Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Howard Brookins Jr. today joined Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Schools to open new athletic facilities in West Chatham Park. The new regulation artificial turf football and soccer field and a baseball diamond will be used by Simeon Career Academy High School students and the West Chatham Park community.

“The new athletic facilities in West Chatham Park will be anchors for the community, and help Simeon students stay safe, to stay engaged and to stay on track to a brighter future,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Alderman Brookins fought to ensure this important investment served students and residents alike in West Chatham Park.”

“West Chatham Park is a staple of our community, and this addition gives our residents and the hard-working students at Simeon with the high-quality athletic fields they deserve,” said Alderman Howard Brookins, Jr., 21st Ward. “Together with a determined community and our students, these fields have become a reality that will serve West Chatham Park for generations to come.”

The West Chatham Park athletic facilities are located at 8223 S. Princeton Avenue. The facilities also now include a new scoreboard, additional sports and site lighting and landscaping.

The multi-purpose facility allows for expanded Park District summer sports camp opportunities and host CPS practices and competitive matches for a wide range of sports. The Park District and CPS have worked jointly for more than five decades to offer recreational programming at West Chatham Park and adjacent Simeon Vocational High School.

“This field was a more than a park amenity,” said Chicago Park District Chief Programming Officer Alonzo Williams. “It’s a vital resource and investment in the West Chatham community but more importantly, the young people of this great community.”

West Chatham Park is also now home to a new secondary ComEd feed, sports lighting, site lighting, and scoreboard feed as well as tree removals, pruning and site work associated with the relocation of the northeast softball diamond.

Athletic facilities investments are a key component of Building on Burnham, the Mayor's comprehensive plan to invest in the Lakefront, the Chicago River, natural areas and recreational opportunities in neighborhoods across the city. Since 2011, 1,000 acres of parks have been acquired and 5.5 miles of riverfront access have been developed, and more than $1 billion in capital investment from neighborhoods and private sources have been made to expand Chicago’s park system.