CHICAGO — City foresters are greening the 45th ward with 260 new trees, with another 100 soon to follow, Ald. John Arena's office announced this week.
The planting spree follows through on an item from last year's participatory budgeting process, when constituents voted to set aside $243,000 from the ward's discretionary budget for 450 new trees.
The trees are being added all across the ward, including clusters near Farnsworth Elementary School, 5414 N. Linder Ave.; Roberts Square Park, 5000 N. Laramie Ave., and Independence Park, 3630 W. Waveland Ave., according to Owen Brugh, Arena's chief of staff.
Others are being planted along Milwaukee Avenue in Jefferson Park and Portage Park, including an elm tree just outside the alderman's office in the 4700 block of Milwaukee, whose picture he snapped and shared on Facebook Tuesday.
Many trees along Milwaukee have been wiped out by emerald ash borer disease in recent years, and officials are aiming to fill in the gaps, Brugh said.
The ward has budgeted for dozens more trees whose sites have yet to be determined, he said. Residents can request trees near their homes by emailing ward45@cityofchicago.org.
