Avondale parents feel blindsided by plan to use park as migrant respite site
CHICAGO (CBS) – Residents on Chicago's northwest side are feeling both confusion and frustration after parents say they were blindsided by the city's plans to take over their park to convert it into a migrant center.
The move, parents said, puts many programs in jeopardy. CBS 2's Andrew Ramos spoke to concerned residents in Avondale.
On Tuesday, when parents picked up their children who attend after-school programs at Brands Park, they learned about this sudden change. Many in the neighborhood were stunned and questions remain, which adds to the frustration.
"I think it's again, it's the initial shock and the lack of communication, and not knowing what the plan is moving forward," said parent Courtney Torchia, who added she's been on edge since Tuesday.
That's when the single mom from Avondale learned that Brands Park was being shut down and the after-school program her two boys attend will be abruptly relocated.
Even worse, parents were told the summer programs they and other families rely heavily on have been canceled.
"You can't tell me the city didn't know that they were planning to shut down Brands and so now all these parents enrolled thinking their park will be open for the summer," Torchia said. "You know that was really unfair."
Brands Park played host to two after-school programs. One of them is being moved to Horner Park, over a mile away.
The other will move to Linne Elementary, just about a 4-minute walk from Brands.
The city is designating the facility as a temporary migrant "respite site" in the wake of the arrival of thousands of migrants from the southern border.
Ald. Rosanna Rodriguez (33rd) said it will serve as a transitional location for incoming migrants until they can be placed into a temporary shelter.
"It is going to be inconvenient for some people. It is also the right thing to do in terms of humanity," Rodriguez said.
Small business owner Tony Romanik said about the change, "Nobody knew about it. That's the hardest part. It feels like we are losing a lot of trust in our local officials."
For Romanik, who owns a dog training facility and uses the park for a bulk of his business, he simply wants more clarity on what appears to be a very foggy situation.
"How can the mayor's office, the alderman's office, or whoever it is, help us understand how to help these people, while not robbing Peter to pay Paul?" Romanik said.
As for what Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson plans to do, he says on day one he will be ready to coordinate a response from the local, state, and national levels.
CBS 2 is awaiting a response from the Chicago Park District on the timeline for the changes and how long the park will be closed.