A pair of parks on the Northwest Side will be improved through financial measures approved today by the Chicago City Council.

“Thanks to funding tools like Tax Increment Financing, the City and the Park District can ensure Chicago’s parks provide the amenities that neighborhood residents expect and deserve,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said.

Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave.
The 36-acre park will be improved with new locker rooms, an expanded dog friendly area, new fencing and landscaping through $725,800 in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) assistance.

Merrimac Park, 6343 W. Irving Park Road
The nine-acre park will receive playground enhancements, path improvements, and upgrades to its veterans’ plaza through $615,000 in TIF assistance.

Improvements to both parks could be completed later this year.

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