A years-long dream on Galesburg’s southwest side is another step closer to coming true after a groundbreaking ceremony for the more than $1 million renovation of the park behind the former Cooke School.
Community members, city officials, and state leaders gathered to officially break ground on the project. Among them was Gayla Pacheco, who grew up a block away.
Putting a modern, updated, and accessible park there has been a goal of Pacheco’s for some time. She said the southwest side is the only quadrant of Galesburg that doesn’t have a mid-sized park. It’s also a neighborhood where many families only have one car, or no cars, and may not be able to afford other recreational activities.
“People say it's your dream. I say, no, it's not my dream. It's a dream of mine, maybe, in a sense,” Pacheco said. “But it's a dream of many others, especially those who lived here. It's a very economically disadvantaged neighborhood.”
Pacheco worked closely with a committee of community members, as well as local and state officials to bring the vision for a southwest side park to reality.
“I just want people to know that when you put your mind to something, never give up. It will happen,” Pacheco said. “Always believe, and believe in yourself, and believe in everyone who helps you.”
The development of the park is supported by a $500,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which was awarded to the city in early 2024. The city of Galesburg is also contributing $500,000 for the project, which will include accessible playground equipment, walking paths, and a picnic shelter.
On top of that, a $250,000 member initiative grant from State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, along with money raised by community members have expanded the scope of the park. Those funds will allow for a splashpad to be built at Cooke Park.
Ward 4 Council Member Dwight White said he remembers skinning his knees in the park behind Cooke School as a kid, and trying out for little league there. He said for it to be renovated like this is monumental for him, and so is the community collaboration that made it happen.
“Gayla Pacheco is the person that made this go, and the people she talked to who actually took money out of their pockets to seed this,” White said. “At church we talk about, seed the program and it grows. She seeded this program, and it grew.”
For Pacheco, Cooke School was long the heart of Galesburg’s southwest side and the new park will be its heart for generations to come.
“It's just going to be a very nice place for people to come,” she said.
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