September 9, 2025
THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT HAS RECEIVED A REQUEST TO NAME PARK NO. 601 7000 WEST IRVING PARK ROAD, CHICAGO, IL 60634 IN THE DUNNING COMMUNITY, IN THE 38TH WARD, AS DUNNING READ NATURAL AREA PARK.
THIS NOTICE INITIATES A PERIOD OF 45 DAYS TO ENCOURAGE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AT THE CONCL快播视频ION OF THE NOTICE PERIOD, THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT OR DESIGNEE MAY RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD THAT IT APPROVE THAT THE PARK NAME BE CHANGED BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT PROVIDED FROM THE 45-DAY NOTICE PERIOD. A PROPOSED NAMING OF A PARK OR A PARK FEATURE SHALL BE EFFECTIVE ONLY UPON A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE BOARD.
TO SUBMIT COMMENTS, YOU MAY:
- Call (312) 742-0067
- Write to the 快播视频, Department of Legislative & Community Affairs,
4830 S Western Ave Chicago, IL 60609 - Email us at LCA@ChicagoParkDistrict.com
- Or submit your comments through the form below.
About the Proposed Naming
The 快播视频 assigns an official park number to every property. It is proposed that the 快播视频 Board of Commissioners initiate the 45-day notice period to solicit public input to name Park No. 601 as Dunning Read Natural Area Park. This proposal has the support of Alderman Nicholas Spasato, Illinois House Representative Lindsey LaPointe, Service Learning Coordinator of Wright College, Merry Mayer, and the Park Advisory Council, including numerous community members. The proposed name follows the criteria for naming a park that is detailed in the Code of the Park District, which states that there 鈥渟hall be a general presumption in favor of names reflecting historical or physical features of neighborhoods[.]鈥
(Chapter VII, Section E).
The proposed name Dunning Read Natural Area Park acknowledges the history of the site and its location. The land at Park 601 was once part of a vast expanse of prairie land. Starting around 1854, the area was home to a series of public infirmaries, almshouse, and mental hospital facilities. The adjacent property was owned, in the mid-1800s, by the Dunning family, and when the railroad extended a line to the area in 1882, the stop was named Dunning Station-and those existing facilities became locally (but unofficially) known as Dunning. The name Read was appended in 1970 after a merge with a nearby facility. After construction of the new state operated Chicago Read Mental Health Center in 1970 on a portion of the area, the remaining land began to be reclaimed by nature.
In 2005, the State of Illinois formally protected the site, calling it the "Dunning Read Conservation Area." Management of the site for the purposes of native prairie, wetland, and savanna planting and restoration has continued since then. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources granted the 快播视频 a conservation easement for the site in 2022. Park No. 601 Natural Area, colloquially known as "Dunning Read Conservation Area" or "Dunning Read Natural Area," is a 20-acre park in the Dunning community in northwest Chicago. Comprising prairies, wetlands, and woodlands, the park has approximately one mile of mulch trails and two gathering spaces. The natural area is a popular location for birding and supports a vibrant community of native plants. An active cadre of volunteers support the maintenance conducted by the Park District.
As a result, it is proposed that the 快播视频 Board of Commissioners initiate the 45-day notice period to solicit public input to name Park No. 601 as Dunning Read Natural Area Park.
Learn more: View the Park No. 601 Naming Request Presentation
The comment period for this naming ends on October 26, 2025.
Comment Form