South Deering’s Big Marsh and the Near North Side’s Seward Park will be improved with $5.4 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) assistance approved today by City Council.

Big Marsh, 11555 S. Stony Island Ave.
Up to $1.4 million in TIF assistance will enable construction of the Ford Calumet Environmental Center, which will showcase the Lake Calumet area’s environmental, cultural, and recreational assets with guided nature walks, classroom instruction and other programming. The 8,000-square-foot facility will include community rooms, restrooms, bike repair space, concessions, offices and an observation deck in the southwest section of Big Marsh, a 278-acre wetland acquired by the Park District in 2011. The balance of the $5 million project will be funded by the Park District’s Chicago Environmental Fund.

Seward Park, 375 W. Elm St.
TIF assistance in the amount of $4 million will support improvements to the field house at Seward Park, including ADA-access upgrades, a new roof, new windows, and masonry and concrete repairs. The park’s playground will be also updated with new ADA-compliant equipment. The 7.3-acre park opened in 1908 and is named for William H. Seward, who served as Secretary of State during President Abraham Lincoln’s administration. The work will be entirely funded by TIF.

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