Board hears presentation on the Park District’s riverfront restoration and expansion of river ecology education and eco-recreation programming to additional parks along the river
Today, the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners convened at the Brighton Park Community Campus and Headquarters, 4830 S. Western Ave., for its regular monthly meeting. As part of the agenda, the Board authorized the award contract for polling site accessibility improvement projects, approved the contract for video production services, and accepted a one-year extension option for the supply and delivery of lumber, building, and roofing supplies citywide.
Meeting highlights included a presentation on the significant investments in river restoration and stewardship completed over the course of the last decade in parks along the Chicago River. These efforts have resulted in more vibrant and resilient natural areas, including Indian Ridge Marsh- the birthplace of the first eaglets born in a Chicago Park in over a century. The names of the eaglets- Migizi and Marian- were recently announced at Big Marsh Park during a ceremony with Adventure Camp participants that presented a skit on the history of the Southeast Side parks. The restorative work completed in Chicago’s Southeast Side bolstered local habitat revitalization and led to the return of the bald eagle.
The presenter also noted that citywide riverfront restoration efforts are delivering measurable results in the form of growing populations of pollinators and birds, greater plant diversity, and healthier aquatic ecosystems that support fish and other wildlife, and riverfront landscapes that connect visitors to nature. The RiverLab program, based at River Park, was highlighted for offering widely attended canoeing programs and land-based educational activities focused on river ecology. This year, grant support will allow for the expansion of the successful program model to Marquette Park and Garfield Park.
Additionally, the Board authorized the Park District to enter into contract with Flowers Communications Group for video production services to enhance the Chicago Park District’s social media and web content, promotional materials, and visuals for public presentations. The purpose of this contract is to document and highlight programs, facilities, events, initiatives, team members, partners, success stories and people making an impact in our parks and/or benefitting from our exceptional delivery of services and resources.
A request to authorize the contract award to Burling Builders, Inc. for the Department of Justice polling site ADA improvement projects was approved by the Board. This is the second package of DOJ polling site ADA projects that has come before the Board for approval. The Chicago Park District will support this initiative using $2 million from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 TIF surplus allocation. The balance will be provided by the Park District. A total of 13 facilities will receive upgrades, including partial demolitions of existing site concrete, asphalt paving, modifications to the building entrances, thresholds, and repairs and reconstruction of specified accessibility improvements. Districtwide, the Park District has completed 87 park polling site improvements, 13 are in construction and 8 are in design. The Board voted to approve the contract award to 13 additional sites. The Park District plans to bring an additional 17 projects to the Board.
The Park District voted to approve the second, one-year contract extension option with JP Corporation DBA Harry’s Lumber Corporation for the supply and delivery of lumber, building, and roofing supplies citywide. The Department of Facility Management is responsible for maintaining and repairing more than 100 facilities across the Park District and rely on vendors that offer commercial grade lumber and building materials to support operational needs and in-house projects at a reasonable cost. The materials provided vary widely, and include, bench lumber, bleacher boards, plywood, doors and locks, door frames, flooring and ceiling tiles, drywall, handrails and hardware products essential to the execution of daily operations.
The Park District Board also authorized a settlement of the worker’s compensation claim of Timothy Ward v. Chicago Park District in the amount of $64,823.03, subject to the approval of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission.