The Broadway Armory Park, one of Chicago's only indoor parks, opened its doors to the community Dec. 1 after a $5 million renovation, bringing together children eager to play in their new digs with the politicians who made the project possible.
"Kids need a safe environment to play in. Bottom line," said Illinois State Representative Harry Osterman (D-14), walking across the glossy new gymnasium floor while local children took turns bouncing down an inflatable slide, which was rented just for the occasion.
"That's why we need to do this," he said, stopping to gesture to a toddler named Sophie, who was jumping up and down amid the new community center's opening-day atmosphere of exuberant fun. "The excitement of having kids [here] … it's great."
The Broadway Armory Park is located at the corner of Broadway and Thorndale, four blocks from Loyola's Lake Shore campus.
As the first of three phases that will cost a total of $20 million, the completed renovation provides the community center with a gymnastic center, fitness center, refurbished gymnasium floor and a renovated community room and ballroom.
The coming two project phases will add an extra community room and an early childhood room. When combined with the new satellite office of the Chicago Department on Aging, now located in the park, the project at completion will be able to provide programming and activities for everyone from infants to senior citizens.
Osterman, in addition to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-9), Alderman Mary Ann Smith (D-48) and Chicago Park district officials, dedicated the new community center with speeches and a ribbon cutting ceremony. Local teens began the ceremony with a full color guard, and the band and choir from nearby Swift Elementary Specialty School also performed.
"This is a story of governments working together at the federal, state and local level," said a spokesman for Mayor Richard M. Daley, referring to the federal and state funding that made the renovation possible. Daley was scheduled to attend the event but was unable to be there.
"Unfortunately for the park district, it is unique that federal government officials and state government officials bring funds back to their districts," the spokesman said.
Speaking to the community assembled at the ceremony, Schakowsky said, "I am so thrilled not only at the visible wonder of this place that's going to provide so many services and fun to the children, to the seniors.
"If you look at all of the ethnic groups that are represented, the different races and ages of people that are here today, this is our community, and this is such a marvelous place to celebrate our community," she said.
"There's been a lot of articles in the press over the years about earmarks and the evil of earmarks," Schakowsky continued. "But this is the result of an earmark to this community, over $3 million that has come back here. And I challenge anyone to come here and look at the result of this earmark and find someone who wouldn't cheer for what this earmark has done for our community."
Kenya Turner, an 11-year-old fifth grader who lives in Edgewater and played in the Swift School Band at the grand re-opening, said that she doesn't normally head to the center after school but that it's important that her neighborhood has after-school activities for children.
"If they have more places to go to after school and play, then they will have more people to talk to and have more fun with the neighborhood," Turner said.
Osterman lauded the renovated Broadway Armory Park as a community-building opportunity for kids from all walks of life.
"Kids need to have options to get off the street and enjoy healthy recreational activities," he said.
Kristi Piccolo of Rogers Park hopes that her family can enjoy recreational activities held in the renovated park. Although there is no waiting list to be a member, people in attendance said weekend classes were filling up quickly.
"I'm hoping for a Friday class, so we'll see," Piccolo mentioned while watching a gymnastics demonstration using the center's new equipment. "[It's] my first time signing up my 2-year-old, and we're going to try a gymnastics class," she said.
Also watching the silver and blue-clad gymnasts backflip past was Emily Delgado, who lives in Uptown with her family and thinks that the center is important "for children to have a taste of everything so they can decide for [themselves]." She said she likes that her family can try a variety of activities in one semester, adding "This is a very economic budget."
Osterman also mentioned the possibility of Loyola joining as a sponsor organization for the Broadway Armory Park. "Loyola might be a partner in a future endeavor. It's a great thing."
With two phases left to go and a captivated community, Osterman hopes for a successful completion for the next two phases. Stopping to shake hands with a grateful community member, he remarked, "We've got momentum."
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