“It’s a blessing,” said Louis Clay, a lifelong resident of the Far South Side. “It lets them be kids.”
Clay and his son Jahari were among the first to step foot in POP! Heights Saturday morning, the latest product of city and nonprofit cooperation that aims to revive “underutilized” spaces through the Public Outdoor Plaza program.
The 22,000-square-foot green space at Halsted and 113th Street is the largest of four existing POP parks, boasting a stage, rollerblading circuit and basketball court along with gardens and picnic tables.
The park’s creation happened over nine months, starting with Far South Community Development Corp. being awarded a contract from the city to create POP! Heights. Construction was supported by $540,000 in grants from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago Recovery Plan.
“It has been truly a labor of love,” said the group’s planning director, Katanya Raby. “I just see so many amazing possibilities coming from this one park.”
The property, owned by Sheldon Heights Church of Christ, formerly served as a community garden, a “peace park” and a farmers market in the 25 years the church has owned it, according to pastor Leonardo Gilbert.
Gilbert said the park is an important resource in a community that faces challenges with gun violence.
“Years ago, kids went out to play and parents never thought of it,” Gilbert said. “Kids ought to be concerned about being children. It’s our responsibility to make sure they had what I had — a safe place to play.”
State Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, brought his his 4-year-old son, Russell, to the grand opening of an effort in “true community revitalization.”
“These are the fabrics of any thriving community, so we’re being really intentional about bringing these things to underserved communities,” Slaughter said.
But POP! Heights is “just the beginning,” according to Raby.
It’s the first stage of a Far South Community Development Corp. initiative that also envisions an entertainment district and housing — if the group wins a $10 million grant from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation next month.
Such a development would allow residents to put money back into local businesses, something Raby says they haven’t been able to do.
“This community has the dollars, we are just having to go elsewhere to spend them,” Raby said, noting she has had to drive her children outside Roseland for certain amenities while living there for six years. “We shouldn’t have to go to the North Side of Chicago to enjoy a meal with our families.”
Atahjionna Bishop, a representative from the Chicago Youth Centers, said the park is a way to challenge people’s perceptions of the place where she grew up, and to encourage pride in being from the Far South Side.
“It shows you more things than just what you hear about [the community],” the 19-year-old said. “It’s really a great neighborhood. … [The park] gives everybody a chance to get to know each other. It changes people’s outlook on the city.”
The Chicago Sun-Times receives funding from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation.
