A "neighborhood gateway park" in Logan Square will be created through a Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning proposal approved by City Council today.

The park will replace three parcels of vacant, city-owned land near the southwest corner of the intersection of Logan Boulevard, Western Avenue and the I-90/94 overpass. The land will be transferred to the Chicago Park District, which will manage the site after adding a paved pathway, grass, trees and other landscape features pending community input.

The parcels were identified for potential use as public open space in the city's Logan Square Open Space Plan. The plan determined the Logan Square community needs 145 acres of new public open space to meet the city's minimum standard of two acres per 1,000 residents. Among its recommendations to help offset the shortfall is the greening of underutilized land along the community's major transportation corridors.

"In addition to providing a managed park space for use by area residents and visitors, the land transfer would enable significant aesthetic improvements to one of the community's main entryways," said Mayor Richard M. Daley.

The parcels were acquired from the Illinois Department of Transportation in 2004. They will be transferred by the city to the Park District for $1 each.

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