https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/08/13/amazon-installs-huge-lockers-on-a-chicago-parks-sidewalk-confusing-and-frustrating-neighbors/ You need to enable JavaScript to view this site. Skip to contents Block Club ChicagoBlock Club Chicago Become a member Learn more Menu 1. Neighborhoods 2. Latest Stories 3. COVID-19 4. Send News Tips 5. Shop 6. Subscribe 7. My Account 8. Donate Log in Home [ ]Search * Neighborhoods * Latest Stories * COVID-19 * Send News Tips * Shop * Subscribe * My Account * Donate * Our Mission * Our Team * Board of Directors * Contact Us Become a MemberSign In Follow * * Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Avondale Amazon Installs Huge Lockers On A Chicago Park's Sidewalk, Confusing And Frustrating Neighbors "It just looks crazy. I don't even understand how someone could've thought that was an OK place to put it," said Ald. Rosanna Rodriguez, who immediately contacted the Park District to get it moved. * * * [Mina1-e1530041402541] Mina Bloom 1:47 PM CDT on Aug 13, 2021 [amazon-copy] Amazon installed a locker on the sidewalk in Brands Park, 3259 N. Elston Ave.Courtesy of Ald. Rossana Rodriguez * Credibility: * This article contains new, firsthand information uncovered by its reporter(s). This includes directly interviewing sources and research / analysis of primary source documents.xclose Original Reporting * As a news piece, this article cites verifiable, third-party sources which have all been thoroughly fact-checked and deemed credible by the Newsroom.xclose Sources Cited AVONDALE -- Amazon is not making many new friends in the area around Brands Park in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood. The retail giant on Thursday installed a large Amazon delivery locker atop a sidewalk running through the park, partially blocking the path and drawing immediate scorn and bewilderment from park users and the local alderwoman. In Facebook comments, locals said the new Amazon "hub" is not only unsightly, but is also a glaringly obvious safety concern because it prevents people with strollers and people in wheelchairs from easily passing through the public park. "This looks so absurd I can't even believe it's real," one neighbor commented on Facebook. Another wrote: "who the heck green lighted this massive boondoggle? please report to your alderman if you live in this ward. disgust!" Ald. Rosanna Rodriguez (33rd) said a Park District supervisor told her the lockers in the park at 3259 N. Elston Ave. were installed there by mistake. Chicago Park District spokeswoman Irene Tostado wouldn't confirm, saying only, "The locker was installed in the correct park." Rodriguez on Friday asked the Park District supervisor to move the lockers to a more appropriate location. Amazon is now "working quickly" to move the lockers, company spokesman Av Zammit said. Tostado confirmed a request to move the lockers has been submitted. "We take the safety of our customers and the communities in which we operate in very seriously. We're looking into this matter and are committed to working with the Chicago Park District to address these concerns," Zammit said in a statement. [amazon]Credit: Courtesy of Ald. Rossana RodriguezThe "Amazon Hub" locker at Brands Park, 3259 N. Elston Ave. Rodriguez said her office has fielded numerous complaints from constituents since it was installed in the park. She said she was stunned when a neighbor sent her photos of the lockers, which were stationed on the sidewalk near the playground. "It just looks crazy," the alderwoman said. "I don't even understand how someone could've thought that was an OK place to put it." Many have broader concerns about Amazon's presence in public parks. About 100 people have signed an online petition calling on city officials to "keep our parks community spaces free from predatory businesses like Amazon." The company has long been criticized for its poor treatment of its workers and grueling workplace conditions. "To go to a place that is a public good, a place of recreation, and then see the branding of one of the most anti-worker companies in the world ... it's so disturbing," Rodriguez said. A total of 68 Amazon lockers are being installed at Chicago parks across the city, according to a list provided by the Park District. Some have already been installed, and others are being installed later this month. The full list is below. Rodriguez said the lockers are a symptom of a larger budgetary issue the city is facing. "When you have public institutions that are not well-funded, and can't function with the budget they're provided by the government, they need to look for other sources of revenue. This is how we get a company like Amazon to have a presence in our public parks. It's disheartening," the alderwoman said. Tostado didn't immediately answer a question about how much revenue the partnership will bring the city. "It is beyond inappropriate for Amazon's business paraphernalia to block public access in park," said Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks. "But even if it were placed somewhere out of the way, this is not an appropriate use of public property. Chicago's parks should not be for sale." Here's where the lockers are being installed around Chicago: View this document on Scribd Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago's neighborhoods. Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation. Listen to "It's All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast" here: * * * [Mina1-e1530041402541] Mina Bloom Logan Square, Humboldt Park & Avondale reporter mina@blockclubchi.org Read More: * Amazon * Brands Park * Rosanna Rodriguez The Latest Illinois Schools Can No Longer Ban Cornrows, Locs And Braids -- Thanks To A West Side Mom Who Fought Hair Discrimination "This is a huge step toward improving a mental health outcomes for our children," said Ida Nelson, who spoke out against her son's school when he wasn't allowed to wear braids. Austin, Garfield Park, North Lawndale Pascal Sabino 2 hours ago [031721-Gus-Jett-Hawkins-Portraits-ColinBoyle-2] Amazon Installs Huge Lockers On A Chicago Park's Sidewalk, Confusing And Frustrating Neighbors "It just looks crazy. I don't even understand how someone could've thought that was an OK place to put it," said Ald. 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