Grant Park, Congress Pkwy. will undergo alterations 

By Marie Balice Ward 

Three areas of Grant Park, as well as Congress Parkway, will undergo alterations to the tune of several million dollars, with funding coming from tax-increment financing (TIF), the Chicago Park District, the City, the State, not-for-profits, and private industry.

At a recent Grant Park Advisory Council/Grant Park Conservancy (GPAC/GPC) meeting, officials discussed formation of steering committees composed of educational, civic, City, business, and community representatives to oversee a variety of alterations:

At Daley Bicentennial Plaza, workers will build the Chicago Children’s Museum and repair the underground garage;

Buckingham Fountain Plaza and Queen's Landing will receive a major facelift, including a new surface;

The southern edge of Grant Park will be rebuilt as a “gateway” to both the park and the City, and workers will enhance the effect by completing a streetscape project on Congress Parkway.

Also during the meeting, officials discussed a new harbor at Navy Pier, which would add 350 boat slips.

The Daley Bicentennial Plaza project includes the $100 million Chicago Children’s Museum relocation and a $15 million fieldhouse; the museum is paying for both. The City has leased the plaza’s underground garage to a management company for 99 years; that company will pay for repair and related costs and provide $35 million to restore the portion of the park atop the garage.

Bob O’Neill, president of GPAC/GPC, said that section of Grant Park might require more funding, as "there also is a possibility of connecting this area of the park to the lake by constructing a new bridge."

Buckingham Fountain Plaza will see infrastructure repair and replacement and landscaping that includes tree replacement. Workers also will replace the current gravel surface with pavers created with a mix containing some of the gravel and tinted the same color as the gravel; the pavers will make the surface permeable to water while increasing accessibility.

The City estimates the project will cost $25 million, with funding provided by the Chicago Park District, the City of Chicago, an allotment from the Ferguson Fund for Public Sculptures, a significant portion of the Lollapalooza music event revenue (this year’s Lollapalooza runs through Sunday, Aug. 3), and private sources. State funds also are being sought.

Work will begin after Labor Day, with completion anticipated by April 1, 2009, in time for the 50th anniversary of England's Queen Elizabeth II’s landing at the site. Plans for a major celebration including participation by British dignitaries are underway.

Project officials also are planning a new lighting show to coordinate with the lighting over the “new” Congress Parkway.  “I can assure you that it will not be out of character with the nature of the fountain,” O'Neill said.

Congress Parkway’s new look will come at an estimated $20 million cost and will make the street safer for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic while contributing aesthetic improvements. Said O’Neill, “As the east-west access to the city, it will be a spectacular gateway to Chicago.” Funding will come from TIF funds and some Federal revenue.

Second Ward Alderman Bob Fioretti added that “the Congress Parkway improvements will extend from Wells Street to Michigan Avenue.  Greater safety is definitely a major component of the plan being designed for the parkway.”

The Chicago Department of Transportation will make a presentation about Congress Parkway in the near future.

The approximately ten acres making Grant Park’s southwest corner will undergo a "major renovation," O'Neill said. Architects have been selected and will work closely with a steering committee to create a new design and to keep the community informed via several public meetings. The first public meeting will be held Monday, Aug. 4, when architects will unveil preliminary plans.

The Agora sculptures likely will remain, said O’Neill, and the railroad tracks may be decked over. Those involved are considering several other improvements to make this area of the park more aesthetically pleasing and user friendly.

Meanwhile, discussion continues on creating a passageway—a bridge or underpass—from Buckingham Fountain to the lake. An underpass also is planned at Solidarity Drive to connect the park with the Shedd Aquarium.

                Design and planning are underway to create 350 boat slips by 2010 at Navy Pier, consisting of 169 transient, 106 permanent, and 75 hourly slips. This new harbor will harmonize with the Santiago Calatrava design of DuSable Park; the developers of the Spire residential structure are providing $9 million to help pay for DuSable Park, O’Neill said.

                For more information go to www.grantparkconservancy.com or call (312) 829-8015.