Periwinkle Playlot Park
History
Periwinkle Park is one of four parks created in 1973 as part of the Expressway Property Development Plan initiated by the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago. All four occupy small parcels of land that remained undeveloped after the construction of the Chicago Expressway System. The Chicago Park District now leases Periwinkle and the other three parks from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Providing much-needed playground facilities for its Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, Periwinkle Park is one of a number of Chicago parks named for plants and trees. The park takes its name from the periwinkle plant, which has been used to make vinblastine, a treatment for childhood leukemia.