CHICAGO — Migrants will soon be moved out of five temporary shelters at Park District buildings as the city will resume programs for neighbors.
Beginning Saturday, migrant staying at Gage Park, 2411 W. 55th St.; the Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N. Broadway; Brands Park, 3285 N. Elston Ave.; Leone Park, 1222 W. Touhy Ave.; and Piotrowski Park, 4247 W. 31st St., will be moved to other nearby shelters, according to a Monday morning news release from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Office.
Once the field houses are empty, the Park District will conduct any work needed to reopen them to the public. Full summer program schedules are expected to return at these five park facilities, according to the Mayor’s Office.
“I am proud of the efforts of my administration, our partners and the many Chicagoans who stepped up to welcome new arrivals by providing shelter in our Park District field houses at a time when this was clearly needed,” Johnson said in a statement. “We are grateful to the alderpersons and communities who have embraced new neighbors with open arms, and we are pleased that these park facilities will be transitioned back to their intended purpose in time for summer programming.”
Earlier this month, there were about 830 migrants staying at these five migrant shelters, according to city data: 107 at Brands, 223 at Broadway Armory, 297 at Gage, 61 at Leone, 142 at Piotrowski.
Alderpeople whose wards include some of the Park District shelters applauded the Johnson administration for returning use of the field houses to the public, including Mike Rodriguez (22nd), Ray Lopez (15th) and Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th).
“I am proud of the 48th Ward for stepping up when our support was needed,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said in a statement. “The Broadway Armory Park is the only park in our ward, and our young people are excited to have access to the park and park programming once again.”
Park District buildings were first tapped to serve as temporary emergency shelters when migrants started arriving to the city in fall 2022, and they have been used throughout the city’s response.
At times, some neighbors criticized the city’s choice to take away access to park facilities from the neighborhoods.
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