Neighborhood News
The McKinley Park Dog Park Committee, part of the McKinley Park Advisory Council, has received approval from the Chicago Park District to pursue development of a Dog-Friendly Area (or DFA) in McKinley Park. With a potential site in the southwest corner of the park, the approximately 15,000-square-foot DFA would provide local dog owners with an area for their pooches to exercise and socialize.
"Many families are already using the park to exercise with their dogs," said committee member Angie Robertson. The next big step is fund raising, she said.
Based on analysis by Chicago Magazine of multiple listing service (MLS) real estate data, the McKinley Park neighborhood leads Chicago in quick turnarounds for home sales. According to the magazine's latest "Where to Buy Now" article, the McKinley Park neighborhood is a "sales star" where homes spent 49 days on the market, on average, in 2016. This is shortest amount of time in the city.
The article provides additional real estate data on McKinley Park and other neighborhoods across the city for 2016. Notably, McKinley Park's median house sales price of $222,500 represents a 39% increase from 2015, and is even 1% over the median price for 2006 during the peak of the real estate bubble.
Click here to read "Where to Buy Now" on Chicago Magazine.
In an investigative report and an editorial, the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper has probed the business dealings behind the now-shuttered Wrigley factory at 35th Street and Ashland Avenue in the McKinley Park neighborhood. Not only a source of neighborhood blight, the factory is also costing Chicago taxpayers triple what they should be paying, and big benefits have gone to firms connected with now-11th Ward Alderman Patrick Daley Thompson, according to Sun-Times reporting.
Read more: Sun-Times Tackles Daley Corruption at Heart of Wrigley Factory Blight
The publication StreetsBlog Chicago has released a detailed follow-up on the tragic death of McKinley Park 5-year-old Daniel Solis, who was killed following a traffic accident at West 37th Street and Ashland Avenue the morning of March 15, 2017. StreetsBlog writer John Greenfield both examines the incident in depth and provides responses from city officials and 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas.
Click here to read the article on StreetsBlog Chicago.
Key takeaways include a push for a traffic study and better safety measures for that intersection. Community members interested in helping the Solis family cover medical and funeral expenses can do so through the GoFundMe page set up by Daniel and his family's supporters.
MPAC Vice President Samantha HertelThe McKinley Park Farmers Market, a successful community program restarted in 2016 by the McKinley Park Advisory Council (MPAC), is returning in 2017 with an extra month's worth of fresh produce, goods and entertainment. Run entirely by community volunteers, the market will expand to cover 17 Sundays running June 4 through September 24.
Lead market organizer and MPAC Vice President Samantha Hertel said farmers and other vendors have again expressed interest in participating, and that the market is looking to expand to also offer prepared foods such as baked goods. "The market will still be primarily fruits and vegetables, though," she said.
Read more: Farmers Market Expands Schedule for 2017, Seeks More Vendors
