Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Sept 23, 2005 5:11:19 GMT -6
Plans that will effect Adler and Astronomical Activities in the area
Plans to turn Northerly Island into a natural lakeshore park have been in the works since the mid 90’s, long before Mayor Daley’s midnight bulldozer raid destroyed its Meigs Field airstrip. Now, as the Parks Department collects on a successful concert season at the Charter One Pavilion, parks and lakeshore advocacy groups are hoping to push the city to develop the island into a 78-acre shoreline park sooner rather than later.
Northerly Island, which stretches from south of the Adler Planetarium to just across the from the McCormick Place convention center, housed the temporary, 8,000 seat Charter One pavilion this summer. Though the Park District did not return calls for comment on how much money they made off the concerts, Grant Park Advisory Council president Bob O’Neill said the venue exceeded its revenue target for the concert season, variously pegged at $800,000 and $1 million, and that overall concert attendance nearly reached 100,000. The money, officials say, has been slated for park planning and maintenance of its current infrastructure.
Its current draft—which Brammeier stressed is far from final—calls for a manmade canal to divide the island into two parts. The northern, developed end would include an extension of the museum with possible outdoor exhibits, a restaurant and sports facilities. The area to the south, meanwhile would house a ‘natural area,’ including dunes, wetlands, and forest groves. The canal, Brammeier said, could be passable by way of small pedestrian bridges. The draft also calls for a wooded bird screen on the south end to prevent migratory birds from crashing into the reflective façade of McCormick Place.
Another crucial part of any future park development would be access to the island’s southern end. Currently, the island can only reached via the Museum Campus road leading to the planetarium. Bicyclists who want to take advantage of the paved loop already laid down have to go all the way to the south end of the island and then come back up.
The full story here: www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=60&ArticleID=750&TM=45918.4
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It doesn't sit too well with me. Permanently remove the stage area and it's unwanted intrusions and it could work.