Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Park District General Superintendent Michael P. Kelly, Alderman Pat Dowell and Bronzeville community members celebrated the opening of a new playground at Anderson Park. This playground is among the 103 neighborhood playgrounds that will be built or refurbished across the City this year as part of Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! program.

“We are a strong City because our neighborhoods are strong, and this new playground will help to further strengthen Bronzeville,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This playground is a place for friendships to form, for parents and neighbors to meet and for the fabric of the community to be woven together.”

The Chicago Plays! playground renovation program was launched in the spring of 2013 by Mayor Emanuel, who announced that the Park District would rebuild, repair and/or refurbish 325 playgrounds in communities across Chicago over five years. Last year, 50 playgrounds were rehabilitated under the program. Of the 103 playgrounds to be rebuilt or renovated this year, 26 have already been completed.

"The new and improved Louis Anderson Park is another great example of the kind of investments we are making in the Bronzeville community," said Alderman Dowell. "This new park is a hidden gem and a place for neighbors to get to know each other and for the community to come together and get active.”

Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! program invests approximately $125,000 in new playground equipment at each park location for a total program cost of $37,500,000, providing a broad investment in capital projects throughout the City. The Chicago Park District partnered with Friends of the Park to seek community input to prioritize locations.

“Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! was developed in effort to ensure that families across the city can access colorful and inviting playgrounds,” said Superintendent Kelly. “We are thrilled to be able to renovate more playgrounds and impact more communities than expected this year.”

Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! program underscores the major announcements the Mayor has previously made regarding parks, including a comprehensive plan to build and improve parks throughout the city so that every Chicagoan is in within a ten minute walk of a park.

The new playground renovation at Anderson Park provides a vibrant, welcoming place for the community to enjoy. Anderson Park is also home to robust day camp and after school programming.

On Saturday, August 16, the park will host a block party as part of Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks programming. The Night Out in the Parks series brings 1,000 events and programs to more than 250 neighborhood parks throughout the City. The Park District has partnered with more than 50 artists and community organizations to expand and produce this successful initiative.

For more information, visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or call 312.742.PLAY, 312.747.2001 (TTY).

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Photo Caption 1 - 2: Mayor Emanuel joins Bronzeville community members as they cerebrate the opening of a new playground at Anderson Park.

Photo Credit: Brooke Collins // City of Chicago

For more information about the Chicago Park District’s more than 8,100 acres of parkland, more than 580 parks, 26 miles of lakefront, nine museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, nearly 50 nature areas, thousands of special events, sports and entertaining programs, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or contact the Chicago Park District at 312.742.PLAY or 312.747.2001 (TTY). Want to share your talent? Volunteer in the parks by calling, 312.742.PLAY.