Morgan Park Sports Center Details to be Revealed This Thursday

A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30 and the topic of discussion will be the planned Morgan Park Sports Center to be located at 115th and Western Avenue. 

The ice rink and gymnastics center planned for the site was formally announced back in October 2013 with much fanfare. Thursday's meeting will start at 7 p.m. and takes place at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W 111th St.

The event is hosted by Ald. Matt. O'Shea, the Chicago Park District and the Southwest Morgan Park Civic Association. Details about the specific architectural plans for the center will be revealed and the results of a traffic study that closed 115th Street at Western Ave. will also be discussed. 

Construction on the center could start as soon as this year and has a price tag of about $12 million. The project will largely be paid for by TIF funds from the Western Avenue/Rock Island TIF district. It will be the first ice rink of its kind run by the Chicago Park District. 

"If I heard once, I heard over a thousand times about the need for an ice rink and for a gymnastics center here on the southwest side in the Beverly community," Mayor Emanuel said when announcing construction with O'Shea last October. 

The new facilities will hold programs for speed skating, figure skating, gymnastics and hockey and will also be home to programs from Special Olympics. 

Residents have previously voiced concerns about the closure of 115th Street necessary to develop the long-vacant properties. That is a subject likely to receive much attention at Thursday night's meeting. 

Find More Background on the Athletic Center:

• Emanuel, O'Shea Announce Construction Of Sports Center at 115th and Western Ave.

• Indoor Ice Rink, Gymnastics Center Could Soon Fill Vacant Western Avenue Lots