Mayor Lori Lightfoot break ground on AIDS Garden Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined political and community leaders to officially break ground on the AIDS Garden Chicago.

It will be the city's first public park to memorialize the early days of Chicago's HIV epidemic and to honor those who continue to fight the disease today.

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The two-and-a-half acre area is on Lake Michigan, at the original location of the historic Belmont Rocks, a space where the local gay community gathered between the 1960s and 1990s.

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The garden's first phase was completed in late 2019 with the installation of its anchor piece, a 30-foot Keith Haring sculpture, "Self-Portrait."

The garden will include areas designed for reflection, education, honor and pride.