CHICAGO (CBS) — Right now, you might be waiting for a delayed piece of furniture, a holiday gift, or a grocery item that has not been restocked.
The supply chain delays continue, and that is impacting Chicago communities in ways you might not expect. CBS 2’s Marie Saavedra found one example Tuesday on the city’s Southwest Side.
READ MORE: 71-Year-Old Man Shot Multiple Times, Killed While Heading To Store To Buy Newspaper In Chinatown
We last visited Marquette Park on Sept. 14, when it was still warm enough to wear short sleeves. But it was a playground’s wear and tear that brought us – including busted slides and cracked steps.
It was enough for Jaime Groth Searle to stop her daughter from playing there.
“How is there not tape on that? ‘Don’t play on that, kiddo, you’re going to get hurt!’” Groth Searle said in September. “That’s unacceptable.”
That day, we reached out to the Chicago Park District to ask about repairs, and 90 minutes later, teams arrived to remove all that damaged equipment.
By the end of the day, much of the park was boarded up. Almost three months later, it still is. But Growth Searle has seen change.
“Lots of improvements!” she said.
READ MORE: First Illinois Case Of Omicron COVID-19 Variant Confirmed In Chicago Resident
The biggest one is a brand-new surface that filled the areas where holes once were. But we counted three slides and a few steps still awaiting replacements.
So what is the holdup? We reached out to the office of Ald. David Moore (17th), which is overseeing the project.
Moore said that even playgrounds are feeling the effects of supply chain issues.
The Chicago Park District confirmed it, saying in a statement that it is waiting for “equipment that was ordered earlier this fall” and “supply chain issues have impacted delivery.”
“I see it at the grocery store. I see it when I go to like Starbucks. They’re out of everything,” Groth Searle said. “You’ve got to like have a third and a fourth backup.”
So it turns out not even your local park is immune to the supply chain problem.
The Park District says the slides are due for delivery in January.
“It’s not surprising to me,” Groth Searle said, “and it’s fine – because I mean, who’s really going to be playing that much right now? So I’d rather it be down now than in the spring.”
