CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT GAINS 100 ACRES OF NATURAL AREA
PORTION OF LAND IN HEGEWISCH COMMUNITY SLATED FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
Release Date: 09/11/08
The Chicago Park District’s Board of Commissioners approved a measure yesterday for the transfer of approximately 100 acres of land at the southwest corner of 130th Street and Torrence Avenue from the City of Chicago.
The City of Chicago owns the property in the 10th ward of the Hegewisch community and intends to transfer the property to the Chicago Park District for park and recreation purposes. This natural area is part of the City’s Lake Calumet Open Space Plan that is intended to preserve natural habitat areas.
In the future, the site may include an environmental center in the southeast corner to be managed and programmed by the City of Chicago’s Department of Environment. The Chicago Park District intends to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the City to cooperate with the Department of Environment to manage and program the entire site.
The Chicago Park District may initially lease the land to comply with conservation easement requirements and more fully assess the environmental conditions and management demands of the site. Other governmental parties in the agreement include the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure compliance with federal and state conservation requirements for the land.
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