Slice of Life: Chicago Through Dots

One of the better project completed along Michigan Avenue in the last few years is the Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies (610 South Michigan Avenue) building.  It's managed to do three things and do them all very well -- it filled in a gap in the streetwall, it presents an innovative and visually striking appearance, and it compliments its neighbors.

Part of its stunning visual effects involves the use of dots.  Millions (billions?) of dots cover the crinkled facade to help regulate light and temperature as well as change the opacity of the glass.

This is a view looking out through the dots, northward, across Grant Park.  As you can see, the picture is from this past winter, before the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Tower (300 East Randolph Street) finished its upward expansion.

Chicago Children's Museum Move to Grant Park Not Dead Yet

There was an interesting note at a public meeting of the Grant Park Conservancy a couple of days ago.  Bob O'Neill, the head of the organization, said that the plan for moving the Chicago Children's Museum from Navy Pier (600 East Grand Avenue) to Daley Bicentennial Plaza (337 East Randolph Street) is far from dead.

Richard M. Daley Bicentennial Plaza in Grant Park

The most recent newspaper articles on the topic have made it sound like the plan was off, or at least on permanent hold.  But O'Neill says the meetings he's been to show that the plan is full stream ahead, that Jean ("Gigi") Pritzker remains committed to raising private money for the project, and that in spite of the recession, the plan is moving forward.

There were a number of opponents of the project in the audience when he made the remarks.  It will be interesting to see if there is an organized response, and what form it will take.

Plans For Restoring Grant Park's Cancer Survivors Plaza

One of the more magical places in Chicago is the tiny northeast corner of Grant Park known as Cancer Survivors Plaza.  It's officially called  "Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park" (337 East Randolph Street), but many people just know it as the way to get from Upper East Randolph Street to the lakefront.

It is here that a double row (known as an allée in landscaping lingo) of cherry trees put on a spectacular show each spring.  But you have to be quick -- for only about six days are the blossoms at their peak, and the area looks like a sun-warmed winter wonderland.  Toward the end of their blossoming cycle, the petals leap individually from their blooms and ride formerly invisible whirlwinds across the landscape.

It's an singular spectacle, and one that I try hard to witness each year.

But the Cancer Survivors Plaza is in trouble.  Over the last few years, ten of the 16 plaques have been ripped off their bases, and presumably sold to unscrupulous recycling companies as scrap metal.  The pavilion is rusting badly, and I recently learned that there's supposed to be a computer kiosk on the south end.  I've never seen it, but I'm told it once existed.

The Richard and Annette Bloch (as in H&R Block) Cancer Foundation has donated $1.2 million since the garden was founded for its care and maintenance, but it simply hasn't been enough to keep up with Chicago's aggressive weather and thugs.

After years of this desecration, a plan has been put together to restore this memorial garden to its a more respectful state.  At a public meeting yesterday (October 26, 2009) some of the ideas for that restoration were presented.

Part of the plan includes new markers.  This time they would be illuminated to make them legible at night. This will hopefully encourage more people to visit the area after dark and discourage those who would do the park harm from hanging around.  Examples of possible illuminated podium designs were presented.  They were created by the Des Moines firm Confluence and Dimensional Innovations of Kansas.

The entire northeast corner of Grant Park, including the Cancer Survivors park is going to be completely torn apart and redone in the next few years, but the people at last night's meeting felt that something should be done in the interim to restore the dignity to the place.

The Bloch cancer foundation has pledged $100,000 to make repairs to the plaza, even if those repairs are only for the four years between now and when the major northeast Grant Park reconstruction starts.

Slice of The Taste

If you haven't been to the Taste of Chicago in a while because of the crowds, this is probably the year to make a return trip.

There are fewer restaurants, fewer vendors, fewer PR booths, and fewer people than in any year since we started going in 2004.  During some weekday afternoons this past week it was downright eerie.

Moving Ahead With North Grant Park

While the potential relocation of the Chicago Children's Museum to Grant Park is being hashed out in court, the broader redesign of the northern end of Grant Park continues.

$35 million from the privatization of the subterranean parking garages is being used for the project which will hopefully accomplish a number of things, including providing a better link from Millennium and Grant Parks to the lake shore.

It will also replace the failing membrane over the parking garage roof that is leading to the deterioration of the parking structure.

There has been a lot of concern about preserving the mature trees in the park.  Though many will be lost, we hear that some progress has been made in identifying a number of them that can be saved.  Those that cannot be kept will be replaced on an inch-for-inch basis.  Meaning, if a tree with a six-inch diameter trunk is cut down, it will be replaced by two trees with three-inch diameter trunks, or six one-inch diameter trunks.

As far as we've heard there has not been a solution found to the problem of Frank Gehry's famed BP Pedestrian Bridge, which lands right on top of one of the portions of garage roof scheduled to be replaced.

That will be part of the challenge for the firm picked to oversee the park's redesign.  An announcement of which firm gets the job will be made this summer.

More Concessions Coming to Chicago's Parks

Depending on your viewpoint, Grant Park is going to either get more convenient, or continue to be overrun by crass commercialism.

Either way, more concessions stands are opening up on Chicago's front lawn this year and in 2010.

There will be a new concession stand at 11th street soon.

Also under consideration is one at Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road, and maybe one near the Agora sculpture (many headless people) in the southwest corner of the park.

These are in addition to the revamped concession stands surrounding Buckingham Fountain.

Also, over in DuSable Harbor the new harbor house is getting a restaurant.  It will be operated by another restaurant in Wicker Park and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Right now, it will only be open for the summer, but if it works out there are plans to keep it open year-round.

If you haven't been over to the DuSable harbor area in the last year or so, things have changed a lot.  It's been cleaned up a lot, there's a bridge over the former pedestrian path from the New East Side, and a stepped up police presence along with new bathroom facilities.

And another park is getting some food.

The newly-opened Pritzker park is getting a cafe.  It's a partnership between JC Decaux, the company responsible for most of the city's street furniture, and the Chicago Park District.  The cafe will be designed by the famed Robert A.M. Stern Architects firm in New York.  The project is considered an experiment, and if it works out may be expanded to other city parks.

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/

What the City Wants and Doesn't Want in a Burnham Memorial

The competition to design a new memorial to Daniel Burnham marking the 100th anniversary of his plan for Chicago has been described as difficult.

A field of 20 architecture and design firms has been whittled down to three finalists and the winner will be announced June 19th.

The Burnham Park Memorial Committee had some very specific requirements of the firms that were invited to the competition, and we're told that each came up with a very different solution.

For the purposes of giving the firms some design constraints to work with, they were told that the memorial would be located on the north side of the Field Museum, and that the budget for the project was five million dollars.

That's the same amount that was spent on the peristyle at the northwest corner of Millennium Park, which is officially known as the Millennium Monument.

Though official fundraising hasn't begun, several entities are already doing what they can to support the effort.  Among them, the Talbott Hotel, the Graham Foundation, and American Airlines.

Richard Driehaus, the man who recently turned a Near North mansion into a museum, has pledged $250,000 for the effort.  That's a personal pledge from him -- not from a company, foundation, or organization.  Not many people are that generous these days.

The 20 firms in the competition were encouraged, but not required, to include the following:

• A sculpture of Daniel Burnham.
  
• Narrative elements to make it a teaching facility and not just another statue out standing in its field.
  
• A donor wall to permanently thank those who made it possible
  
• A water feature
• Dramatic lighting elements
• A seating area within the memorial.
• A viewing area outside the memorial.

For inspiration, the entrants were pointed to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Memorial in Washingotn, DC.  Some of its elements:

In addition to the requirements from the Memorial Committee, the contestants are up against Mayor Daley's order not to mess with the view of the Chicago skyline from the Museum Campus.  Unlike everything else from the committee, the Mayor's orders are orders, not suggestions.  It's for that reason that we hear that of the three finalists currently being considered, none of them have much in the way of verticality.  All are pretty low and integrated into the terrain.

We'll keep you updated on what happens, and keep an eye on our Twitter feed on June 19th for the announcement of the winner.

Finding a Home for Daniel Burnham

Any large project undertaken in a major metropolitan area is going to be fraught with controversy.  It's just the nature of the game.

The current game being played is "Where's Burnham" -- an exercise is finding the perfect, or rather least imperfect, location for the new Daniel Brunham Memorial.

A number of locations have been proposed and rejected for one reason or another, but officially at least, none has been chosen.


View Larger Map

One location under consideration by the organizers of the Burnham competition is in a field in Grant Park south of the sitting Lincoln statue (see map above).  Officially, the name of this area is President's Court.  It has the advantages of being somewhat centrally located in Grant Park, and in an area with a fairly low density of other monuments.

But the Chicago Park District doesn't like that location for a Burnham Monument.  Can you guess why? 

Don't tell anyone, but it's being "held" in reserve for a future Barack Obama monument.  Barack Obama's statue would stare north across Congress Parkway at the existing Abraham Lincoln monument. Get the symbolism?  At this point, unless Barack Obama sets off a nuke in the White House, he's pretty much socially guaranteed a place in Grant Park.

View Larger Map

Another area being looked at is the northern part of Grant Park (see map above).  There are already plans underway to rehab the entire area, providing better links to the lakefront, rehabbing the leaking parking garages underneath all of the pretty gardens, and to make the entire area a little more cohesive.

But organizers feel the zone has been tainted by the Children's Museum controversy and won't touch it with a ten foot pole for fear of being sucked into that mess.

View Larger Map

Also on the list -- the Congress Parkway median between Michigan Avenue and Buckingham Fountain (again, see the map). This location has great promise because it features some of Burnham's greatest design work and is at the epicenter of his vision for the city.

But some feel the space is too constricted and hard for visitors to get to.  Congress Parkway is still a very busy thoroughfare in this area, especially during rush hours.  It might necessitate a bridge to get people there, like the one now linking the Lurie Garden with the Art Institute of Chicago's Modern Wing.  That won't work.  Vertical elements are very heavily frowned upon by those judging the competition.

View Larger Map

That leaves one other place under consideration:  The forecourt of the Field Museum (map).   

Until the recent realignment of Lake Shore Drive, this area was tiered surface parking lots.  The Chicago Park District has since transformed it into a grassy oasis giving people driving down the Drive a dramatic view of the Field Museum, and giving people on the north side of the Field Museum a dramatic view of the Chicago skyline.

That's one reason the Park District likes this location -- it has a goal of drawing more visitors into the area immediately north of the museum.  It's seen as an underutilized area.  The hope is that the Burnham Monument would help organize the area and people would use the additional walkways instead of blazing their own goat paths across the grass.

Also backing this location are officials with the Museum Campus who see a Burnham monument in their backyard as part of the campus' continuing mission as an educational institution.

The area just north of the Field Museum is officially known as Burnham Park, and a statue in the proposed zone could conceivably gaze out over its namesake park, across the city Burnham designed, with the Field Museum (another Burnham design) at his back.

How firm is this location for the Burnham Memorial?  It depends who you ask.

While it is true that this location was given to the 20 firms that entered the Burnham contest as a location, the official word from contest organizers is that it's not set in stone.  It was given to the contestants as an example of an ideal location, so that they would have something to design against.

Others don't see it that way.  People who live nearby believe the North Field location is a fait accompli, and is being shoved down Chicago's throat with no input from the public.

Organizers have promised that the public will have a chance to give its input on the location at meetings to be held after June 19th.  But that's not soon enough for some.

They criticize the location as being impractical in winter.  They claim that it would only be used seasonally because of its proximity to the lake.  But others who actually live nearby say winter is no obstacle for thousands of people who use the area year-round right now.

And then there are those who believe any location in grant Park is a bad one.  They feel that there is already enough "furniture" in Grant Park, and that spaces that were once natural oases are being overrun by man-made accoutrements.  There is something to be said for this view.  Though many look to Millennium Park as a great success in terms of urban park planning, others see it a similar application elsewhere in Grant Park as the worst possible outcome -- turning green spaces into low maintenance pseudo amusement parks.

• Coming up tomorrow: What the city does and doesn't want in a Burnham memorial.

Picking an Homage to Daniel Burnham

As you read this, a distinguished panel of architects, urban planners, and other city insiders is deciding what is the appropriate way to honor the only man in history to have more impact on the shape of Chicago than either Mayors Daley.

His name is Daniel Burnham, and whether you see the city today as the fruit of his loom, or as a botched attempt at half-greatness, it is undeniable that he, quite literally, laid the blueprints for today's Chicago -- and for many other cities, including Washington, DC; Cleveland; San Francisco; and Manila in the Philippines.

Last Friday a field of 20 local and international architecture firms narrowed down to three finalists presented their ideas for a grand monument honoring Burnham to a committee at a very closed-door meeting deep inside the Chicago Cultural Center.

The three finalists are:

• David Woodhouse Architects of Chicago
  
• Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects of Chicago
  
• Sasaki Associates of Boston
  

The original field of 20 architecture firms invited to enter the Burnham Memorial competition was heavily criticized for including only 15 Chicago firms.  But two-thirds of the finalists are locals.  Also interesting is that local starchitecture firm SOM didn't make the grade.

The process has also come under fire for not yet including the public.  That is to come, organizers note.  They defend the process thus far by saying that contest rules laid out by the American Institute of Architects are being followed.  But that wasn't enough for people at an informational meeting in Grant Park last week.

Members of the audience felt like they were being asked to approve a plan and a location that they haven't yet seen.  The presenters promised that everything will become clear as soon as a winning design is chosen.

That decision will be announced June 19, 2009.  Until then, everything is very hush-hush.

The organizers of the competition feel that the firms competing can do their best work if left to their own devices and not subject to public scrutiny at such an early stage.  There were particularly harsh words for Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin, who has been an early critic of locating the Burnham Monument at the southern end of Grant Park near the Field Museum and of the process, itself.  Organizers think Kamin's criticism is premature and he should wait to see the actual results before he lobs stones from the Trubine's bully pulpit.

So, what do the firms who enter this contest get?  The winner gets $25,000.  The runner up gets $10,000, and third place $5,000.

In an ideal world, public meetings to gather input on the finalist's design will be held this summer, after the June 19th unveiling.  Fundraising for the monument would happen shortly after that, and the organizers hope to be able to start moving dirt in 2010.

All we know so far about the designs comes from Ed Uhlir -- the same guy who honchoed Millennium Park -- who said, "Each one is extremely different."  Feedback from the 20 firms that were invited to the competition ran along the lines of this being a very challenging project.  Put bluntly, "this was very hard."

Once the final design is chosen, there will be public exhibitions showcasing all of the entries.  The first one will be held at the Field Museum, then the show will go on the road, possibly to various schools and community centers across the city.

• Coming up tomorrow:  The controversy surrounding the location of the Burnham Memorial.
  
• Wednesday: What the city does and doesn't want in a Burnham Memorial.
  

Save Grant Park Update

I received this e-mail today from Save Grant Park.  I'm passing it along for those who are interested.

Dear Supporters,

As many of you know, there are currently two lawsuits in progress that were filed

in response to the Chicago Children's Museum's plans to build their new museum in

protected Grant Park.

The first lawsuit, and Administrative Review calls for a review of the Chicago Plan

Commission's decision and the entire process of the Museum's application to the

Plan Commission.

A hearing for this first lawsuit will be Tuesday, March 31st with Judge Martin Agran.

If Judge Agran rules in our favor, the Chicago Children's Museum (CCM) must go back

to the drawing board and resubmit new plans to the Chicago Plan Commission.  We

anticipate they would appeal this decision.  If the judge does not rule in our favor

we will have 30 days to appeal.

The second lawsuit, a Denovo Review, asks the court to take a fresh look at the

entire process of the Musuem's application including the Plan Commission, Zoning

Committee and the City Council.

A hearing on this second lawsuit will be Thursday, April 9th with Judge Sophia Hall.

If Judge Hall rules in our favor, the CCM will have to repeat the entire process

over again:  Plan Commission, Zoning Committee and City Council.  Any appeal must

be made within 30 days.

We will send out updates after each hearing detailing the decisions.

The Chicago Park District and the Chicago Children's Museum thought the citizens

of Chicago wouldn't notice their plot to takeover public green space for private

interests.  They were wrong.  Indeed, they thought they would have construction

well underway by now.  They did not understand how hard Chicagoans would fight to

preserve it's most important public green space.  We will continue to file appropriate

lawsuits based on the Montgomery Ward decisions that have protected Grant Park for

more than 172 years.  Save Grant Park has led this community effort for more than

three years now, and we are in it for as long as it takes.  Thank you for all your

support.  We know you will stay with us to Save Grant Park.

Please support Save Grant Park by donating online at www.savegrantpark.org

or by mailing your check made out to "Save Grant Park" directly to our bank:

5th/3rd Bank

400 E. South Water Street

Chicago, IL 60601

Attn:  Save Grant Park

Regards,

Peggy Figiel

Save Grant Park

P.S.  Every dollar makes a difference!

What to do About the Unfinished Bit of Grant Park?

The city of Chicago's great "front lawn" has been a work in progress for over 100 years.  From swamp to dumping ground to parade ground to playground, it has long been a great urban space that the city almost... but not quite... figured out how to embrace.

The latest piece of this puzzle being worked on is the southwest corner.  We're talking about an are north of Roosevelt Road, and west of Columbus Drive.  Mostly what's there now is Illinois Central railroad tracks, a great big lawn, and a sprawling sculpture called Agora.

This area was actually zoned for a residential skyscraper.  But the owner, who is also the developer of Central Station, gave the land to the city to complete Grant Park's quadrangle.  Now the question is -- what to do with it?

The obvious answer is to deck over the railroad track and build another Disneyfied fantasy park like the one up at Randolph and Michigan Avenue.  But that means money.  And is it really the best use of that space?

(Jon Orlove of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture presents his firm's vision of what the park could be)

A public meeting was held last week to gather ideas about what the park should -- and shouldn't -- be.  Not surprisingly, the crowd was mostly elderly, and mostly interested in seeing the area used as a traditional park.  By "traditional" we mean wide lawns with occasional groves of trees.  They see it as the only natural use of a park, and the only way to bring nature in the city.

There were dissenters in the crowd, and one of them very astutely pointed out that there is absolutely nothing natural about lawns and manicured groves of trees.  In fact, the traditional park landscape is about as far from nature as one can get without actually laying asphalt.

Still, the notion persisted that this corner of Grant Park should be much like the rest of it -- open lawn with the occasional alley of trees.

This is a real shame, because the two firms that are working on the project presented some really imaginative proposals.  Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and EDAW|AECOM are the two finalists chosen to rehab the space.  They showed some magnificent examples of public spaces from Paris to Barcelona to Croatia.  They talked about ways to use rainwater to power fountains, plants to clean storm water runoff, solar cells to illuminate the walkways, and the power of human feet to generate electricity.  It's all very fascinating stuff.  The stated goal is to not just make the park energy neutral, but to actually have the park create more energy than it uses, and leave the surrounding air and water cleaner than it was before.

While it's nice to have a park as a showcase, the overwhelming sentiment on all sides is that this shouldn't be another Millennium Park.  Millennium Park has done great things for the city, its profile, and its finances.  But the new (Insert Corporate Sponsor Name Here) Park at the corner of Michigan and Roosevelt shouldn't be for tourists -- it should be for the locals.

To that end, there was lots of talk about bright, but subtle illumination at night that would draw people from the neighborhood into the park.  There was also a call for some kind of activity that would allow this to be a year-round park.  Maybe some kind of skating facility that would link to Monroe Harbor.  Or a sledding hill.  Or maybe a cafe or other property that would draw people in year-round.  Also seen as important is seating.  One jogger noted that there are virtually no places to sit south of Balbo Drive.

Everyone seemed appreciative of a slide showing the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris where 5,000 chairs are scattered throughout the park for people to re-arrange and enjoy at a whim.  Interestingly, though, the slides showed a very woodsy portion of the park.  We've been there, and it's mostly lawns and parade ground, and all those chairs are not very welcoming on a hot Gallic afternoon.

Speaking of Paris, and there was much speaking of Paris that night, there is apparently a park somewhere in the city that have the same problem as Grant Park -- a giant rail line cleaved through the middle.  That unnamed park found a solution -- the gravel rail beds have been replaced with a carpet of blooming flowers that change patterns during the summer.  Since the trains easily clear the plants, the two manage to coexist in a single space, and what was once an ugly scar has been turned into a floral work of art.  It's certainly compelling, especially considering Maggie Daley's fascination with flowers and the great job the city does with landscaping certain areas.  The idea was actually proposed by the same woman who designed Millennium Park's Lurie Garden.

Though the park plan is still in its early stages, expect progress to be rapid.  The goal is to have a plan ready to present to the International Olympic Committee when it comes to inspect our fair city in April, 2009.  Grant Park is a key to Chicago's proposed Olympic experience, and this corner is intended to be a gateway linking the Olympic village and sports venues with the spectator and event zones in Grant Park.

A grand entrance to Chicago

A hundred years after the Burnham plan for Chicago was laid out, another piece that plan may become a reality. CDOT is working on a plan to make Congress Parkway in the Loop more grand, and in the process, more pedestrian-friendly.

Right now, Congress between Wells and Michigan Avenue is a big flat slab of tarmac with speeding cars and pedestrians in peril.  It is a psychological divider between the pedestrian-friendly Loop and the pedestrian-friendly South Loop.  But the street, itself, is something of an adventure to cross.

The CDOT plan is to make the street look more like a city street and less like an expressway.  The idea is to snap drivers coming in from the Eisenhower Expressway out of their daze and make them realize that they're in the city now and it's time to slow down.

The ideas call for new planters, new landscaping, more trees, and changes to the pavement to make it more than obvious that there are a dozen pedestrian crossings.  Changes in traffic signal timing and a reorganization of turn lanes are also in the works.

The Burnham plan envisioned Congress Parkway as a grand boulevard -- a major entrance corridor to the city.  This project will go a long way toward making that a reality.  It also includes decorative lighting of the buildings and infrastructure in the area -- a lighting scheme that could be tied into the renovated lighting coming to Buckingham Fountain.

Part of the $20 million needed for the project will come from federal congestion funds.  The rest looks like it will have to be ponied up by the city.

Another goal of the project is to draw more restaurants and cafes to the Congress corridor and the residential development that frequently follows them.

Lollapawinners and Lollapalosers

Today is the day that the 2008 edition of Lollapalooza opens at Grant Park in Chicago.  For this long weekend, hundreds of thousands of people will swarm all over Chicago's front lawn enjoying food, music, and all the city has to offer.

Of course, this has the grumpy old ladies and NIMBYs who live along the park's perimeter on edge.  They see Lollapalooza as an invasion of their personal space, even though the park is public property and not their personal domain.

So if you've ever wondered what the city gets from Lollapalooza, other than the regular tax money generated by any other concert, we have the answer.

In 2007, Lollapalooza gave $100,000 to Grant Park.  that was used to plant 120 new trees, add new and better landscaping at Hutchison Field, a new garden on the south side of the park near Michigan Avenue, and 75 new shade trees.  In addition, Lollapalooza gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to smaller community parks around the city that would otherwise be neglected.

This year, in addition to the $100k being given to Grant Park, and the $1 million the festival is donating to renovate Buckingham Fountain, $75,000 is being set aside specifically to repair the grass after the festival.

Seems like quite a lot from one event.  By contrast, the Taste of Chicago, a larger, longer event, gives the park exactly $0.

We've heard frightened old ladies who watch too much CBS2News say they're worried about violence at Lollapalooza after the shooting at this year's Taste of Chicago.  Comparing the two events is the height of folly.

• Lollapalooza lasts three days.  Taste lasts for weeks.
• Lollapalooza attracts families.  Taste is open to anyone wandering by.
• Lollapalooza visitors have to pay $80-$200 to attend.  Tastegoers pay $0.
• Lollapalooza visitors buy tickets online so the festival knows exactly who will be there.  Taste is open to anyone wandering by.
• Lollapalooza will have 210,000 people this year. Taste had 1,000,000+ on July 3 alone.

In the past there has been very little crime at Lollapalooza.  The only arrests have been for scalping and gate jumping.  The same cannot be said Taste.

The bottom line is that there are a lot of people who don't understand Lollapalooza or what it's about.  I felt the same way first time it was announced, but after seeing the festival and the people it attracts first-hand, this isn't some meathead concert series.  It's a family event that's as much about granola and electric vehicles as it is about getting one's groove on.

A word of advice to the old ladies out there:  When you let fear win, you've lost at life.

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.

Turning green into a gateway

Anyone who's wandered around outside the Blackstone Hotel can tell you -- there's something missing in the southern part of Grant Park.

It lacks the vibrancy of the north end.  Too much of it is still railroad tracks and a big, hot, open space.  That may be great for grasshoppers, but it's not much use to people.

Last year that started to change with the installation of "Agora" -- the leggy sculpture by a Polish artist.   But more has to be done.

To that end, a coalition of architecture firms, business interests, and civic organizations are working on a plan for the southwest corner of Grant Park.  The idea is to make it a major gateway to the Loop, the Museum District, and the South Loop.  Starchitect Adrian Smith is among those involved, so expect great things.

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.