RESOLUTION Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Unity Park
WHEREAS, The Unity Park Advisory Council will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary on June 16, 2017; and
WHEREAS, Unity Park is a beloved neighborhood park located in the heart ofthe Logan Square community at 2636 N. Kimball Ave with a rich history of community involvement; and
WHEREAS, in 1986, community members began organizing to improve the conditions of Unity Park, known then as "Playlot 293." The rough concrete surface of the playlot, previously used as parking lot, fell into disrepair and was unsafe for children to play. Members of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association came together to form a group called 'Parents for a Decent Playlot'; and
WHEREAS, the seven co-founders of 'Parents for a Decent Playlot' battled for nearly half a year with Jesse Madison, then-commissioner of the Chicago Park District, to get the playlot rehabbed into an actual park. As part of the deal, the community agreed to put in sweat equity to help the City fix the park; and
WHEREAS, On June 13,1987, after protests and contentious community meetings, 'Parents for a Decent Playlot' held a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Chicago Park District. The concrete was replaced by soft surfacing and fresh landscaping as part of a pilot program to revamp 300 playlots across the city; and
WHEREAS, the park was named Unity Playlot Park, to reflect the "total unity" mantra of the leaders of the group during meetings with Chicago Park District officials. The name was also a reflection of how Logan Square neighbors united together to organize for improving a public good in the community; and
WHEREAS, In 1993 under Mayor Daley the Unity Park Advisory Council (UPAC) gained official advisory council status for the park. It was during this time that yet another contentious battle took place, this time over adding basketball hoops. While UPAC and community were in total unity with having permanent basketball hoops, UPAC faced opposition from the new Alderman. UPAC eventually won the basketball battle after protests and sit-ins to oppose various attempts to prevent the construction of a new basketball court; and
WHEREAS, Unity Park has had four expansions since the basketball hoop battle with the current borders of the park being Drummond Street to the south, Kimball Ave to the east, an alley to the west and to the north a half block past Schubert Ave; and
WHEREAS, Unity Park Advisory Council is an all volunteer community organization, having had many dedicated volunteers serving in its 30 year history, some of whom have served the organization for more than 20 years, including co-founders Joel Monarch & Connie Baznik, and both Rosita DeLaRosa and Robert Castillo, all of whom remain active with the council and deserve special recognition for their dedication to Unity Park and to the Logan Square community; and
WHEREAS, Today Unity Park offers great family friendly programming, including Art in the Park, Pumpkin Fest, Earth Day, and Lucha Libre. UPAC even hosts an annual fundraiser, Party for the Park, every December to support these programs; and
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this 29nd of June, 2017, do hereby extend our best and happiest wishes to the Unity Park Advisory Council;
Alderman, 35th Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to the Unity Park Advisory Council.