Chicago Reporter (https://www.chicagoreporter.com/tag/chicago-park-district/)
A U.S. Army Corps plan to expand a toxic dump on Lake Michigan’s shoreline in South Chicago is getting increased attention because it rejected community concerns over the project and dismisses alternatives promoted by environmental groups.
Residents oppose the Army Corps’ plan to expand a longstanding facility for polluted sediment, saying they’re “tired of being the city’s dumping ground.”
Ald. Leslie Hairston’s recent comments highlight the disconnect between officials and community activists working for environmental equity.
Objections and proposed changes to the major South Side developments are an opportunity for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to demonstrate her promises of openness and accountability.
Next week, a judge is expected to decide the fate of a project that could alter the South Side forever in limitless ways.
Friends of the Parks says it may seek legal action to ensure parks are funded equally.
The agency’s new approach to cleaning up hazardous waste sites favors private developers, sidelining input from the South and West Side communities most affected.
Whether it was the Lucas museum or a potential Olympics site, the mayor’s team has long oversold the use of parkland to private developers.
Little Village parents worried about the air pollution and chemicals deposited in soil at the former industrial site. Now children can safely play in La Villita, a park that was created after the property was cleaned up.
The influx of outsiders who trashed Humboldt Park last year crystallized neighborhood concerns about gentrification and use of public resources for private profit.