(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Days after their school playground was destroyed by a suspicious fire, parents at Nixon Elementary in the Hermosa neighborhood heard plans from Chicago Public Schools for rebuilding it.
Ward 35 Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa on Thursday said CPS officials pledged to have the playground cleaned up this weekend and have already hired an architect to rebuild it by spring.
About 50 parents came out to the meeting in the school auditorium. Many helped raise funds for the playground in 2018, only to see it burned Tuesday night.
Edwin Torres says he and other parents are left with a lot questions about what the city will do to improve safety around the school.
To rebuild the playground, Ramirez-Rosa said he’ll use $100,000 from his ward budget. He said he expects CPS to chip in at least twice that.
“This was a travesty, what occurred in our community. We’re so glad that CPS is taking this issue seriously,” the alderman said.
Meanwhile, police are seeking any video of the fire.