Grandmother Park Initiative /
Parque de las Abuelas
A project to create a new tot lot or "pocket park" in West Evanston, IL.
Click here to watch the Evanston RoundTable's video on our project.
Can we turn this... |
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...into this? |
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1125 Dewey, a vacant foreclosure in Evanston's West Side, caught on fire June 18, 2009. The half-burned structure stood for 8 months as a neighborhood eyesore. We have a plan to turn the now vacant lot in to a tot lot park. Photo by Chris Kirk for Evanston Now. |
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The Grandmother Park Initiative is partnering with Openlands and the Evanston Park Foundation to turn 1125 Dewey into a "tot lot" playground for young children and their caregivers. Openlands is a Chicago-based non-profit that buys and holds land for municipalities to turn in to open spaces. The Evanston Park Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that served as the fundraising umbrella for Noah's Playground for Everyone, Evanston's newest playground, dedicated in July 2008.
Several residents in Evanston have formed a non-profit group called the Grandmother Park Initiative to create a "tot lot" or "pocket park" in our community. This park and its equipment would be solely intended for young children and their parents, grandparents, and caregivers.
The target area for such a park is bound by Dempster-Dodge and Florence-Lee because this area contains the only blocks in Evanston more than 1/2 mile from a city-run park with playground equipment. Though both Robert Crown Park and Washington School are nearby, Crown doesn't (and can't) contain playground equipment while Washington's playground is in use by day and doesn't contain equipment for toddlers.
Since our communities are disproportionately affected by the economic crisis many bank-owned properties are on the market for historically low prices and some neighbors with adjoining lots are willing to sell them. Though a final budget is dependent on the properties available at a given time the committee estimates total costs would not exceed $300,000 to acquire, develop, and donate such a park to the City. We've meet with City staff who have assured us they would accept such a gift.
Our goal is to raise the money for this project through fundraising and applying for grants. Currently we are incorporated as a non-profit in Illinois and have partnered with the Evanston Parks Foundation, a 501(c)(3), to raise money.
Please check back in the future for more information on our project and its progress.