Park District To Rename South Side Park After Hadiya Pendleton
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two years after she was slain in the Kenwood neighborhood, the Chicago Park District board has voted to name a Bronzeville park in memory of honor student Hadiya Pendleton.
The park district will spend nearly $2 million to improve Buckthorn Park, a tiny playground near 43rd Street and Calumet Avenue, and rename it in honor of Pendleton.
Park District General Superintendent Michael Kelly said the renamed Hadiya Pendleton Park will cover more than two acres, including two blocks of Calumet Avenue that will be vacated. It also will include a fitness area, an amphitheater, landscaping, open and creative play areas, walking paths, and sculptural seating.
"It's a small gesture we can do, but hopefully one that will turn something ugly into something beautiful and really underscore how important our children are to Chicago," Kelly said.
Ground will be broken this summer, with completion expected sometime next year.