Lake Street Wild

Lake Street Wild

In rough shape after being burned down in 2020 and then becoming a controversial home for unhoused neighbors, this lot on Lake Street had significant challenges affecting safety and future use.

As part of the Lake Street LIFT! initiative, Radicle was able to transform this lot into a hybrid public/private temporary park. In 3-5 years, the land will be redeveloped again by the original owner from 2020, but in the meantime will be somewhat open to the public for events.

Our approach centered the necessity for a safe and clean site as a base and insisting any construction done could be easily undone in a few years. Material selection was a huge part of the process, using black locust poles that are naturally anti-microbial and anti-bacterial so that they could be buried 6 ft in the ground and remain sturdy and long-lived without concrete.

Crushed gravel and three types of grasses interplay on the ground plane. “Beaches” of Buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) create low areas of recreation on site. Buffalo grass does not have to be mowed and will stay green and survive in the hottest of months of the summer needing minimal water, making maintenance almost unnecessary. A mix of teff (Eragrostis tef) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) makes up a taller grass background. Teff grows fast in the middle of summer, but will die off completely in winter. It will become mulch for the little bluestem that will start coming up in early Summer 2026.

Thanks to Lake Street Council, the countless neighbors we got to talk to on site during construction, La Michoacana for keeping us full of tasty cool treats during hot days, and a crew of volunteers who will help maintain and add to the site, we hope the social implications of this site won’t be erased, but may be a place for new conversations and ways of existing to be explored for a little bit.

Selected Photos:

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