Construction underway at Gompers Park amid ongoing safety concerns
CHICAGO (WGN) — Gompers Park has proven problematic for Northwest Side residents over the past several months. Planned construction is underway, but other issues are still presenting a problem.
'The residents of Mayfair have every right to feel upset,' Ald. Samantha Nugent said, whose ward encompasses Gompers Park. 'They are the last ones to be heard now on issues affecting them day to day
As of early Monday evening, no tents appeared to be set up in Gompers Park, but that's due to a large construction project that was set into motion earlier in the day.
On Monday morning, city crews arrived to clear any tents or encampments from where construction was set to begin on relining the park's lagoon and building an acorn-shaped play area.
'It's an acorn that they are going to make with a pliable wood. It allows children to have a lot of free play and use their imagination,' Nugent said.
While no tents were set up in Gompers Park as of Monday evening, there were tents seen across Pulaski Road in Eugene Field Park.
In a statement released to WGN News, the Chicago Park District said it will continue to collaborate with the City on finding amicable means to resettle tent inhabitants.
'Residents (as in, those who lived in the tent encampment) were asked to relocate to another area of the park by Sunday, May 11th to allow construction to begin today.The Park District will continue to work with DFSS and other service organizations to connect residents with resources, including housing.'
There have been previous efforts from the city to house people who set up camp in the park, which city officials have called actions taken as part of an 'Accelerated Moving Event' that began back in March.
City agencies showed up and offered housing services to anyone who wanted them, but some of those living in the Gompers Park tent encampment refused, due to available shelters being located in other areas of Chicago.
WGN News has documented the ongoing situation at Gompers Park, where tent encampments have been a source of frustration for those who live nearby. There have been reports of fires, drinking, drug-related incidents and even dog attacks in the park, causing safety concerns that the local athletic association cited as reasons to move youth baseball and softball games to other Chicago parks.
Delay of Gompers Park homeless encampment removal prompts little league to move games from park
'We had 36 calls to the fire department within a 12-month period,' Nugent said. 'At one point, we had two fires within six days out of this encampment.'
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsome has unveiled a blueprint for dealing with tent encampments, and while the encampments in Chicago are illegal in code, Nugent said she has yet to hear plans from the city on how to properly address them.
'The Chief Homelessness Officer is working on a plan to address homelessness? I have yet to see it,' Nugent said.
More info: Tents still in place at Gompers Park weeks after moving event began
The construction projects and updates at Gompers Park are set to last 3-4 months.
Mayor Brandon Johnson's office and the Chicago Parks District have not responded to inquiries from WGN News on code enforcement at Chicago Parks.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Sources: CPD officer critical after South Side shooting
CHICAGO (WGN) — A Chicago police officer is in critical condition after a shooting on the city's South Side Thursday night, police sources tell WGN TV News. Sources confirmed a police officer was shot near East 82nd Street and South Drexel Avenue. She is being taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. No other information is available at this time. Stay with WGN News as this article will be updated with more information as it becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Long Grove bridge hit by moving truck, allegedly for the 67th time
LONG GROVE, Ill. (WGN) — Water is wet. The sky is blue. Someone hit the Long Grove Covered Bridge again. A WGN TV News viewer sent a small treasure trove of photos detailing the latest vehicle that was too tall to pass over Buffalo Creek. The viewer told WGN TV News this is allegedly the 67th time the bridge has been struck by a vehicle. Built 1906, it was initially named after Buffalo Creek, and didn't feature a wooden roof over the top of it. The wooden cover was added in 1972. The bridge, which measures 8-feet-6-inches tall, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2018, and was promptly plowed through two weeks later. Cover Story: The infamous Long Grove Covered Bridge It was restored, but 23 hours after the official reopening in August 2020, another driver in a chartered school bus not only hit it, but got stuck. The good news is, it wasn't completely obliterated like it was in 2018. With how frequent the bridge has been struck over the years, one would think there's a lack of signage around the well-battered crossing, but that's not the case. Signs are posted on, before and after crossing the bridge on Robert Parker Coffin Road, and they have done little to stop vehicles from leaving various dings and dents over the years, fines for which start at $700. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Norte Dame student's legacy lives on in graduation journey of Chicago's youth
CHICAGO (WGN) — Thousands of students will cross a graduation stage over the next couple weeks, among them, one very special group, known as Declan's 40. Declan Sullivan is a name few will ever forget. It has been nearly 15 years since the Notre Dame junior tragically died when the hydraulic scissor lift he was videotaping from, toppled due to high wind. His family could have sued the university, but instead they chose a different path, one that has dramatically changed the course for 100 students in Chicago. They handed over $400,000 in donations to Horizons for Youth, a local organization committed to ensuring underprivileged kids get to cross their own graduation stage. 'Education has always been extremely important to our family,' Declan's younger sister Wyn Sullivan said Greg Borkowski is the group's executive director. 'A lot of times, if you're from an under resourced aream you stop looking for things because they might not be there,' he said. They started with a group of four dozen kindergarteners from low income neighborhoods across the city. They called them Declan's 40. More information at 'For us it's been a really good way to keep a memory alive,' Declan's younger brother Mac Sullivan said. Through mentoring, tutors, and community support, more and more kids were added, becoming Declan's 52, than 64. Now, 14 years after his death, the Sullivan Family has raised more than $9 million dollars through their annual fundraiser, forever changing the paths of 100 Chicago students. That first group, Declan's 40, is graduating this month. Camrin Darke is part of that group. 'When we were in kindergarten, we were the ones that started,' she said. 'It's been amazing. That was probably the most significant part of my life that helped me get to where I am now.' Camrin will be attending Illinois State University this fall. Melanie Angel is headed to University of Wisconsin. 'I grew up in Little Village in the far Southwest Side of Chicago and there aren't a lot of opportunities in my neighborhood,' she said. Every year, the newest college bound grads are honored at the No Ordinary Night Gala. 'Seeing students that were in kindergarten, then now graduating high school moving through college … has an incredible impact on how they see their own opportunities,' Borkowski said. 'It really is a legacy. And I just think that is incredible.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.