BELMONT CRAGIN — After four years of construction and more than a decade of advocacy, the Riis Park Fieldhouse is finally complete.
Neighbors and elected officials celebrated the $13 million renovation project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday. The fieldhouse, 6100 W. Fullerton Ave., was built in the 1930s and is a part of the 57-acre Riis Park. Improvements included a new teen room, upgraded art room with a kiln, rehabbed lobby and auditorium, elevator, concrete ramp, new roof and gutters, masonry repairs and landscaping. Construction on an outdoor water spray pool is slated to be completed this June.
Norma Lopez, a member of the Riis Park Advisory Council, said the project spanned three mayoral administrations.
“It’s been a long road, but I think we kept our promise,” said Lopez, whose children attend the nearby Belmont-Cragin Elementary School.
The field house renovation was part of the neighborhood’s years-long push for a new elementary school. Neighbors began advocating for the school around 2013 as the area’s youth population rapidly grew and many local schools became overcrowded, Lopez said.
As part of the school project, officials sought tax-increment financing (TIF) to also renovate the aging field house. The City Council approved that TIF in early 2021.
The field house has been closed for construction since 2021, Riis Park Supervisor Keith Hammerberg said. However, the park was able to move programs to the gym the field house shares with the Belmont-Cragin Elementary School and Early Childhood Education Center after the new school opened in fall 2022, Hammerberg said.
The field house was supposed to reopen in June 2024, but the project faced delays, including failing the initial city water inspection, Hammerberg said during a community meeting in July.
“Today is a testament to the dedication and the hard work of those who fought for a new school and for the field house,” said Ald. Ruth Cruz (30th), whose ward encompasses Riis Park. “Your persistence and your commitment made this moment possible.”
Hammerberg said the renovated field house will allow the park to offer even more programs, something neighbors have been asking for. This spring, the park will launch a teen club, and three pickleball courts opened at the park last fall, he said.
“We can still be a community park for people who live nearby and also be a destination,” Hammerberg said.
With 10 tennis courts, two playgrounds, an outdoor pool, soccer fields and a casting pier, Riis Park has long been a “gathering space” for neighbors, said Joan Coogan, Park District chief of staff.
Cathy Scienski has lived near Riis Park for 42 years, but the park has been a part of her family for much longer.
During the Great Depression, Scienski’s grandfather worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps and helped build the Riis Park pool. Scienski said her children played basketball at the park and went to preschool in the field house. Scienski still takes her grandchildren to Riis Park when they visit.
Scienski said she’s been waiting for the field house to open because she wants to check out the new art classes.
“The park’s been a big part of our lives,” Scienski said.
Lopez said the new field house “came from the community and was for the community.” She said she’s excited to see the park continue to improve and grow its offerings.
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