Lakefront Trail Maintenance Alert: Over the next several months, repairs will be made throughout the trail, one section at a time. Work will start on the south end and move north. Signage will be placed ahead of the construction site. Please be alert and safe, and avoid these active construction work zones. Learn more: Lakefront Trail Maintenance. Posted 9/15/26
September 9, 2026
THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT HAS RECEIVED A REQUEST TO NAME PARK NO. 567 LOCATED AT 1801 NORTH MILWAUKEE AVENUE IN THE LOGAN SQUARE COMMUNITY, IN THE 32ND WARD, AS DONT FRET PARK.
THIS NOTICE INITIATES A PERIOD OF 45 DAYS TO ENCOURAGE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
To submit comments, you may:
- Upload your comments in the form below
- Call (312) 742-0067
- Write to the Chicago Park District, Department of Legislative & Community Affairs, 4830 S Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60609
- Email us at LCA@ChicagoParkDistrict.com
About the Proposed Naming
In 2026 the Friends of Dont Fret, an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the late City of Chicago (“City”) artist requested in writing that the Park District name the currently unnamed Park 567 located at 1801 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, to Dont Fret Park. This naming request is supported by the Friends of Dont Fret, the Bucktown Community Organization, the Wicker Park/Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, the Wicker Park Advisory Council, and 1st Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata.
Dont Fret was born and raised in Wicker Park, where Park 567 is located, and his work championed ordinary Chicagoans, bringing into the visual sphere the spirit of the literary works of greats like Nelson Algren and Studs Terkel. Murals created by him appeared throughout the City. He achieved his first recognition at the Chicago Cultural Center’s “Chicago Street Art” show in 2013. His work was featured on the Chicago Tribune's front page in May 2014, and the Chicago Reader named him best street artist of 2015. His largest work, drawing on the legacy of the Carl Sandberg poem “City of Big Shoulders,” was a series of fifty-five (55) portraits of everyday Chicagoans titled “The People in Your Neighborhood.” This piece was exhibited on the City’s downtown river walk in 2020. Outside of the City, his work has been exhibited in cities such as New York, Denver, San Francisco, Budapest, Warsaw, London, Sao Paulo and Berlin.
Park District staff conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of the criteria for naming and presented their review and analysis to the General Superintendent. The General Superintendent considered the proposed name of the park and found that the criteria set forth in Chapter VII, Section E.2 of the Code had been met as follows: (1) the proposed naming has substantial public support; (2) Dont Fret passed away in April 2025 and thus has been deceased for at least one (1) year prior to this recommendation to the Board; and (3) through his artwork, Dont Fret has demonstrated a continued commitment and made an extraordinary contribution to civic betterment locally. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the Park District to initiate a forty-five (45) day notice period to solicit public input to name the currently unnamed park.
Learn more: View the Park No. 567 Naming Request Presentation
Submit a Comment for Park 567 Renaming
The comment period for this naming ends on October 25, 2026.