City officials have a big hurdle to clear before Chicago’s first public indoor track and field facility can get built in Pullman.
The 90,000-square-foot track and field facility in Gately Park, estimated by the city to cost roughly $22 million to $26 million, would feature a 200-meter track with six lanes and space for Chicagoans to train, practice and compete in long jump, high jump, and shot put events.
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But much of that cost – at least $14.5 million – was going to be covered by state funds until Gov. Rauner froze the grants earlier this year amid the state’s fiscal crisis. The city wants that funding restored immediately and released a conceptual rendering over the weekend of the Gately Park facility to nudge the governor.
In March, Mayor Emanuel rallied with other state and local officials at Gately Park urging Rauner to reinstate state grant funding for park projects.
Despite the freeze of state funds, the city is not considering scaling back plans for the project that has been a top priority for Emanuel, according to mayoral spokeswoman Shannon Breymaier. The community has been advocating for the project from more than three decades, she said.
“It is important to note that the state funding is suspended – not scrapped – and we hope the Governor will realize the value of this project and the opportunity to support so many Chicago youth,” Breymaier said.
The project, located at 810 E. 103rd St., is still in the design phase. The city plans to move forward with design and construction timetables as much as possible while the state grant funding is on hold, she said. Construction was planned for 2016.
Additional funding sources include $1 million in tax increment financing and $3 million from the Chicago Park District, Breymaier said. The park district is also seeking other funding, she said.
“The funding freeze is detrimental to opportunities for youth in the area and restricts the area’s economic development, as the freeze is delaying good construction jobs and permanent jobs. We hope the Governor realizes the negative impacts of this freeze and moves to reinstate the funding immediately,” she said.
A statement from Rauner’s office pointed to the state’s financial mess as the reason for the frozen grants.
“Speaker Madigan and legislators he controls passed a budget with a $4 billion hole, and [Illinois Department of Natural Resources] park grants have been suspended to ensure taxpayer dollars are prioritized to the most vulnerable populations,” the statement said.