PROPOSAL TO RENOVATE GUNTER CITY PARK By: Makenzie Perry and Hannah Potapov

QUOTE  “Playgrounds have a special place in our urban fabric, acting not only as places for children to play but also as spaces for public gathering and community expression. A well-designed playground offers a chance for a child – and a community – to explore, to imagine, and take risks.”

INTRODUCTION  A number of Gunter City residents and businesses have created a community group, GUNTER CITY PARK, to lobby for renovating our neighborhood playground. The Gunter City Park, is the closest park in our town. The playground is rundown and unsafe – the equipment is very old and doesn’t meet today’s playground standards. Numerous families, teachers, and students are forced to drive to other towns parks due to the parks poor conditions.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT GUNTER CITY PARK BE RENOVATED FOR MANY REASONS:  Children There is a medium (and growing) residential community surrounding the playground, as well as an Elementary that uses the park everyday. A bunch of children would use this park if it were up to today’s standards.

[CONTINUED]  Health There’s no question that play and time outdoors are paramount in the healthy development of kids – particularly with today’s epidemic of childhood obesity. Without a safe, accessible playground, lots of local children are at a disadvantage in terms of developing healthy habits and lifestyles.

[CONTINUED]  Community Playgrounds have the amazing ability to bring people together and express the interests and talents of the community. We could celebrate local children and artists by having them paint murals, create sculptures, or contribute to the park in other ways.

[CONTINUED]  Sustainability The trend in today’s communities is sustainability. Urban planners are creating environments where people walk more and drive less. Grocery stores, convenience stores, and other amenities are strategically located near homes so people don’t rely as heavily on cars for transportation. A nice playground is about the only thing we can’t walk to in our town. It’s time to change this.

PRELIMINARY BUDGET ESTIMATE  This budget estimate was prepared with the assistance of a local architect who has worked on several Chicago Park District playgrounds: Site Preparation $15,000 Grading, Drainage, Utilities $45,000 Play Areas o 2 to 5 year old equipment $15,000 o 5 to12 year old equipment $25,000 o Swing unit + 3 independents $16,000  Rubber Surfacing (est. 3,000 sq. ft.) $45,000

[CONTINUED]  Concrete walk, edging $12,000  Gates, fencing, trash receptacles, benches, $45,000  water fountain, bike rack  Lighting (3 new poles) $17,000  Landscaping $10,000  New native, drought-tolerant planting beds  Shade and specialty trees  Park and Community Signage $2,000  SUBTOTAL: $247,000  15% Contingency: $37,050  BUDGET ESTIMATE TOTAL $284,050 *

FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES STUDENTS OF THE GUNTER CITY PARK have been working very closely with Patsy Breedlove, the Gunter Park Board, and our community to raise money for the renovation. We are extremely motivated, capable, and well on our way!

COMMUNITY EVENTS  Playgrounds are all about community. We have organized a number of successful (and fun!) fundraising events that celebrate community, support our local businesses, and raise money for our playground in the process.

LOCAL BUSINESS DONATIONS We are in the process of finding local businesses who will support the Gunter City Park and help pay for the park equipment.

[CONTINUED]  Local Resident Donations  There are hundreds of nearby families who want this playground renovated for their children. A number of homes are single-family houses valued at over $1 million. Considering there are some wealthy families in the neighborhood, we are anticipating generous donations that will help us reach our community fundraising goal. For instance, one nearby owner has pledged a $5,000 donation and another has already donated $5,000.

RAFFLES We are going to see if we can hold raffles at several fundraisers. A number of local businesses may be very generous to donate prizes and hundreds of supporters may purchase tickets.

RESIDENTS & BUSINESSES WHO HAVE PLEDGED THEIR SUPPORT SO FAR  FRIENDS OF GUNTER CITY PARK has only recently begun to publicly seek local support. After only a few months of actively reaching out to our community, our list of supporters has grown to approximately 80% of people. We anticipate many additional pledges in the coming weeks and months.