Quarry Park plans revealed

By April Galarza 

For almost two years the fenced-in area between Halsted Street and Poplar Avenue from 27th to 29th Street, Stearns Quarry Park, has been the subject of rumors and conjecture. Claudine Malik, project supervisor, cleared up the mystery with a presentation at the June 14 Park Advisory Council meeting.  

The reclaimed landfill will be home to a new 27-acre park, and officials have made considerable progress on its construction.

"It’s roughly a square, and if you think of it as broken up into four separate areas, that helps you map it out mentally," Malik explained. "As you come in, there’s an athletic field. It goes down to a pond, which will be stocked for fishing. The majority of the section is a sledding mound. And along the back wall, which is a long preserved quarry wall, is a series of wetland cells that lead down into the pond."

New fences will enclose the park, and fountains and plazas will greet park goers at three entrances. The slightly smaller than average athletic field will host soccer, football, rugby, and other field sports, especially for children’s and neighborhood leagues. Throughout the grounds, sidewalks and walkways will encourage strolling, jogging, and light hiking. The park will preserve the site’s geological history with an area open to the public allowing visitors to observe the exposed quarry wall surrounding the fishing pond.

            Stearns Quarry Park patrons also will have the opportunity—rare for city dwellers—to experience an ecosystem in action when they visit the descending terraces of wetland cells. The wetlands will lead to a fishing pond that will be 15 feet at its deepest point to ensure fish can survive the winter.

Per Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, the pond’s solid bottom will consist of a geo-textural membrane that separates ground water and the pond water above it. Workers will stock the pond with crappie, largemouth bass, carp, and bluegill. Although the Park District will not introduce any wildlife other than the fish, many creatures already have been drawn to the budding ecosystem. Geese and sea gulls have settled in, and construction workers have spotted squirrels and raccoons.

            The northeast entrance will boast a fountain that will bubble out in spiral swirls in between plants and cascade down each level of the terraces. Contrary to rumors, no natural spring runs beneath the pond, so water must kept in motion by an underground pump system controlling water flow from the fountain, down the terraces, and into the pond.

            The unstaffed park will have garbage receptacles only at the three entrances, and patrons will use McGuane Park for bathroom facilities. The park will be open to pedestrians, skaters, bikers and dogs. A separate fenced-in leash-free dog run is under consideration.

Because the City used the quarry for 15 years as a landfill, the first and most arduous task was cleaning up the land according to stringent EPA regulations. Over about two years, the Illinois Department of the Environment undertook major work to reclaim the land, including installing 38,000 square yards of topsoil.

The end finally is in sight. Infrastructure such as retaining walls separating wetland cells from dry land, landscaping, walking paths, and entrance plazas, are about 60% completed. Work is far along on the concrete walkway up the mound, the plaza at the top of the mound, the sidewalks south of the wetland cells, the walkway over the retaining wall through the wetland cells, the southeast entry plaza, and the northeast drinking fountain.

The athletic field and parts of the mound have been seeded and are starting to green. The jogging path is in place around the field. Nearly all the landscaping is finished; the perimeter will be planted when work trucks are no longer needed. Electrical and concrete projects are 85% completed. Trees and other foliage will be among the last items to be installed. The Park District is negotiating a donation of 50 trees from Target and will accept further donations, especially of trees and other greenery.

            When the park opens, it will be complete, as a partial opening is not practical, Malik said. Construction will continue throughout the summer and early fall. Planting may need to wait until cooler weather, so there is a chance the park may not open until next spring.

            The McGuane Park Advisory Council has been instrumental in park development.  Members challenged the project supervisor to ensure all park goer needs would be met. Also, their knowledge of park safety was helpful when they asked how steep the slope would be, whether there was any danger of people falling off the mound, and whether there is enough distance at the bottom of the mound for a sled to come to a complete stop.  

            Malik assured the gathering the slope will never surpass a five percent grade and that although the mound seems enormous it really is only a 33-foot elevation. All paths will be completely stroller and wheelchair accessible.

            New permanent fences along Halsted Street and Poplar Avenue were installed recently, and temporary construction fencing was removed in spots, offering residents a window into the new park.

            Those interested can see a detailed model and topographical map of the complete Quarry Park plan at McGuane Park’s main building. For more information, call (312) 747-6497.