The Chicago Park District, their tenant the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, and our elected officials have not yet taken action to defend the covenants in place to protect prairie landscape and historic landmarked architecture. Thankfully, there has been a lot of work and some behind-the-scenes progress made by Friends of the Parks! 

Friends of the Parks sent an "Action Alert" email late this afternoon. Theirs is the first public announcement of this community meeting. To be the first to know about important Parks issues in the future, sign up now to get on their email distribution list @ fotp.org

The meeting is on Tuesday, October 3rd, at 5:30PM at 3015 W. Division. If the parking lot is full, there is sufficient free parking a short walk away on both sides of Division on Luis Munoz Marin Drive.

While I am thankful to find out about this Community meeting, THE FIRST COMMUNITY MEETING SINCE THE MAY 2020 INCEPTION OF THE ILL-CONCEIVED PLANS, I find it woefully inadequate that there was no notice to the community of this meeting provided by the Chicago Park District, NMPRAC, or Larry Kearns. Kearns is the consulting architect mandated by the Park District who is running the meeting with our new 26th Ward Alderperson Jessie Fuentes. 

It is FAR TOO LATE to hold a community meeting to ask for our permission. There were several requirements for community engagement in the planning process, BEFORE ONE SCOOP OF PRAIRIE DIRT WAS EXCAVATED, that should have been honored. The covenants ignored involve the IL State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Chicago Park District.

The meeting is in a week. Unless the purpose of the meeting is to announce the demolition of the offending structure, and the abandonment of the expressed future plans to develop the adjacent parkland into a permanent stage and 36-acre year-round privately controlled mega-festival event site, and unless it contains a promise to replant trees cut down and to restore the excavated Jens Jense prairie landscape, THIS IS INSUFFICIENT NOTICE.

The Park District has known about the egregious violation of the lease by their tenant for over 400 days, in the form of a highly visible cinder block monstrosity. This hideous structure lurks beside the much-adored masterpiece of Queen Anne-style architecture which is unparalleled in its significance and beauty. It mars and degrades the pastoral landscape.

Humboldt Park, the park, and those of us who live in the Humboldt Park community and who have had our voices silenced through exclusion NEED YOUR HELP. Please step up and attend this meeting and by your physical presence show that the strength and unity of park-loving Chicagoans cannot be cut by the cruel axe of private interests and unchecked development.

Humboldt Park must be preserved and protected for all of us. Now and for all time.

If you cannot attend, please take a simple and quick action or two and write a brief email to your elected official, make a donation to Friends of the Parks, and/or promote this petition.

Thank you for reading and caring.