DiscoverThe Block Club Chicago PodcastPrivate Fences Put Up Around A Public Park -- And Neighbors Aren't Happy
Private Fences Put Up Around A Public Park -- And Neighbors Aren't Happy

Private Fences Put Up Around A Public Park -- And Neighbors Aren't Happy

Update: 2025-09-30
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Michele Dreczynski has fond memories of her son riding bikes through the park by her riverside townhouse “completely free and untethered.”

That was before the park — with city-mandated public hours — was fenced in by her homeowner association.

Metal gates at River Village North Townhomes, 1005 N. Kingsbury St., have gone up near West Hobbie and Oak streets, completing the fencing around the small, manicured park along the Near North Side riverwalk.

Host - Jon Hansen

Reporter - Mack Liederman

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Block Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.

We amplify positive stories, cover development and local school council meetings and serve as watchdogs in neighborhoods often ostracized by traditional news media.

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Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.

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Private Fences Put Up Around A Public Park -- And Neighbors Aren't Happy

Private Fences Put Up Around A Public Park -- And Neighbors Aren't Happy

Mack Liederman, Block Club Chicago, Jon Hansen