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May 15, 2008 10:39 am US/Central
Park District Calls Off Latin School Soccer Field
Field For Private Latin School Called 'Theft Of Public Land' By Opponents
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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The Chicago Park District is expected to scrap plans for this partially-finished soccer field in Lincoln Park, which was intended for use by the private Latin School of Chicago.
CBS
The Chicago Park District has scrapped a controversial plan to allow a private school to build a soccer field in Lincoln Park.
The field intended for use primarily by the Latin School, at Clark Street and North Avenue, was already 80 percent completed along Cannon Drive toward the south end of the park when neighborhood groups cried foul. The group Protect Our Parks called it a "theft of public land."
The Park District is not abandoning the plan entirely. Officials there hope to have public hearings on the proposal.
A neighborhood organization filed suit to stop construction of the field two weeks ago. Cook County Judge Dorothy Kinnaird allowed construction to continue but not the installation of lights, scoreboards, goal posts or benches.
Calling the Latin School "an elite, private, well-connected school,'' Kinnaird said the park district agreement was developed in a "secrecy" that did not allow for adequate public input.
But Parks Supt. Timothy Mitchell and other officials had praised Latin School as a "partner" whose $2 million financial contribution benefitted the entire community. Latin School would have had use of the field only about 20 percent of the time.
Mayor Richard M. Daley has also spoken in favor of the soccer field. He was quoted in both the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times as saying Lincoln Park needs more sports facilities, and that it would be better for the park to keep the soccer field than to revert it to a meadow, as Protect Our Parks wants.
For the lawsuit, attorneys for the two sides were in court last week and asked to meet with the judge later Thursday.
The STNG Wire contributed to this report.
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