Ping Tom Memorial Park
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| Ping Tom Memorial Park | |
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| Type | public park |
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| Location | Chinatown, Chicago |
| 41°51′25″N 87°38′5″W / 41.85694°N 87.63472°WCoordinates: 41°51′25″N 87°38′5″W / 41.85694°N 87.63472°W | |
| Size | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Opened | 1999-10-02 |
| Operated by | Chicago Park District |
Ping Tom Memorial Park is a 12-acre (49,000 m2) public urban park in Chicago, Illinois near Chinatown, Chicago, located at 19th Street and the South Branch of the Chicago River. It is owned and operated by the Chicago Park District.
The park was designed by Ernest C. Wong of Site Design Group, Ltd. The park is unique because it has many Chinese features, including a riverfront pavilion and bamboo gardens. It also has a playground. In the summer, the park is a popular destination, especially when the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce organizes a dragon boat race.
In 2008, the Chicago Water Taxi added weekend service to the park.
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[edit] History
The Chicago Park District acquired the site for the park in 1991. It was formerly a rail yard. After the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway in the 1960s, nearby parks, Hardin Square and Stanford Park, were demolished. Residents of Chinatown waited about thirty years for a replacement. On October 2, 1999, the park was dedicated after Ping Tom, a local business and community leader who was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the park.
In 2005, members of the community, including the Chinese American Development Corporation, privately commissioned a bust of Ping Tom that was made in China. It was installed in the park to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death.
In 2002, the Chicago Park District acquired five additional acres north of the 18th street bridge to expand the park, where there is already a baseball field. Residents hope to have a field house built someday.
As of 2008, the Chicago Park District is in the process of approving a design for a part of phase two of the expansion of the park, which is located on approximately 5.9 acres (24,000 m2) of land along the Chicago River and to the north of the 18th street bridge. The landscape design is again by Site Design Group, Ltd.
[edit] Awards
- Best Open Space, Friends of Downtown (2000)
- Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence (2001)
- Honor Award, American Society of Landscape Architects (2000)
[edit] Trivia
Season 6 of The Amazing Race, a show on CBS ended in the park.[1]
[edit] Notes
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Ping Tom Memorial Park Advisory Board Page
- Chicago Park District page
- Chinatown Chamber of Commerce
- Site Design Group, Ltd.
- Friends of the Chicago River
- Satellite view from Google maps
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