Project

Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Michael P. Kelly joined community members today to celebrate the completion of refurbished playgrounds at Elston Park in the Avondale neighborhood and Bell Park in the Montclare neighborhood. Both playgrounds were completed as part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! program.

The renovated playgrounds at Elston and Bell Parks feature slides, swings and climbing equipment. The Chicago Plays! playground renovation program was launched in the spring of 2013 by Mayor Emanuel, who announced that over the next five years, the Chicago Park District will rebuild, repair and/or refurbish 300 playgrounds in communities across Chicago. This year, the Mayor announced that 77 playgrounds will be completed as part of the program. More than half of these 77 have already been completed; to date this year, 48 playgrounds have been completed and opened. In 2014, 103 playgrounds were refurbished, and in 2013, 61 playgrounds were rehabilitated through the program.