A park in Bronzeville will likely be renamed next week to honor Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old King College Prep High School honor student who was shot and killed in 2013 a week after performing at President Obama’s inauguration.
The Chicago Park District board at its Wednesday meeting will consider changing the name of Buckthorn Playlot Park after Pendleton, who lived a couple blocks away from the park. Buckthorn Park was named by the park district in 1974 for the trees and plants there.
Pendleton was killed at Harsh Park, less than two miles from the Bronzeville park and about a mile away from President Obama’s home in Kenwood.
In February when the idea was officially proposed, Pendleton’s mother Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton told RedEye having a park in Hadiya’s name can help keep her memory alive, particularly for future generations who may wonder who Hadiya was and why a park is named after her.
“It’ll give them an opportunity to look into it and see she was a great kid and wanted the best for people and for everyone,” Cowley-Pendleton said the time. “To have a place that can spark that conversation means a lot.”
The playlot at 4345 S. Calumet Ave. will be expanded from two-tenths of an acre to a two-acre park. The $1.68 million park will include a new playground, water feature, a dog-friendly area and fitness stations. The design of the park will reflect the neighborhood’s rich arts history, including a “musical staff path,” as well as sculptural seating to emulate books and musical instruments, according to the park district.
The park expansion would be funded by $1.1 million in city fees paid by developers of new residential projects across Chicago, $200,000 in tax increment financing, $200,000 in surplus funds from the 2012 NATO summit and the remainder coming from the park district.
“Naming the expanded park in honor of Hadiya Pendleton is not only a fitting tribute to a talented high school student, but also an important symbol of Chicago galvanizing against gun violence and rallying in support of safer neighborhoods,” the park district naming proposal said.
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