Crews Begin Pergola Work at Sears Sunken Garden
Concrete column installation starts on the North Lawndale garden's $1.1 million pergola restoration, with the first phase on track to finish in December.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Gardening
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Crews began installing concrete columns for a new pergola at the Sears Sunken Garden in North Lawndale on Thursday. The restoration of the garden, which opened in 1907 as a leisure space for Sears employees, is on track to finish in December.
Why it matters
The garden's original pergola was removed earlier this year after organizers described it as deteriorating, and the restoration is intended to fulfill the GROWSS Committee's 2018 Quality of Life Plan. The project offers Chicago residents a revitalized public green space on the city's West Side.
The pergola restoration costs $1.1 million, with the Driehaus Foundation donating $1 million plus $473,000 more in spring 2026. Total project costs are estimated at up to $5 million, and the second phase is expected to take 18 months.
The players
Trust for Public Land
A national nonprofit organization that works to conserve land and create parks and public green spaces, and which partnered with Friends of the Sears Sunken Garden to lead this project.
Driehaus Foundation
A Chicago-based philanthropic foundation that donated $1 million for the project and an additional $473,000 in spring 2026 for the pergola work.
Friends of the Sears Sunken Garden
A community group that partnered with Trust for Public Land to lead the restoration of the Sears Sunken Garden in North Lawndale.
The details
Crews are installing the concrete columns between two existing pavilions that will also be renovated, and the restoration is led by Trust for Public Land with Friends of the Sears Sunken Garden. The Sears Sunken Garden is located at 3312 W. Arthington St. in North Lawndale.
Timeline
1907: Sears Sunken Garden opens as a leisure space for Sears, Roebuck and Co. employees.
1970s: Sears moves Downtown, and the garden's condition declines afterward.
2018: The GROWSS Quality of Life Plan is adopted.
2021: The GROWSS Committee explores restoring the garden.
December 2026: The revamped pergola is expected to be completed by early December.
Roadmap
The restoration follows the GROWSS Committee's 2018 Quality of Life Plan, which set restoring the garden as a community priority, with the committee exploring the project in 2021. The effort reflects a broader pattern of revitalizing historic Chicago green spaces through public-private partnerships.
Residents of North Lawndale and surrounding Chicago neighborhoods will gain a restored public garden with renovated pavilions and a new pergola. Community members who have worked in the garden's new plots since 2023 will see the space expanded and improved.
The takeaway
The Sears Sunken Garden restoration shows how historic employee spaces can be returned to public use through sustained community and philanthropic support. Residents interested in the project can follow its progress as the pergola is completed in December.
What happens next
The revamped pergola is expected to be completed by early December, and the second phase of the restoration is expected to take 18 months.
Further reading
For more on local green spaces, explore Gardening coverage across Chicago neighborhoods.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Block Club Chicago.
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