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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING THE 606 PARK AND TRAIL SYSTEM
WHEREAS, The 606 takes Chicago's legacy of great parks to new heights through the construction of a 2.7 mile park and elevated trail system on Chicago's Northwest side; and
WHEREAS, the centerpiece of The 606, the Bloomingdale Trail, will be linked to five ground-level neighborhood parks, as well as an observatory, wheel-friendly event plaza, various art installations and other amenities; and
WHEREAS, The 606 connects parks, people, classrooms and communities - the old railroad embankment that once physically separated the Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park neighborhoods now will knit them together; and
WHEREAS, the project will provide an urban oasis for the 80,000 people, including 20,000 children, who live within a ten-minute walk; and
WHEREAS, it is also planned as a resource for Chicagoans citywide, a transportation alternative, and a living work of art, which is already garnering attention nationally and internationally; and
WHEREAS, The 606 is the result of collaboration between a variety of stakeholders, including the City of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, Cook County, The Trust for Public Land, the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, and a wide network of community groups and neighbors; and
WHEREAS, The 606 is a decade in the making, beginning with public meetings initiated by the City's planning department to increase open space in Logan Square, resulting in the idea of using the elevated Bloomingdale train line for a park; and
WHEREAS, it was such a powerful idea that neighbors formed Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail to help make it happen, and the concept was included in the Logan Square Open Space Plan; and
WHEREAS, the plan was adopted by the Chicago Plan Commission and the Chicago Park District in 2004; and
WHEREAS, the Chicago Department of Transportation was successful in securing federal transportation funding for the alternative transportation network portion of the project; and
WHEREAS, the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail sought assistance from The Trust for Public - the nation's leading nonprofit working to conserve land for people - to help make the project a reality; and
WHEREAS, The Trust for Public Land is now the lead private partner on the project, and is supporting the planning and implementation process in partnership with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District; and
WHEREAS, final designs for the project were reached through a multi-year, community-driven process focused on identifying desired design features and priorities for the park and trail system; and
WHEREAS, Cook County has supported this project with an allocation of $2.265 million for updates to the bridges across Western and Ashland Avenues at Bloomingdale Avenue, resulting in reduced traffic bottlenecking, ADA-compliant sidewalks, and an access ramps to the Bloomingdale Trail; and,
WHEREAS, the park and trail system is the signature project of Mayor Emanuel's push to create 800 new parks, recreation areas and green spaces throughout Chicago over the next five years; and
WHEREAS, the park and trail system is named for the 606 zip code prefix all Chicagoans share; and
WHEREAS, it is yet another Chicago icon that brings together innovative urban planning, green space, and the arts, and will change the way you see our city.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the President and Cook County Board of Commissioners and on behalf of all citizens of Cook County, would like to recognize and congratulate The 606 Park and Trail System for their achievement and work in the community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the representatives of The 606 Park and Trail System.
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