Ellis Park|Chapter 7
The Arts and Recreation Center at Ellis Park was built in 2015 and designed by Booth Hansen and Nia Architects.
February in Chicago.
It is, by definition, reason enough to plan a day away from the office. It was cold and grey, and cabin fever had already hit hard at Forward Design. So we decided to expand our Fieldhouse Stories series and explore the Arts and Recreation Center at Ellis Park in the Douglas neighborhood.
The Fieldhouse, which opened in 2016, sits on land that was once surrounded by the Ida B. Wells Homes public housing project. More than a century ago, before the housing project, the community was a wealthy neighborhood. The homes once a symbol of pride for the Douglas neighborhood, evolved and through time the park and its environs became rife with gang activity, drug dealing and violence.
The Chicago Park District was able to partner with the Chicago Housing Authority and The Community Builders, to raise funds and build this new modern fieldhouse in the shadow of this once blighted area. It is now a gathering place for a community that is dedicated to the arts and recreation. A safe place tailor-made for a neighborhood very much in need of such a symbol of hope.
As we drove along Cottage Grove Avenue, we passed several vacant blocks which mark where public housing once stood. The grey winter day made these lots feel even more hollow. Just then, we saw the bright yellow beams in the sky marking the roofline of this fieldhouse, making for a particularly stunning view. With that, the bleak February mood with which we began our day turned around.
The yellow metal beams, cantilevered over the entryway, are a pivotal feature of this very contemporary building. The aesthetic is clean and modern, we love the architects’ boldly intentional use of the color yellow.
We walked into a modern rotunda with a sunny yellow staircase and plenty of natural light. There we met Monique Scott, Park Supervisor of The Arts and Recreation Center at Ellis Park. Knowing a bit about our design firm’s Fieldhouse project, Monique met us at the front desk with enthusiasm knowing that her park was our next story.
Monique has this easy way about her that makes it seem as if she can calmly juggle multiple things at once. A case in point: while she showed us around, she introduced us to some of her team, took calls from vendors and checked in on one of the members sitting in the rotunda. She then gave us a brief rundown of the many activities that were happening at the fieldhouse that day. One thing we understood within minutes of meeting Monique is that she loves her fieldhouse. In fact, she views her job as a facilitator for whatever the community needs. She’s been at Ellis since it opened in 2016.
“I love it here! My work is to make our time here fun, social, and safe.”
When Chair Aerobics is more than Chair Aerobics
After our building tour ended, we continued our morning with Chair Aerobics with David (Gage) leading the way. Between his energy and the great tunes, he got the 20+ seniors moving and laughing. I’d never thought of chair exercise as particularly exhilarating, but these definitely folks were breaking a sweat and having a ton of fun.
As they were cooling down, Pickleball was just getting started in the gym. . .
Pickleball!
Three courts were set up and men and women were already volleying the ball over the net. I had heard of Pickleball, but never seen it in action. Picture a blend of ping-pong and racketball together, with a little tennis thrown in and that’s Pickleball.
As soon as we stepped into the gym with our camera, folks were immediately interested in learning what we were up to. While we explained Forward Design's Fieldhouse Stories project, it became clear they not only wanted to know more about us, but they were determined to convert us to Pickleball enthusiasts!
Rick (Prewitt) is the ringleader here and he even sports a business card for the Universal Picklers LLC. “We welcome everyone,” he says. “It’s all about wellness. It’s social, but it becomes competitive as you get the hang of it”. What was crystal clear is just how passionate Rick and his cohorts are about the game and one another, and how proud of the work they are doing to keep people active.
In fact, some folks come from as far as Pullman to be part of the PIckleball group at Ellis Park. In fact, they have established a network of players from all over the Southside who come to compete and then introduce it to their own gyms and local park district fieldhouses. A few players were even training for an upcoming tournament.
Who knew?
“I’m a gentle beast, I keep the peace… and referee.”
Rick is primarily based at Ellis Park, but he has set up programs all over Chicago, including ones at Kennicot, Jackson and Pullman. A passion for Pickleball is his full-time job.
Just as Rick was looking for someone to help out a Pickleball team at play, in walked Odell (Branch). Odell met Rick at the Pullman Community Center and now he comes here every Thursday to play with the Ellis group. He, too, is a card-carrying USA Pickleball Association Ambassador! These two have teamed up to spread the Pickleball word. They even volunteer with Afterschool Matters and have teens and tots taking up the racket to the net!
Marissa put it best: “It’s free, it’s fun and gets me moving!” Marissa drives from the south suburbs to spend her Thursdays with the group.
“It’s free, it’s fun and gets me moving!”
As the Pickleballers’ got ready to play, we scooted out of the gym. That’s when Monique reminded us that David was going to be teaching a line-dancing class with the seniors and then hip-hop dancing for teens.
Meet David
David has been with the Park District for 16 years, starting as a teenager himself working at Homan Square Park. When asked about working with teenagers now, his care for them is clear. “They’re good kids,” he says. “We work on communication, on getting them to be able to talk with each other in better ways. Ultimately, my job is about playing and having fun with them.” Everyone is having fun, that much is clear. But David is doing some important work with these teens.
This spring he’s taking the his hip-hop dance team to Atlanta to compete in a Buck or Die Nationals Majorette & Hip Hop competition. When asked how he got the resources together to make the trip to Atlanta, he gave credit where credit is due. “It’s the parents, the senior committee and the kids,” he explained. “They all raise money selling candy and other stuff. It’s the whole Ellis family that makes it happen here.”
“The seniors are great. They come here every day and I make them move it!”
Between classes, we met Crystal, who recently joined the class after her husband passed away. Newly retired, she was spending too much time at home — and alone. A friend suggested she get out of her apartment and come over to Ellis Park to check things out. Now she is here nearly every day of the week for classes and camaraderie. Chair Aerobics and David hold a special place for her as it was the first class she tried, and it is what led her to her newfound a sense of community. That is truly what we love about fieldhouses; how they bring people together.
There is a very active Senior Committee at Ellis Park, something we’ve not seen at any other Fieldhouse to date. It’s a loyal group pf 60+ men and women that is open to anyone who wants to join and participate. As Monique explains, they come up with ideas for fieldhouse programs and she helps make them happen. On the day we were visiting, they were about to enjoy a post-workout event for Black History month to watch the recent film, “Harriet” — complete with popcorn, of course.
Before the movie began we saw a few women passing out flyers for an upcoming event called Welder week which seems to be a wellness week for the senior groups at Ellis Park. It was completely organized from the outside group for their community. It’s obvious that this community was fully embracing one another and it was refreshing to see.
Our favorite room
With each of our past Fieldhouse stories we always found one room that felt special. One place in the fieldhouse that really resonated with us. At Ellis, it was not a single room but the overall use of yellow and light. The building simply feels like a bright welcoming space that’s a hub for this community. Like a favorite coffeehouse where you want to just sit and read or visit or simply hang out. That vibe – and the people we encountered – became our “favorite space” here.
“Ellis Park was another reminder that Chicago is filled to the brim with hidden gems... you just have to get outside and explore them!”
Later in the day, kids start rolling in after school. That’s when we saw Monique morph into a sort of den mother. She appeared to know every child by name and they knew she would be looking out for them. We watched her talk with a group of teens as they were signing in for their daily basketball game. As they listened to her, it was obvious she has their respect. She’s earned it.
Ellis Park was the perfect ‘Out of Office’ day for Forward Design. We were welcomed into this amazing space that was obviously exactly what this community needed. Great work, Chicago Park District.
We cannot wait for our next adventure, exploring local. In meantime, get outside Chicago!
We want to hear from you…
Do you have any suggestions for a fieldhouse near you that has a story to tell?