required funding with potential build-out this year, said dog park committee lead Angie Robertson. The $375,000 budget for the park stands to be paid out of funds from the Archer/Western Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, with the support of 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas, Robertson said.
"There is a huge community of nearby dog owners who will enjoy the dog park," Robertson said. "Our plans are now coming to fruition."
Once built, the dog-friendly area will be the first of its kind on the Southwest Side of Chicago. Robertson said she expects a significant process will be involved with working with the Chicago Park District to secure vendor bids; it's also her understanding that the TIF funds have been requested, but not yet released. If the process moves quickly enough, McKinley Park could see the dog park built in 2018.
The Archer/Western TIF district covers areas of the 11th and 12th wards, and Robertson said this meshes well with their expected dog park usage of about 50 percent from each area. 11th Ward Alderman Patrick Thompson is also involved in the dog park development, Robertson said.
As indicated in site planning documents, the park will have separate areas for large dogs and small dogs, as well as a water source and multiple entrances.
The McKinley Park dog park committee is part of the McKinley Park Advisory Council, and all-volunteer efforts to bring a dog park to the area have been underway for years.
The plan for the McKinley Park dog park lays out different areas for small dogs and large dogs.
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