As the only freestanding public park in Norridge, the tiny Iron Ball Playground on the corner of Montrose and Octavia avenues has been a key site for the Norridge Park District since it started leasing the land from the village in the mid-1990s.
The terms of the 50-year lease the park district has with the village to rent the property for $1 per year, however, puts the park’s future at the mercy of village officials, who potentially could revoke the lease and use the land for another purpose.
Being at the mercy of the village for more than two decades since the park opened has made park district executive director Mark DeSalvo uncomfortable. So when a home bordering the park property went up for sale recently, the park district didn’t hesitate to snatch up the property.
The park district is planning to close on the sale of the 3,100-square-foot lot at 7245 W. Montrose Ave. on Friday.
“Having the land will automatically guarantee that we’ll always have a park there,” DeSalvo said. “In the event that the village decided they need the property in the future, our lease agreement would be null and void.”
The home that occupies the property was built in 1935 and was recently listed for sale by the son of the original owner, according to information from the park district. DeSalvo did not confirm how much the park district is paying for the property, but real estate website Zillow.com shows the home is pending sale after being listed March 11 at $214,900.
More Top Picks Best Harmonicas For Beginners
Although the village doesn’t have plans to kick the park off the land, that hasn’t stopped it from tapping into the site’s commercial potential. The village has leased space on top of and next to the water tower for use as a cellphone communication tower.
Part of the telecommunications equipment includes a large concrete mechanical box that sits in the park near the playground.
“The village has one cell site on the water tower, and at the present time the village has no other plans for the property,” said Brian Gaseor, building commissioner for Norridge.
Nonetheless, DeSalvo said he wants to make sure the park district is safeguarded against losing the park in an age when infrastructure expansion for the wireless and telecommunications industry is easy to envision.
“In 1994 when the park opened, I never envisioned we’d have cellphones, but telecommunications was right on the cusp of taking over,” DeSalvo said. “If the village never does anything with the land, then the park will be bigger – but if they ever had to do something, now we can ensure that there will always be a park there.”
The park board approved an ordinance to purchase the land during a March 16 regular park board meeting. The house will be demolished as soon as the property clears asbestos screening from the Illinois Environmental Protection Association and after Cook County issues a demolition permit – a process that could take at least a month.
Before the expansion opens, the park district will landscape the property by planting grass and adding fencing along the side of the lot bordering Montrose Avenue, according to the park district.
There are no plans to put additional playground equipment or any other park facilities in the new space.
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.