A Summer of Change Around Buckingham Fountain

It's going to be a summer full of change in the area of Grant Park surrounding Buckingham Fountain .

Construction has already begun on the Tiffany Garden.  Officially known as the "Tiffany & Co. Foundation Celebration Garden," this is an area south of the fountain that is turning the old rose garden into into a formal garden and event space.

The garden is made possible by a $1.25 million donation from the Tiffany jewelry company of New York. It will formally open in the fall.  Look for roses, and topiary evergreens surrounding a pergola.  It was designed by Doglas Hoerr or Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects, which is also a finalist in the Burnham Memorial competition.

But enjoy Buckingham fountain while you can.  After Labor Day the plaza will be completely torn up and redone.  See our earlier blog posts about what is planned for this area.

Also, the Queen's Landing stairs at Jackson and Balbo are in for renovation.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the city will reconnect Grant Park with Queen's Landing in time for the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II arriving in Chicago by ship at this location.

Editorial: Shame of the City: Daley With His Hand Out

If you haven't seen one of these posters already, look for one to pop up on a city information sign near you soon.

There's a fund-raising campaign to put together enough money to fix up Chicago's iconic Buckingham Fountain .  How sad is it that Mayor Daley has to have his hand out to tourists and others to ask for donations to fix something that is not only city property, but a city icon.  And with the mayor's name right below the appeal.

The monument at the center of Chicago's "front lawn" that has been featured in dozens of films, hundreds of books, and millions of post cards can't even be taken care of by the city that hosts it.  Imagine the open for "Married With Children" without Buckingham Fountain.

It's bad enough that the city deferred needed repairs so long that it got to this state.  It's an embarrassment that the public is being asked to make up for the mismanagement.  Perhaps the mayor's office could go through the last few years of Sun-Times headlines to figure out where there's waste in the administration.

More information or to make a donation, visit: http://restorethefountain.com/

Hail to the Queen... Or not.

Here are three things that most Chicagoans don't know.

1. The area across Lake Shore Drive from Buckingham Fountain is called Queen's Landing.
2. It was named that when Queen Elizabeth II's yacht moored there during a visit to the city.
3. Next year is the 50th anniversary of that event.

While city government doesn't seem prepared to mark the occasion, private groups are turning up the heat.  They'd like to see the long-desired pedestrian under- or overpass finally be built linking Buckingham Fountain with the lake.  Each year millions of confused tourists try to cross Lake Shore Drive because it simply doesn't make sense that you can't get to the water from the fountain.  Until a couple of years ago there was a pedestrian crossing, but CDOT killed it.

With the 50th anniversary of Elizabeth's visit almost here some people are hoping to revive the lakefront link plan.  There are discussions about getting a British architect to design the project, and maybe a British company to pay for it.

Now, it's already waaaay too late to get a pedestrian link to Queen's Landing built in time for the anniversary, but it's not too late to organize a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the date.  But that would need a commitment from the city to actually get the thing built.  

The city is starting or completing a number of projects linking lakefront parks with the actual lake, including 11th Street and Solidarity Drive and the new bridges being considered for Lincoln Park.  Maybe it's finally time for this long-overdue project to get started.

Also interested in the project is the British Consulate in Chicago.  It would love to have some sort of ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the queen's visit, but isn't sure what it can do in conjunction with the city yet.   One thing is certain -- if they want to get a British dignitary or a member of the royal family to be here for the ribbon cutting, they'd better get their request in soon.  Very soon.  Official visits have to be planned months in advance.

Renovating Buckingham

We have more information on the upcoming renovation of Buckingham Fountain.  The landmark waterpiece has been rehabbed any number of times over the years, but this time the city is going all out.  The preservation effort should also hopefully keep the fountain from leaking as much as it does and to make it more water efficient.

The fountain will close right after Labor Day and work will continue through the winter.   Expect to see the area tented off so workers can make progress even in January.  Hizzonor wants to have the fountain fixed and pumping by April 1, 2009 -- that's when the International Olympic Committee begins its visit to Chicago.  So what do we get for our $25 million?

• Removal and cleaning of all the marble
• Rehabilitation all the plumbing
• Rehabilitation of the basin

It doesn't sound like much, but there's more in the works.  One notion being explored is replacing that horrible crushed pink granite mess that surrounds the fountain with a proper walking surface that doesn't get in your shoes.

Trees and landscaping, though a great idea, cannot be added because it would change the design of the plaza.  It's historic design was intended to be a vast open space, and in the interest of historical accuracy we're OK with letting that go.  But no one's sure about what kind of surface, historically speaking, was supposed to cover what it called the "table" (the area where people walk).  

One idea currently gaining traction is to replace the crushed granite with paving blocks.  This would give people in wheelchairs better access to the fountain.  We're told it can be quite hard to push through all those rocks right now.  The pavers would have a gap between them filled in with crushed rock to allow rainwater to drain into the earth instead of into storm sewers. The pavers the city is looking at would be constructed of concrete, but have the same crushed pink marble embedded in them to keep the plaza's familiar color and to allow the color to last.

In addition to redoing the plaza, there's talk of giving the fountain's light show a high-tech makeover.  We're talking LEDs here, but elderly crabs are shrieking in fear of lasers.  If so, so what?  Chicago could use a good laser show.

So, where does the $25 million come from?  Well, this time it's not entirely your wallet.  Eight million dollars comes from the ARTIC's Ferguson Fund.  That's money used for public art in the city.  Another $1 million comes from Lollapalooza, payable in four yearly installments of $250,000.  The remainder will come from your pocket, though it's hard to say in what form.  Ideally the city and the state would kick in an equal share (It's not like the state tourism board doesn't use Buckingham in any of its promotions).  But a full state contribution is seen as unlikely considering that Governor Blagojevich cut $350 million from hospitals recently.  So either the city is going to have to fork over the entire amount, or we're going to see some corporate branding like with the Chase Promenade and the BP Pedestrian Bridge in Millennium Park.