Delay of Gompers Park homeless encampment removal prompts little league to move games from park

CHICAGO (WGN) — With the removal of a homeless encampment delayed, Gompers Park Athletic Association (GPAA) is moving their baseball and softball league from the park due to a variety of safety concerns.

“It’s just common sense to us. We had an unofficial vote last week or last month in January at this same establishment,” said Ryan Johnson, President of the GPAA. “We all agreed unanimously that with the ongoing safety concerns, we can’t comfortably bring children to the park.”

Johnson and members of the GPAA board met at a North Side restaurant Thursday evening, where the body voted unanimously to move their baseball and softball league from Gompers Park, citing concerns about drug use and drug paraphernalia found near playing fields, dog attacks and multiple fires in the area.

For at least the last 50 years, GPAA has called Gompers Park home, but now a league that has at least 600 boys and girls playing baseball and softball from ages five through 18 will be moved due to those safety concerns.

The City of Chicago previously announced a clear out of the encampment later this month, but that has now been delayed to early March and has been rebranded as an accelerated moving event.

“As long as the accelerated moving event happens on March 5th, or any point before the season starts,” Johnson said. “And we’re comfortable that the tents are gone and we have reassurance that no one will be moving back in the area, we can quickly get the kid’s games rescheduled back to that park, which is what everyone wants.”

JJ Betts, one of the board members of the GPAA, said it’s not a political issue, but one purely based around protecting the kids who participate in the league.

“It’s all about safety and the safety of the players and the families that participate in our league,” Betts said. “As of now it’s not safe at the park and our families have expressed concern. We’re losing registration numbers because of it.”

If the measure to move the league passes, GPAA said there are secured fields players will use once their baseball and softball season starts on April 21.

“Mayfair Park has a field that we use for younger kids that are primarily on little Gompers. And Eugene Field, which is about two minutes away,” Johnson said.

Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward) and residents around Gompers Park have sent letters to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office asking his administration to expedite the moving event, citing the same safety concerns listed above.

The mayor’s office has not returned WGN News’ request for comment on this story.