A pair of park improvement projects on the North and South sides will be made possible through financial measures approved today by City Council.

Dixon Park, 8931 S. Dauphin Ave.
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) in the amount of $350,000 will support upgrades to Lorraine Dixon Park in Burnside. The five-acre site will receive a new entranceway, playground equipment, walkways, lighting and landscaping. The balance of the $725,000 project will be paid for by the Chicago Park District.  The park is named for Lorraine L. Dixon, a former 8th Ward alderman who died in 2001 after a long battle with breast cancer.

5056 N. Monticello Ave.
A privately-owned lot at 5056 N. Monticello Ave. in Albany Park will be purchased by the City for the purpose of expanding the adjacent Eugene Field Park. The lot, prone to flooding, was once occupied by a single-family home that was damaged in a 2008 rain storm and subsequently demolished.  It was later acquired by a private owner.  In lieu of constructing a new single-family home on the site, the new owner will sell the property to the City, which will convey it to the Chicago Park District. The $40,000 purchase price will be paid for with Open Space Impact Fees, which are collected by the City from new residential developments to help expand the amount of open space in each of Chicago’s 77 community areas.

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