In 1969, the Chicago Park District acquired this property in the struggling Woodlawn community, using funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The park district soon transformed the vacant lot into a playground with a small spray pool, upgrading it with a new soft surface playground in the early 1990s. In 1999, the park district designated the site Beehive Park, in recognition of the old Beehive jazz club, which was located at 55th Street and South Harper Avenue, less than one mile from the park site. Opened in 1948, the Beehive closed its doors a brief eight years later. Regulars at the short-lived, but popular, club included Art Hodes, Lester Young, and Charlie Parker.