ALBANY PARK — Eugene Field Park is set to add another piece of land along the Chicago River.
On Wednesday, the mayor's office announced the city's plan to buy a flood-prone, privately-owned lot at 5056 N. Monticello Ave. for $40,000. The land would then be turned over to the Chicago Park District and folded into Eugene Field, 5100 N. Ridgeway Ave., which occupies 12 acres along the river's bank in Albany Park.
A single-family home that once stood on the lot was demolished after being damaged in a flood in 2008. The property is being bought through Open Space Impact Fees, which the city collects from new residential developments and uses to help increase the amount of open space in neighborhoods.
Eugene Field Park, founded in 1923 and named after the author of the poem "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod," recently underwent a significant wetlands restoration project overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers. The wetlands are designed to help manage flooding in the area by holding water during periods of heavy rains and draining gradually.