Mayor Emanuel Joined Alderman Solis and Members of the Chinatown Community To Celebrate the Renaming of the Ping Tom Field House

Mayor Emanuel, Alderman Solis and Members of the Chinatown Community Celebrate the Renaming of the Ping Tom Field House. Photo Credit: Brooke Collins // City of Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Alderman Danny Solis and members of the Chinatown community today gathered to celebrate the renaming of the field house at Ping Tom Park after Leonard M. Louie, a devoted Chinatown civic leader. Louie (1934-2013) devoted his life to his community and most notably to making Ping Tom Memorial Park and its field house a reality.

“Leonard Louie’s name may be on the outside of the Ping Tom field house now, but it is his spirit that will always fill the inside of it,” said Mayor Emanuel. “His legacy lives on in this park, this community and across our city.”

For decades, Chinatown lacked open space. Along with Ping Tom, Louie advocated for the creation of a substantial new park to serve the community. After the Chicago Park District acquired vacant railroad property that became the first part of Ping Tom Memorial Park in the early 1990s, Louie helped guide the development of Ping Tom Memorial Park.  He became a founding member of the park’s advisory council.