Wednesday, July 24, 2013

$1,640,000 For This?




A reader took these photos of the "campus park" at Graeme Stewart School last week and says:

"I am worried about the condition & worried about maintenance of the park and Graeme Stewart School. Saw someone sleeping on the slide by the school and it's full of trash and the lawns are unkempt."

Which leads to a couple good questions:
  • Who's responsible for taking care of this campus park now that CPS has closed the school?
  • Did the $1.64million in Wilson Yard TIF funds that built the park (eliminating Kenmore Avenue in the process) buy a new eyesore for Uptown?
When the campus park was dedicated in 2008 by then-Mayor Daley and then-Alderman Shiller, Daley said in his speech, "Making improvements like these sends a powerful message to our communities that the school system cares about the condition of the buildings and the people who use them every day."

What message is the community sent by overgrown grass and people passed out on the playground equipment?  Is CPS sending the message that the property it owns will no longer be maintained now that no CPS students will attend classes there?

The $1.640,000 spent to create a campus park and eliminate a city street sure could come in handy now.

3 comments:

  1. CPS still owns the property, so they are responsible for maintenance.
    Is the school closed already, or is there another school year left? I thought the closings were delayed one year.

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  2. I think cps should be taking care of their responsibility. But there's no staff there anymore. Calls to 311 & the aldermans office would be the best thing to do. my daughters are def not playing there. Margate, Chase, & Wells it remains.

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  3. I live about 2 minutes from this place, always heard the kids screaming bloody murder while they were playing, as well.
    I saw a massive pile of garbage strewn in front of the benches, and Thugloitering(c) taking place instead of proper use of a park facility.
    Something needs to be done, now, I will probably sneak up there when nobody is around and clean up Jeffo-style.

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