Chicago’s Illinois Medical District (IMD) welcomed a new public green space on Tuesday, marking the first park built in the district in decades. The one‑acre IMD Park, located at the triangle of West Polk Street, South Damen Avenue and West Ogden Avenue, is anchored by the Global COVID‑19 Monument of Honor, Remembrance and Resilience.
Monument design honors frontline heroes
The centerpiece of the park is a trio of soaring stainless‑steel sculptures, the tallest rising 25 feet. Each sculpture blends the shape of a dandelion puff with the core of the COVID‑19 virus, symbolizing the universal suffering of the pandemic. According to Sally Metzler, chair of the COVID‑19 Monument Commission and a professor at the Hektoen Institute of Medicine, the three stems represent the monument’s pillars: honor, remembrance and resilience.
“This monument of honor, remembrance and resilience gives this park an enduring purpose: to remember those we lost, to honor the healthcare workers, the essential workers, the patients and the families whose lives were forever changed by the pandemic,” said Allyson Hansen, CEO of the Illinois Medical District Commission.
Features for families and the community
Surrounding the sculpture are five abstract benches, each topped with a silver globe representing one of the world’s continents. The park also includes two fitness zones, a playground, a concrete walking path and multiple seating areas for gathering. A future lawn will host community programs, and the top sections of the sculpture will illuminate at night in rotating colors once final lighting plans are approved with the city and ComEd.
“This is your park, come often, find a moment of peace and make it your own,” Hansen told attendees at the ribbon‑cutting ceremony. The park will remain unfenced and open 24 hours a day, allowing residents and visitors to pause for reflection whenever needed.
Funding and collaboration
The $4.95 million project was funded through a mix of state appropriations and grant support. State Senator Lakesia Collins secured $3.4 million from the Illinois Capital Appropriation, while State Representative Yolanda Morris added a half‑million. Additional money came from the state’s Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Program and a grant from the Hektoen Institute of Medicine.
Construction began in November after the demolition of the former Easter Seals building on the site. As of the ceremony, crews were still planting trees and completing landscaping, with full public access expected by Dec. 1.
Community response
Local doctors, nurses, patients and volunteers praised the tribute. Metzler expressed “immense pride” that the monument became a reality, noting the location’s proximity to Stroger Hospital, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Rush Medical Center and the University of Illinois Hospital.
In addition to the physical memorial, a virtual monument at covidmemorialmonument.org invites visitors to honor loved ones lost to COVID‑19 by adding tributes to a digital dandelion garden.
Looking ahead
The new park adds a vital green space to the IMD’s 560‑acre special‑zoning area, which houses the nation’s largest concentration of urban healthcare facilities. City officials see the park as a lasting reminder of the pandemic’s challenges and a symbol of the community’s resilience moving forward.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
