City needs downtown park

Des Plaines needs a new downtown park between Lee Street and Graceland Avenue along Prairie Avenue. It’s been a parking lot for years. We don’t need another high-rise at that location.

Des Plaines lacks a big downtown park. We need a community green space for concerts and the like. Currently, we have Central Park on Thacker Street near River Road, but it’s too small to accommodate much. Many other suburbs have something much bigger.

A new downtown park would provide welcome relief from the surrounding condo buildings, make downtown more inviting, and raise property values. The park district and city should investigate state or federal funding for this purpose. For example, Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) funds may be available from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Local fundraising also may be possible.

Chris Martin

Des Plaines