[BCNnet] update on the re-do of Chicago's Daley-Bi part of Grant Park

[Randi Doeker - Chicago]

(ILbird readers =- this is FYI only - take the discussions to BCNnet.)

 

(THERE IS A CALL TO ACTION BELOW.)

 

This is an update for those who might be interested in the re-do of the
northeast section of Chicago's Grant Park - the section known as Daley
Bicentennial Park. (It is what is between Millennium Park and the lake.)
This project is being driven by the need to repair the Grant Park Garage,
which requires removing everything off the top including the trees. (The
fate of the trees has been the subject of much debate for several years. The
Grant Park Conservancy director is a passionate advocate for bird-friendly
habitat.) 

 

Please note: the repairs are not voluntary. Without the massive repair work
the garage would have to be closed for safety. The materials used to build
underground garages deteriorate after 50 years. One of the driving reasons
behind the City's "sale" of the garages was the need to spend hundreds of
millions of dollars for repairs; it is now the responsibility of the new
owner. (Ditto for the repairs 50 years from now.)

 

The Chicago Park District continues to own the soil (and thus park) above
the garage. The new park plan has been finalized.  

 

The Park District has just gone thru a multi-year public hearing process to
receive input for use by the landscape developers hired because they are
known for doing great things with not much money. (In this case, not much =
about $30mil. Don't tell the Occupiers.)  Their goal was to build a park for
the nearby community that would also impress visitors with its creativity
and beauty.

 

The end result is an area largely filled with grass and a much wider
diversity of tree species (including pines, which are in short supply in
Grant Park).  The area will be very contoured with small hills offering
views of the lake, etc.  The main people amenities are a rock climbing wall,
a small skateboard park, a playground and an ice skating ribbon (AKA walkway
in summer). A decade from now the structures will be hidden by the new tree
growth.

 

[If you saw the article in the paper about the hockey players who have
finally gone public about their illegal use of the Daley-Bi ice skating rink
in the middle of the night: Those people are being encouraged to talk to the
Millennium Park managers about legally using that rink all night.)

 

Here is the CALL TO ACTION:

 

It is the Park District's official plan to PAVE OVER Peanut Park for tennis
courts.  Peanut Park is the far northeastern section that you see at the
bend in Lake Shore Drive. (The Columbia Yacht Club is on the east side of
the Drive at that point.)  This area has been the site of many great bird
sightings by ILbird contributors over the years. It is not clear that even
the tennis players are happy about this. Everyone in that neighborhood
speaks in favor of keeping Peanut Park a nature sanctuary.

 

Meanwhile, the aforementioned GP Conservancy director is actively working
with the developers of the LakeShore East area to use some vacant land there
for tennis courts. The spot is the least desirable for future development
and thus, it could be decades before any residences are built. Using it for
tennis courts would be a great win-win.

 

CALL TO ACTION: If you know anyone who lives on East Randolph or in the
LakeShore East neighborhood, ask them to email their alderman about keeping
Peanut Park as it is.  (No need to contact the Park District; they already
know how people feel. They need to hear it from Alderman Brendan Reilly.)

 

Randi Doeker

Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

 

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