Chicago has a prime opportunity to gain some green space in a downtown area just south of the Apparel Center. City Hall planners should use this land to realize past visions and create a substantial park here.
The location couldn’t be more dramatic: A chunk of land jutting out of the riverfront and surrounded by water on three sides.
This area played an important role during Chicago’s early years. In the 1830s, Samuel Miller’s cabin and tavern stood just north of this spot. Within two decades of his arrival, the shoreline was packed with bustling docks. A close look at the water’s edge evokes memories of Chicago’s earliest days, with rotten pier supports still visible.
Today, beneath the trees that have grown along the shoreline, decaying cables are locked in sculpturelike tangles. Thick, rusted chains may still be seen, their rusted links fused together by a century of oxidation. Ancient metal rods are found embedded within the bark of growing trees. Each spring, this area is home to geese, ducks and their broods. Gulls and many smaller birds fill out the scene. Even a family of beavers can be found just west of the Orleans Street Bridge.
This park would offer an unparalleled combination of nature and urban vistas. The park would provide a spectacular view of the 333 N. Wacker building and of other structures in the Loop, not to mention a close-up view of the hulking Merchandise Mart.
As early as the 1950s, Harry Weese and others proposed a park at this location. Perhaps civic leaders at that time were right in postponing the concept. One might have argued that there wasn’t sufficient residential population in the surrounding area to justify creation of a park. But the time has come for Weese’s vision to be realized.
Other Chicagoans who would greatly benefit from the park include the tens of thousands of commuting workers who work at the many office buildings within walking distance of the park. In addition, new office towers that are currently in the planning stages would contribute to the weekday usage of the park. Tourists might likewise be drawn to the park because of its central location and magnificent views. Fellow tourists on passing boats would see the park as yet another impressive attraction of our city.
Certain steps would be necessary to create the park. One involves dealing with the parking garage that stands south of the Apparel Center. If a large parking garage is absolutely essential for the function of the Apparel Center and Merchandise Mart, then the present three-story garage could be demolished, followed by construction of a much taller garage with a much smaller footprint.
Because the function of the Apparel Center may undergo a transformation within a few years, planning for the proposed park should begin soon. In particular, the Chicago Park District and City Hall must begin the necessary steps toward securing ownership of the land.
