Alex Lopez Park Unveiled in Emotional Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

After three months of work and more than $240,000 spent, Alex Lopez Park was officially introduced Monday afternoon.

Kind words from Mayor David Gonzalez and Park District President Joe Stanfa were overshadowed by a heartfelt speech from Lopez's father, Jose, who spoke about his son's personality and the impact he had on the children of Chicago Heights.

"People who knew Alex, no matter what he was going through, he could always put a smile on his face," Jose Lopez said to the crowd.

See a clip from Jose Lopez's speech in the video attached to this article.

and assisted with funding the construction of the park, helping the Park District to create a $72,000 community fund, but Supt. Frank Perez said public concerns about the location of the park ultimately led to an increase in cost.

"Some of the residents and some of the commissioners had concerns for the safety, so we went with a heavier fence," Perez said. "That increased costs, but we improved the safety. That was worthwhile."

Perez said the addition of brick pillars to the construction of the fence added about $20,000 to the overall price tag. 

Despite surprise changes in cost, Perez said the contractors involved with the construction of the park were passionate about seeing the plan for Alex Lopez Park come to fruition.

"I think everyone took pride in the project," Perez said. "Not just the architects with their drawings but also . They were the lowest bidder."

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