Comiskey Park in Mid-City, a long-standing neighborhood concern with issues like drug activity, violence, and neglect, is undergoing significant tree maintenance to improve safety and visibility.
Councilmember Lesli Harris has partnered with private company Tree Masters to clear diseased limbs, balance heavy branches, and protect historical trees.
Harris and the company said the effort will not only provide light to make the park safer, but also reduce the risk of damage during future storms.
“The maintenance of trees, especially during storm season and afterwards, is incredibly important to make sure that we don’t lose power because of a falling tree,” Harris said. “So again, I just want to give a huge shout-out to Tree Masters, who just took this upon themselves and volunteered their services.”
Tree Masters is also addressing tree cleanup at Samuel Square Park, another playground in Harris’s district.
“These limbs are usually the most difficult and problematic during storms,” said David Carimi, CEO and owner of Tree Masters. “So in just beautifying it, lifting up the canopies, we also long-term help with the storms and branches that can hit cars and vehicles, fences, things like this. So it kind of has a long-term effect.”
The Mid-City Neighborhood Association conducts monthly cleanups at Comiskey Park, and Harris said her office will host a Mid-City cleanup in December.
Tree Masters plans to expand their initiative by reaching out to other councilmembers to select two parks in each district for similar improvements.
By the end of the year, Carimi said the company aims to enhance a total of 24 parks throughout the city.
READ MORE: Mid-City parks undergo tree cleanup
