Skate Park Saved & $2.5M Small Business Boost: McKinley Park Is Having a Moment on the Southwest Side
By Socialhood News · Mckinley Park ·
McKinley Park neighbors have two big wins to celebrate this week — one rescuing a beloved community hangout, and another flooding the neighborhood's main corridor with serious economic fuel.
First, the scrappy Marshfield Courts DIY skate park — a grassroots fixture in the neighborhood — looks to have a new lease on life. After the City of Chicago put the property up for consideration, a pending adoption agreement is now in place that could secure the skate park's future for the community members and young riders who built and maintained it. It's a hard-fought victory for the neighbors who rallied to keep this unique, self-made space alive.
Meanwhile, the McKinley Park Development Council has landed a transformative $2.5 million City of Chicago investment for the 35th Street Commercial Corridor. The funding includes $1.8 million earmarked specifically for property improvements, with additional dollars flowing toward beautification, marketing, entrepreneur education, and wraparound services to support small businesses along the strip. Combined with the recently announced $200K public art grant, 35th Street is stacking up investments that signal a commercial corridor on the rise. Whether you're a longtime shopper, a small business owner, or just a neighbor who loves your block, this momentum belongs to all of you. Track every development at mckinleypark.news.
Sources:
1. https://www.facebook.com/McKinleyParkNews/
2. https://www.mpdcchicago.org/news