ROGERS PARK — The playground at Touhy Park will undergo a $450,000 face-lift after years of complaints about the rusted and decrepit space.
Parents and the park's advisory council bemoaned the dilapidated equipment for years before the project was put on the 49th Ward's participatory budgeting ballot in 2011, and again this year, after the project ended up costing more than expected.
Now there are complaints that the money that's been allocated in Ald. Joe Moore's discretionary budget is being wasted because half of the equipment is being razed and not replaced.
"That’s a waste of money," said Kathi Mulligan, a member of the advisory council.
An updated design for the space will include a new swing set, two new pieces of play equipment and a soft rubber ground surface to replace the bark used now.
The Chicago Park District plans to shut down the busy playground in the spring for three to four months to complete the work.
Tony Iniquez, president of the advisory council, has been pushing the city since 2005 to rehab the playground.
