The petition
To: Chicago Park District
We are a group of neighbors opposed to the privatization of Lincoln Park. We object to a secret deal made between the Chicago Park District and the Latin School of Chicago to build a soccer field in Lincoln Park near the bridge that spans Lake Shore Drive to North Avenue Beach.
This field is being partially paid for by the Latin School which is to be granted the majority of kid-friendly, prime-time hours. The Latin School has also been given rights to sell sponsorships for this facility and to display marketing materials for sponsors, including logos.
We are not opposed to kids playing soccer but we are opposed to a permanent structure that eliminates the enjoyment of this beautiful and popular south field area in public Lincoln Park by ordinary citizens and taxpayers, replacing it with an Astroturf soccer field – that will actually become the priority reserve of the private Latin School of Chicago. And we are opposed to the closed door manner in which this deal was made and the fact that the tax-paying public will be shut out from this part of the park for ten years and perhaps longer.
We view this as privatization of public park lands and as such call on the Chicago Park District to void this contract and to hold open, transparent, and sufficiently publicized public hearings to allow for full public discussion to address the many liabilities and dangerous historical precedent inherent in this ill conceived venture.
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