A Chance to Voice Your Opinion to the National Park Service

It has been a while since my last post but we have some good news to share.

As you know, we were awarded an assistance grant from the National Park Service. They have been reaching out to local organizations to get their feedback on how to best use the village-owned property known as Altenheim, concerning what type of green space amenities should be developed.


They are, not, however directly addressing the performing arts venue included in our Cultural Park Concept.

They have now entered the public outreach phase of their research and are seeking opinions from the general public. They will have tables set up at the events with an Activities/Amenities poster and an Opportunities/Concerns poster for people to leave feedback. They will also have some pictures and images of the site.


As of today, the scheduled community outreach events are at the following dates/times:


Forest Park, Park District, 7501 Harrison St, Forest Park, IL 60130
 Saturday, June 30th - 11am-2pm
 Saturday, August 4th - 11am-2pm

Public Library 7555 Jackson Blvd, Forest Park, IL 60130
 Wednesday, July 25th - 4pm-7pm
 Wednesday, August 8th - 4pm-7pm


It is important that supporters of the Cultural Park Concept, including a performing arts venue, attend these meetings to voice their opinions and raise questions on how the property should be utilized.


Please plan on attending one or more of these meetings, your input is essential to moving this concept forward.


I hope to see you there.


Ralph

VILLAGE AWARDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Hi Everybody

 

Great news! 

The National Park Service; Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance has awarded Forest Park an Assistance Grant to study the Cultural Park Concept. This is not a monetary grant rather a technical assistance grant for the Cultural Park. They will soon be contacting the village to see how they can help the Village with studying the possibility of creating the Cultural Park.  We hope they will be able to guide us to possible funding sources.

Later this month the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) will be announcing the winners of their grant.  This grant will be for completing the actual feasibility.

For Immediate Release Contact: Mayor Calderone

Ph. 708-615-6200

VILLAGE AWARDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CREATION OF A CULTURAL PARK

Forest Park, Illinois – Mayor Anthony Calderone received great news last week when he received notice that the Village will be the recipient of a Technical Assistance Grant via the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program of the National Park Service. The grant will provide expert technical assistance in the development of a Cultural Park.
Envisioned to be built on the south end of the Altenheim, the Cultural Park has been widely discussed throughout the community as a fitting use for the vacant parcel owned by the Village. The idea is to construct a venue where a number of social and musical events could be held among the natural surroundings.
"We are super excited to have the National Park Service at our disposal to aid us if we move forward with this project," said the Mayor, adding, "their expertise in this initiative will be invaluable and we are extremely grateful for this award."
The Forest Park Cultural Park is the brainchild of resident Ralph DiFebo. Other volunteers, including residents, professional architects, and engineers have come together under an ad-hoc committee created and endorsed by the Mayor and Commissioners. Commissioner Rachell Entler is its village liaison.
In addition to this grant, the Mayor has submitted another grant application for a feasibility study offered and funded by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). The RTA/CMAP grant will help the elected officials determine if the Cultural Park can be developed. The RTA/CMAP Grant hasn’t been awarded yet but all parties involved remain hopeful.
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Update on Sept 11, 2017 Presentation to the FP Commissioners

Hi Everybody

I wanted to thank everybody who was able to attend the September 11 Forest Park Board Meeting and everyone who has supported us.

In general,the presentation went wonderfully. It was well attended and I believe that the Mayor and Commissioners have a good sense of where we are.

At the meeting, we discussed two park design concepts in addition to the original one, cost estimates, sound impact and the financial feasibility of the park. 

We have applied for two grants to support further study of the Cultural Park and should hear from both of them in October. 

Several recommendations were made to the Village Board. Please click here to get to the video recording of the meeting.


If you would like to see the slides we showed, please click here. Also visit our links to the Forest Park Review’s News Article and Editorial.

Thanks for your continuing support and stay tuned October is shaping up to be a really important month.


Best Regards,

Ralph

Click here for the three options presented to the Village.

Click here for the article in the Forest Park Review, and the editorial about the presentation.

FP Review Articles about the Founder of Forest Park - Ferdinand Haase

Also comparing the original vision for Forest Park with the Cultural Park Plans and Vision. Read the articles; let's make this happen!


A couple articles by John Rice.


Article: Whatever Became of the Haase Clan?


Editorial: Haase and DiFebo, Dreaming Big


"Ferdinand Haase was the "Daniel Burnham" of Forest Park. He was a visionary who made no small plans. He wrote a letter in 1863 describing his dream for Haase's Park and for establishing a German settlement here. It's a remarkable document advocating for a park, back when access to green space could be a matter of life or death. He described Chicago as a disease-ridden city with open sewers, plagued by poor air and water quality. He could picture city dwellers flocking to his park, "a piece of country with fresh air" and a wooded area with a bathing beach on the Des Plaines River. 


"We are trying to create a place similar to Haase's dream," Ralph said, "a green space that all could come and enjoy. The Cultural Park seeks to keep this property in the public domain forever." Haase didn't have the luxury of preserving all of his property as a park. Burdened by debt, he sold off large parcels that became Concordia Cemetery and Jewish Waldheim Cemetery. He replaced Haase Park with Forest Home Cemetery.

"They both dreamed of a community-sponsored park that could be rented out for picnics and performing arts. Haase imagined a site for German festivals, while Ralph proposes a music venue, along the lines of the Ravinia Festival, each a potential money-maker for the village. "Without doubt, the park would bring big interest in money value," Haase wrote. Ralph also foresees concerts and rentals providing a revenue stream for the park. 

"However, making money is secondary to providing a "grandiose woods park" for the public. Haase imagined even "rich Americans looking longingly at Haase's Park, as a country estate for themselves." In Ralph's case, he is hoping to obtain donations, or corporate sponsorship to provide seed money for the project. He also has the support of local political leaders, who spoke of providing government funding for the project. 

May 2017 Update - Committee Formed and Working

We have added a new set of slides at this link.

A lot has happened since our last update.

You may recall that last January, the FP Village Council formed a citizens’ committee to develop further the concept of a cultural park on the Altenheim property.

That committee consists of Rachell Entler, Ralph DiFebo, Carole Morey, David Show, Kathleen Garness, Kim Rostello, Patti Marino, Ryan Nero and Todd Petersen.

In general, we see our mission as to flesh out some reasonable potential developments for the park, analyze and compare the good and bad of each, work with the council members to understand their preferences, and submit a recommendation to the Village Council.

The important values that we are aiming at for the park to deliver include: benefit of the park to the community, overall cost effectiveness, potential revenue, and low risk to the village.

We have met four times so far and are making good progress. We are developing several alternatives, ranging from a low-end case through a larger and more comprehensive concept, like the sketches that have already been made public.

We hope to have a recommendation developed and fleshed out by Thanksgiving, ready to deliver to the Village Council for their consideration and approval. In the meantime, we also have several paths being pursued to ensure that significant roadblocks are understood and managed.

Committee meeting announcements are posted at Village Hall.

Please contact us if you have any questions of comments.

12/19/2016 Meeting: Ad Hoc Committee Approved by Council, Being Formed

As reported in the Forest Park Review:


At the last Forest Park Village Council meeting on December 19, the mayor approved the formation of an ad hoc committee to further study the concept of a cultural park. Each council member will nominate one person to serve on the committee, and one of the committee members will act as a liaison between the committee and the council.


"Let's make this vision a reality," Calderone said, to which Commissioner Tom Mannix said, "Let's tee it up."


Commissioners will nominate the members on either January 9 or 23, at which time the ad hoc committee will be formed. DiFebo will be a member of the committee as well.

Cultural Park on the Agenda, December 19, 2016

Bad news / Good news

Unfortunately, I received an email from the Oak Park River Forest Foundation informing us that we did not make the final cut for the Big Idea grant. We extend congratulations to all of the finalists and wish them all luck as they move forward. Although the results were disappointing we are not discouraged, rather I think the process has reinvigorated our resolve to seek funding. The search for funds will continue from all possible sources.

Now for the good news, WE ARE BACK ON THE AGENDA!. The Cultural Park is going to be on the Village Council's agenda. The creation of an ad hoc committee will be discussed at the next board meeting on December 19^th meeting at 6:55 PM in the evening. We'll post an event on the Facebook page. Here is the link to the event.

I encourage everyone to attend the meeting and show support for turning our Cultural Park Concept into a plan and then into a park!

I hope to see you on December 19^th.

Ralph DiFebo

Very Positive Reporting in the Forest Park Review

First the article--Di Febo seeks grant to help fund music park.

Then the editorial--Big Idea, indeed.

And here is how the grant seeking progressed.

Village Board Agenda for Sept 26, 2016 Does Not have Altenheim on the Agenda

Please feel free to attend, but not on behalf of the Cultural Park effort. Sorry if this causes any inconvenience. We will keep you apprised of further developments.

Village Board Meeting September 26, 2016--Be there or be square

Please note,
It is unsure at this point whether Altenheim will be on the agenda. We will update when we verify.


Hello All,

During the August 22 Forest Park Village Board meeting, each Commissioner on the Board expressed support for the “Concept."

It is our understanding that the “Concept” will once again appear on the Village Board's agenda at their September 26th meeting. The discussion should include the Commissioner's opinions as to how to proceed in converting our Concept into a Plan.

As discussed at the last board meeting I anticipate that the Commissioners will form an Ad Hoc Committee to study the issue. We support these actions!

I hope that all of you can take time out of your busy schedules and join us at the next meeting, Monday, September 26 at 7:00 at Village Hall to see what the Village's next step will be.  Again Forest Park Village Hall is located at 517 Des Plaines Ave.

Very exciting times, hope to see you on the 26th.

Go to this link to see the Facebook event.

Results from the Forest Park Village Council Meeting on August 22, 2016

Ralph, Brian, and Gary did a great job presenting the concept to the Village Council. Their preparation paid when all members of the board expressed support for the concept.

I won't publish details here, but here are some links:

Video of the Council meeting

Minutes from the Council Meeting (about 3 months behind)

The editors of this page are completely biased, but here is the Forest Park Review article on the Altenheim part of the meeting.

We'll keep progress updated here.

We're presenting to the Forest Park Village Board!

Monday, August 22, 2016

7:00 p.m.
Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL

As many of you may know I am not much of a Facebooker or blogger but in the short time that I have been at it for this project, this is probably my most important post.

We have been asked to present our Altenheim Concept to the Forest Park Village Board at their August 22nd meeting. I thank the Mayor and each Commissioner for allowing us to present. We hope they see the merits of the concept, evolve it into a plan and develop the park.

We are all excited and thrilled to be presenting. Gary, Brian, and I welcome everyone to come and support us in our effort to create our Cultural Park. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM and I recommend that you plan on arriving early.

Please share this post (or the one on our Facebook page) with your neighbors and friends and come out on August 22; this is the invitation we have been waiting for!

Thank you for all of your support past, present and future.

See you there,
Ralph

Slides Showing Financial Viability Series 2 Powerpoints

Make It Happen. The Economics of Building a Park at Altenheim - 3 Meetings Upcoming

During the past months, we have accumulated some fantastic data that makes the prospects of creating our Forest Park's Cultural Park a reality. We have scheduled three gatherings to share this information with you.

Please plan on attending at least one of these meetings.

Hope to see you,

Ralph

The meetings are scheduled as follows:

July 14, 2016, 7 PM at Chalk, 7414 W Madison, Forest Park, IL Facebook event here

July 18, 2016, 7 PM at Brown Cow, 7347 W Madison, Forest Park, IL  Facebook event here

July 20, 2016, 7 PM at Amy's Wine House, 7235 W Roosevelt Rd, Forest Park, IL  Facebook event here

Who IS Ralph DiFebo?

Ralph has lived in Forest Park and River Forest his entire life. His grandparents lived in Forest Park in the 1960s, and he has lived here for over 30 years.  He is a homeowner and currently owns six rental properties in Forest Park.  He has multiple siblings, in-laws, and a niece that live here as well.  They all consider this to be their community.

After college, he received a Masters degree in Urban Studies and earned an Illinois Certified General Real Estate Appraiser designation. He worked for the Cook County Assessor's Office for 30 years before retiring a few years ago. Since his retirement, most of his time is spent operating and maintaining his rental properties.

He has served on many committees in organizations over the years, including several with the Village of Forest Park. 

DiFebo says, “This proposal is simply my way of contributing to the betterment of our community.  I have no financial interest in its construction or operation.”

“I am hoping to present to the Village of Park for their consideration before this summer. I would like to reiterate that the next phase of this project is up to the Village to determine.”

The Path Ahead and How You Can Help

As you may have heard, over the past two weeks we have presented our proposal to create a “Cultural Park” in Forest Park  at the Exit Strategy, McGaffer's Saloon, and the Buzz Cafe (in Oak Park). All three events were enthusiastic and well attended.

If you were unable to attend any of the sessions I would like to share with you some of the thoughts that I shared at those sessions.

I began this quest three years ago because the Village asked its residents this question:  What should we do with the Altenheim Property?  

Everything posted on this blog and our Facebook pages are my answers to the village's question.

The most important thing you need to know is that this is a concept and not a plan.  Nothing is set in stone. In the end, it is the job of the Village Board to decide if this concept  has merit and, if they feel it does, then it will be their responsibility to develop it into a plan and execute that plan.

The Board will need to analyze the concept to decide on the proposed scale of the venue, layout, amenities and traffic plans that would be a good fit for our community. They will need to bring together our residents and experts, to determine feasibility, complete the final plans, secure funding, and develop the operating model.

I have been working with some amazingly talented people.  If I am given the opportunity to present to the Village Board, I am going to ask these volunteers to help me put together a final presentation that demonstrates the value of this concept.

The ultimate goal is to present my answer to the question that Village Board asked three years ago. I am hoping to present to the Village Board before this summer.

In the meantime here is what you can do to help:

1. Take the survey.  We need to demonstrate to the Village Board that there is public support of our concept.  If you have not taken our survey please do and pass our links on to your neighbors and friends so they can take the survey.

2. “Like” our Facebook page so you can receive our updates

3. Follow the blog page by email or RSS (links on the right)

4. Come to the Village Board meeting to support us.

Anything worth doing is not too difficult to do.  If it's easy, it's not worth doing.

Thanks for your support.

Ralph DiFebo

Public Neighborhood Forum #1 is on the Books

Neighborhood Forum #1 is on the books!

Over 40 people attended our first public neighborhood forum on March 1 at Exit Strategy Brewing Company in Forest Park. 

Thanks to everyone at Exit Strategy for offering us this opportunity to bring our idea to our citizens and friends. We had a terrific turnout of people who asked great questions and gave us some terrific input. We want these forums to both introduce our idea of a Cultural Park to the area and increase our support as we hopefully move forward. 

As we've stated, this is a concept plan that we want to present to the Forest Park Village Board. We encourage our supporters to spread the word about the idea and keep giving us your input on the concept. 

If you missed our first Forum, join us this Thursday, March 3 at McGaffer's in Forest Park, and Thursday March 10 at Buzz Cafe in Oak Park.  Start time is 7:00.  Also, we are encouraging a Food Drive at each event, so please bring non-perishable food items if you can.

Forest Park Review Articles about the Altenheim Vision and Calderone's Inaction

Recent news from our local paper regarding the Cultural Park proposal.

Article:  Taking His Vision to the People  by John Rice   Forest Park Review Feb. 24, 2016 p. 2

http://www.forestparkreview.com/News/Articles/2-23-2016/Taking-his-vision-to-the-people/

Editorial:  Calderone’s Inaction   Forest Park Review Feb 24, 2016 p. 12

http://www.forestparkreview.com/News/Articles/2-23-2016/Calderone's-inaction/

Community Calendar listing:   Dates and locations for “casual forums”  to share Cultural Park concept  p.18

http://www.forestparkreview.com/Calendar/Events/3-1-2016/MAKE-it-HAPPEN-Forums:-Let's-Build-a-Cultural-Park/

Neighborhood Meetings about the Cultural Park, March 1, 3, and 10.

Three separate meetings have been scheduled in March to present our proposal for the Cultural Park. We will be presenting at Exit Strategy, on March 1^st, McGaffer's on March 3^rd, and the Buzz Cafe on March 10^th.

Flyers are below. We will also create events on the Facebook page.

Neighborhood Meeting Held on January 14, 2016

Hello everybody

One of our neighbors on the 1500 block on Elgin Avenue (Forest Park) invited her neighbors to an open house so we could talk about the Altenheim proposal. It was well attended, about eleven neighbors were able to stop in. We described our vision and answer a wide variety of questions from who might run the park to parking and security.

We are planning other outreach events.