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Mayor Brandon Johnson and Park District CEO Ramirez-Rosa Cut the Ribbon on New Carver Park Playground, Launching Chicago Grows Together Initiative, and Announce Mayor Johnson's Participation in Mayors for Parks Coalition

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CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa joined Alder Peter Chico (10th) and Riverdale community residents to cut the ribbon on a newly rebuilt playground at Carver Park. The completion of the $515,000 project marks the official launch of Chicago Grows Together, an initiative delivering $5 million in targeted park investments to under-resourced communities on Chicago's South and West Sides as part of Mayor Johnson's historic $45 million allocation of TIF surplus funds for parks and equitable infrastructure improvements.

At the ribbon cutting, Mayor Johnson also announced that he has joined the Mayors for Parks Coalition, a bipartisan national coalition of mayors advocating for increased federal park funding and investment in local park systems across the country. The coalition is sponsored by the City Parks Alliance, a nationwide network of park and recreation leaders committed to advancing parks as essential infrastructure for economic development, public health, environmental sustainability, and community well-being.

"Parks are essential to the health and vitality of our city—they are spaces where families gather, young people find joy, and communities build connection," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "That's why I'm proud to join the Mayors for Parks Coalition and stand alongside leaders across the country to advocate for stronger federal investment in our parks. Through Chicago Grows Together, we are bringing long-overdue investments directly into communities that have too often been overlooked, while also building national partnerships that will help us secure the resources needed to strengthen parks for generations to come."

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The new playground at Carver Park includes modern play equipment, picnic tables, an extension of the existing running path, new paving, and landscaping improvements. The project replaces an outdated playground that no longer met the community's needs. The Chicago Park District worked closely with Riverdale residents and the Carver Park Advisory Council throughout the planning and design process to ensure the investment reflected community priorities.

"The new Carver Park playground was built by and for the residents of Riverdale community," said Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. "Thanks to Mayor Johnson's unprecedented financial commitment to parks, we are able to turn our values into action by bringing long-overdue, equity-driven projects to neighborhoods in need. In addition, we are able to fast-track other significant deferred maintenance that will transform parks and bring vital resources and opportunities to neighboring families."

Additional Chicago Grows Together projects will bring improvements to parks across Auburn Gresham, Austin, Back of the Yards, Brighton Park, Chicago Lawn, East Side, Grand Crossing, North Lawndale, Roseland, South Shore, and West Englewood, including:
  • Abbott Park, 49 E. 95th Street – track and field renovation
  • Austin Town Hal, 5601 W. Lake Street – gymnasium floor replacement
  • Columbus Park, 500 S. Central – gymnasium floor replacement  
  • Davis Square Park, 4430 S. Marshfield – water playground rehabilitation
  • Foster Park, 8440 S 84th Street - water playground rehabilitation
  • Franklin Park, 4320 W. 15th Street – baseball field rehabilitation, benches and picnic tables
  • Grand Crossing Park, 7655 S. Ingleside – new playground  
  • Jackson Park, 6401 S. Stony Island – Burnham Building renovation  
  • LaFollette Park, 1333 N. Laramie – locker room and balcony seating renovation
  • Lindblom Park, 6054 S. Damen – track renovation  
  • Kelly (Edward) Park, 2725 W. 41st Street – sport field improvements
  • Park No. 608, 9801 S. Avenue G (northeast end of Calumet Park) – framework plan for future park development
  • Senka Park, 5656 S. St. Louis –   turf field improvements and new paving  
  • South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. Shore Drive – interior finishes and exterior paths
  • Washington, 5531 S. King Drive – ballfield improvements

In addition to neighborhood park investments, TIF surplus funding will support continued lead service line replacement initiatives to ensure clean drinking water at park facilities, upgrades to air conditioning systems that provide relief during extreme heat, and ADA improvements at fieldhouses that serve as election polling sites.

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Since taking office, Mayor Johnson has supported more than $130.8 million in TIF and project-specific capital funding for parks and public infrastructure improvements, helping advance transformative projects including the expansion of Kells Park in Humboldt Park and major fieldhouse renovations at Douglass Park and Ogden Park.

Founded in 2013, the Mayors for Parks Coalition advocates for federal programs such as the Land & Water Conservation Fund and the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which provide matching grants to create and expand parks, improve recreation facilities, and support local park planning initiatives nationwide. The coalition now includes more than 60 mayors from cities across the country.

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