Residents want to be heard on plans to demolish Clarendon Park Community Center Clarendon Park Community Center

Three years ago, Lara Dunbar was getting used to being a stay-at-home mother after working full-time as an office administrator downtown, when she started walking around Clarendon Park.

Park staff, she said, were a welcome resource for children's activities.

Dunbar, 34, now brings her children - Evan, 6, Alexander, 3, and 6-week old Russell - to Clarendon Park at least three times a week to play. Evan attends the after-school program Park Kids. He's home-schooled, so Dunbar values the chance for him to socialize.

"He gets to not only spend time with kids his own age, but older kids," Dunbar said.

But Evan and other children in that program could be displaced. Planned renovations to the park's community center, 4501 N. Clarendon Ave., may disrupt Chicago Park District programs.

The Clarendon Park Advisory Council is petitioning to save the community center from total demolition; they plan to voice their concerns at the Park District Board of Commissioners' meeting Wednesday.

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