Migrants to be moved out of five Chicago Park District sites
CHICAGO (CBS) — Hundreds of migrants staying at five Chicago Park District facilities serving as temporary shelters will soon be moved to other locations to reopen those park sites to the public.
Mayor Brandon Johnson's office said, beginning Saturday, migrants currently living in the field houses at Gage Park in the neighborhood of the same name, Broadway Armory Park in Edgewater, Brands Park in Avondale, Leone Park in the Rogers Park neighborhood, and Piotrowski Park in Little Village will be moved to other shelters "over the next several weeks."
"After all shelter residents have been transitioned to another shelter, the Park District will begin restoring the facilities and resuming park programming and other park operations at each of the five locations currently used as temporary emergency shelters," Johnson's office said in a news release.
There are more than 100 migrants at Brands Park, 200 at Broadway Armory Park, almost 300 at Gage Park, over 60 at Leone Park, and 140 at Piotrowski Park. According to city data, that is about 800 people in total.
Once those migrant shelters are closed, Park District officials will assess the facilities and conduct any repairs or other maintenance needed to resume normal operations. The mayor's office said it expects all five park district sites to be ready for a full slate of summer programming this year.
"I am proud of the efforts of my administration, our partners, and the many Chicagoans who stepped up to welcome new arrivals by providing shelter in our Park District field houses at a time when this was clearly needed," Johnson said in a statement. "We are grateful to the alderpersons and communities who have embraced new neighbors with open arms, and we are pleased that these park facilities will be transitioned back to their intended purpose in time for summer programming."
The number of migrants staying in city-run shelters has dropped significantly in recent months, and the mayor's office said the five park district facilities currently being used as shelters are no longer needed to house migrants.
This development is welcome news for some families who took advantage of programming at the field houses. Such programming was made less accessible when migrants were living in the spaces.
CBS 2 first talked with Tiffoni Stepney Davis and her daughter, Breche Hardy, when the Gage Park field house closed to the public months ago. Davis and her daughter were pleased that the field house is reopening.
"So I felt like we're going back home - like this is our second home," said Davis.
The programming in which Breche was enrolled included cooking classes, art classes, and exercise programs for adults with disabilities. The programs weren't canceled, but they might as well have been.
All programming was relocated to McKinley Park – far enough from home that it became impossible to keep the same schedule.
"I had to cut the days in programming that I took her about 50%, because I could not make it all the way down to McKinley Park," said Davis.
The change meant the routine Breche had maintained for 14 years was completely uprooted.
"I can just tell - she's been there for 14 years, and that was her second home," said Davis. "So that was taken away."
Davis said the news that the Gage Park field house is reopening to the public felt like a call to come back home.
"The Park District programming is the only programming some people have once they graduate from the special education system, so this is the only programming that she's allowed," said Davis, "and then also the social aspect of it, and being able to be there with other participants; doing activities; being able to participate in Special Olympics."
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) joined neighbors, trying to hold the city accountable to its promise.
"By the end of March, this shelter will be empty," Lopez said as he stood outside the Gage Park field house.
The city said its plan is to move asylum seekers – families especially – with as little disruption to their lives as possible.
"It's not because we're anti-immigrant like everyone's trying to say. It's because we are neighborhood-oriented," said neighbor Julio Ocampo. "We protect our neighborhood, and we want to care for our neighborhood."
As of Monday morning, 10,555 migrants were living in 23 city shelters, down from 14,717 migrants in 27 shelters at the start of the year.