Ground Breaking Possible This Fall

Link to September 26th, 2023 Block Club Chicago article by Joe Ward on status of the Andersonville West Edgewater neighborhood park.

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Alderman Vasquez and Park District Seek Feedback on Design and Programming of West Edgewater Neighborhood Park Before the 1st of June

At the Zoom community meeting held on the 13th of May Alderman Vasquez brought together representatives from his office, representatives from the Chicago Park District, and community members from the WEAR association and other neighborhood associations to discuss the status of the West Edgewater neighborhood park.

With the official designation of Park 599 from the Chicago Park District the as yet to be named neighborhood park in the West Edgewater/Andersonville community is now finally much closer to becoming a reality some 20 years after the closing of the Edgewater Medical Center.

The future park occupies approximately 33% of the original Edgewater Hospital site and is located just west of Anderson Point, a adaptive reuse luxury apartment complex located in the former Edgewater Hospital buildings along 5700 N Ashland Ave.

Sarah White, Park 599’s project manager, updated the attendees on the project’s status and a shared 2 new concepts for the design of Park 599 (see images below). The 3 main points I took from her presentation are as follows: (1) the city is working on the acquisition of the site, (2) the site design and approvals will require about 6 months (project is presently in schematic design), and, (3) once approved the “bidding, permitting, and construction” could be completed in 6-12 months.

Following her presentation the meeting was opened up for comments, questions, and discussion. There were quite a few that Alderman Vasquez, members of his staff, and park district representatives took turns fielding. The topics ranged from such matters as local infrastructure around the park, park cost, park programing, park naming, and community input and participation. For a full account of the presentation and the questions and discussions that followed, view the recording of the meeting at the link https://fb.watch/5IReXbwTNz/.

That said in summary I would say the questions and discussion indicate there remains a strong desire in the community for the opportunity to participate in the designing and programing of the park and there also remains a strong desire in the community for the park to include a playground area and a dog friendly area.

To provide feedback on the current design and programing email Sarah White at cpdpark599@gmail.com. I would also suggest CCing the email to the 40th Ward Office at info@40thward.org. Feedback should be sent before the 1st of June (my apologies for the delay in posting this update).

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Community Discussion of Plans for West Edgewater Park Development

My apologies for the late notice.

WEAR is hosting a Zoom discussion with Ald. Andre Vasquez and representatives from the Chicago Park District to discuss the West Edgewater neighborhood park (Park 599) tomorrow evening, May 13th, 2021 at 6 pm. Acording to WEAR board member Ruthie Williams the event will be “an opportunity to learn about the proposed timeline and talk through two preliminary concepts for the park” and to collect community feedback.

To register for the event follow the link.

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City May Take Edgewater Medical Center Bankruptcy Estate to Building Court

DNAinfo Chicago reporter Benjamin Woodard has written an interesting article, Edgewater Medical Center Buildings An ‘Immediate Danger,’ Neighbors Say, about City activity at the abandoned Edgewater Medical Center over the weekend.  According to his piece in today’s online publication when city inspectors visited the location–5700 N Ashland Ave.–on Sunday they found the site to be “dangerous” and concluded that the Edgewater Medical Center Bankruptcy Estate has failed “to keep the premise in a “safe condition so it does not constitute actual and imminent danger to public”.  In addition, apparently in response to their findings, Alderman Patrick O’Connor has stated the City is taking steps to bring the Edgewater Medical Center Bankruptcy Estate to building court for the violations.  This recent spate of activity resulted from renewed efforts by the West Edgewater Area Residents neighborhood association to once again call to the attention of the City the hazardous conditions of the site.

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