In upcoming weeks, repair and restoration work will begin in the playground and garden areas to address the flooding problems.  We are just waiting for the Park District to approve the contractor’s proposal.

In the playground, a dry drain will be installed in bottom of the sandbox so that the water will drain and seep into the ground correctly.  Once the new drain is completed, new sand will be installed into the sandbox.

Infrastructure work will also be done in the Western half of the Tranquil Garden to alleviate the flooding problems which have cause the garden area to sink and destroy much of the plants.  A drainage system will be also be installed in the garden that hopefully will correct the problem.   The two circular “coin” areas will be repaved with concrete to prevent the sinking/heaving problems in the pathways.  The interior pathways by the “oval” will be replaced with crush limestone instead of the current screening material.

Our plan is to have all the infrastructure corrected before we start replacing the plant materials.  To help fund the playground and garden restoration projects, the Skinner Park Advisory Council will be selling donor tiles soon.  They will be similar to the ones that are already installed in the playground.   We also want to thank everyone, including our 4-legged friends, who volunteer and supported the 2014 West Loop Dog Calendar that already raised funds towards these restoration projects.