Park District takes over pools from city

[Ted]

District plans to take on city pools

Swap will give city land in Berwyn Gardens area for parking, retail space

By Cari Brokamp
cbrokamp@mysuburbanlife.com

   Two Berwyn pools managed by the city may be taken over by the North Berwyn Park District as early as this summer, as part of a long-discussed land swap that may come to fruition in the coming months.

  The plan would provide that in exchange for the pools, the city would receive land the Park District owns in the Berwyn Gardens area, just north of Cermak Road. That land would be used for still to be determined commercial developments. Joe Vallez, executive director of the Park District, and Berwyn Mayor Michael O'Connor siad the arrangement has been in discussions since the beginning of this adminsitration, nearly three years ago.

  Vallez said he plans to seek grant money to improve and eventually replace the decades-old pools, Cuyler Pool in the 1900 block of Cuyler Avenue and the pool at Kriz Park in the 1500 block of Maple Avenue, with more modern facilities. These renovations would allow for outdoor features like a lazy river or water slides, or for the development of a neighboring fitness center, possibly with an indoor pool...

....

   O Connor said the land the city would receive in the swap woud likely be used to expand retail space and offer more parking for businesses, developments to be accomplished at an undetermined time in the future.  The land swap would still be subject to the City Council's approval and the outcome of a public hearing before it could be finalized.

  Vallez said he expects the Park District to assume management of the pool at Kriz Park this summer, and the Cuyler Pool in the summer of 2009.

....

[Ted]

  I think this makes a lot of sense and I wish this would also happen in south Berwyn as well.  I think the Berwyn Park District in south Berwyn should take over Janura Park and the pool and facility at the Pav Center.  After the city has gotten rid of all its recreational assets, then it would be the time to merge the North Berwyn Park District with the Berwyn Park District in south Berwyn.

[java]

  I think this makes a lot of sense and I wish this would also happen in south Berwyn as well.  I think the Berwyn Park District in south Berwyn should take over Janura Park and the pool and facility at the Pav Center.  After the city has gotten rid of all its recreational assets, then it would be the time to merge the North Berwyn Park District with the Berwyn Park District in south Berwyn.

C'mon Ted, you are such an IVB loser!  That would require pie-eaters to give up their pie!  Go back to the education threads!

Oh, wait a minute....its the same thing there. 

Sorry, nevermind, you have a good point.

[Count DMC]

Take open space and park areas for more parking? Expand reatail space? I see a thriving business district right behind a busy street! Hmmm... yes that indeed is a great civic plan.

[Northsideward5]

  I think this makes a lot of sense and I wish this would also happen in south Berwyn as well.  I think the Berwyn Park District in south Berwyn should take over Janura Park and the pool and facility at the Pav Center.  After the city has gotten rid of all its recreational assets, then it would be the time to merge the North Berwyn Park District with the Berwyn Park District in south Berwyn.

Where would the HQ for the new Park district be located?  How would you propose the election of commissioners?  Equal across the city?  North vs South?  As a North Berwynite, I am not sure I would like this idea?

[OakParkSpartan]

So North Berwyn gets a net reduction in recreation space.  Nice.

I don't think there was ANY public discussion of this swap.  Maybe at the Park District meetings.  I certainly don't recall the discussion at city council.

[Northsideward5]

So much for transparency in govenment.

Well, I think the Republicans have a shot at the mayor spot in '09.  Maybe our first woman mayor, Terri Shonder.  BTW, I voted for her! 

[java]

So North Berwyn gets a net reduction in recreation space.  Nice.

I don't think there was ANY public discussion of this swap.  Maybe at the Park District meetings.  I certainly don't recall the discussion at city council.

A land swap would need council approval, no?

[Sandy]

At least with Joe in mind, the pools would be managed and maintained better. Other than paint, the locker room at Kirz has not been updated since it was built! If it is run similar to the wading pool, the hours might be better too.

Personally, I never liked the Berwyn Gardens area anyway - who wants to have their kids play in a park located in an alley? It is isolated and the smells from the garbage cans can be overwhelming occasionally.

[Ted]

Where would the HQ for the new Park district be located?  How would you propose the election of commissioners?  Equal across the city?  North vs South?  As a North Berwynite, I am not sure I would like this idea?

  The commissioners would be elected city wide. They would decide where the headquareters are at and who the director of the park districts would be. 

  Why don't you like the idea?  Why should the "Wall of China" along Cermak Road be up at all?

[Vic0218]

Where exactly is Berwyn Gardens - I had never heard of it until last night when someone brought it up as a good location for future uses - art fairs, etc.

Is it actually green space like a park?

[Bonster]

Where exactly is Berwyn Gardens - I had never heard of it until last night when someone brought it up as a good location for future uses - art fairs, etc.

Is it actually green space like a park?

Vic0128, it's part of that long, narrow strip of Vacin Parkway where the Douglas El used to run, between Maple and Grove (?) which was turned into park space.
See pic below,


Berwyn Gardens
Click to Enlarge

[Bonster]

Personally, I never liked the Berwyn Gardens area anyway - who wants to have their kids play in a park located in an alley? It is isolated and the smells from the garbage cans can be overwhelming occasionally.

So what if it's isolated??  Better than having kids running after balls on Cermak.  Sure, it's a long, narrow path which you'll never be able to play baseball  on, but it's all we've got.  Please tell me exactly where else we're going to free up land to use?  Where does a North Berwynite go to slap a softball around?  Euclid Park in Oak Park!
(same idea goes for the greenspace by the 19th St. pools! leave it alone!)

[Bonster]

I like the idea of taking over the city pools, but for O'CONNOR to swap land and develop on what little greenspace North Berwyn with no apparently plan to free up space anywhere else is sickening to me.  I understand the business community on Cermak is obsolete with little to no parking as is, but unless they have a proposal to raze something else in return for this greenspace, no matter how narrow, I cannot back it.  To me, this is further proof this guy cares NOTHING about the Northside, other than sucking a vote from the 5th Ward. 

"Business, business, business, to hell with the citizens.  Let them take the bus to Proksa."  I always felt O'CONNOR paid no mind to those up North in part due to who mans the #8 position, but this confirms he's all about the bottom line.  I used to think #8 totally overreacted about how little the Mayor cared about Roosevelt Road (just two months into office).  Now I believe he was only partially nuts in that regard. 

I firmly believe that the leader of the evil empire (DCoB) would better serve the Northside due to his roots and connections here.  That I will never argue against.


uggh

[OakParkSpartan]

I think our NBPD commissioners should also hear about this.

I've yet to see a picture/description of exactly what land is being taken.  At the very western end of what would be the Vacin is a large parking lot, directly behind the mexican restaurant and car stereo place.

[rbain]

Is this somehow connected with Main Street? Did they advise it? I never took my daughter to Berwyn Gardens, but mostly because it seemed pretty poorly thought out and hard to use.

-Rob

[OakParkSpartan]

Main Street had nothing to do with this.  I believe it is the BDC, the City and NBPD.

[rbain]

Interesting. I wish parking were a bigger problem on Cermak, it would mean business was good. So there have been no hints of new businesses advising this change before they relocate to Cermak? It would be nice to know that if this goes through it would actually lead somewhere.
-Rob

[Terri]

I like the idea of taking over the city pools, but for O'CONNOR to swap land and develop on what little greenspace North Berwyn with no apparently plan to free up space anywhere else is sickening to me.  I understand the business community on Cermak is obsolete with little to no parking as is, but unless they have a proposal to raze something else in return for this greenspace, no matter how narrow, I cannot back it.  To me, this is further proof this guy cares NOTHING about the Northside, other than sucking a vote from the 5th Ward. 

"Business, business, business, to hell with the citizens.  Let them take the bus to Proksa."  I always felt O'CONNOR paid no mind to those up North in part due to who mans the #8 position, but this confirms he's all about the bottom line.  I used to think #8 totally overreacted about how little the Mayor cared about Roosevelt Road (just two months into office).  Now I believe he was only partially nuts in that regard. 

I firmly believe that the leader of the evil empire (DCoB) would better serve the Northside due to his roots and connections here.  That I will never argue against.


uggh

We don't know what the plan entails other than the description from the article which also said the swap would need council approval in addition to a public hearing.  I am totally in favor of keeping as much green space as possible.  Could this have something to do with a Centennial Park, a gift to the residents from the City?  Or a combination of park/business?   

As far as the NBPD they have proven track record of success, IMO.  The parks need to share long term goals, some of the same programs/rec facilities (ie. skate parks) are duplicated.   

[Bonster]

Let's take a look at the present parking situation with respect to the lots for which no parking is available (obsolete!):


Cermak Road business
Click to Enlarge

Yellow = present parking or city/PD owned property
Orange = obsolete business properties w/respect to parking

It looks to me as if the parking space outnumbers the obsolete business space by a nice margin (sq ft).
The land is simply misappropriated for today's business, and the mayor's idea is to take land away from us
to remedy a...a...a [gimme a good word here] situation.