Friends of the Parks

The Last 4 Miles:

Completing Chicago's Lakefront Park System

lakefront

Friends of the Parks recently hosted a series of community meetings to ascertain citizens’ ideas about completing Chicago’s lakefront parks for two sections of Chicago’s north lakefront: the Edgewater community section from Hollywood to Devon Avenue and the Rogers Park community section from Devon Avenue to Juneway Terrace. This project focused exclusively on park design from Osterman Beach to the Evanston border.

Background

Chicago’s north lakefront is an invaluable segment of Chicago’s Lake Michigan shoreline. Originally a shore of low-lying dune ridges, wetland swales and oak forest, the lakeshore has been raised in elevation, extended into Lake Michigan, designed, engineered and shaped. In the late 1800s what was once a city cemetery was transformed into the southern end of Lincoln Park. Lakefilling through the mid-1950s extended this parkland northward for five miles to Hollywood Avenue. Since the 1950s no additional lakefront park expansion has occurred except for the acquisition of small parks and beaches that remain unconnected to Lincoln Park and the lakefront trail system.

Planning for parks from Osterman Beach at Hollywood to Devon Avenue

A Visioning Session was held on January 16, 2008 to discuss the community’s ideas (wants/don’t wants) for the lakefront in Edgewater. Following the visioning meeting, participants from the Edgewater community worked with pro-bono architects on January 26, 2008 to sketch ideas for completing the lakefront parks from Osterman Beach at Hollywood to Devon Avenue. The preliminary designs were presented at a third meeting held on March 6, 2008 at Berger Park.

Review the 5 preliminary lakefront designs which illustrate park ideas for completing the North Lakefront from Osterman Beach at Hollywood to Devon Avenue.
FOTP intends that these initial ideas will facilitate further dialogue about completing the north lakefront parks. We encourage you to review the five architectural designs and send your comments to roemere@fotp.org
Read the community’s vision statement (Wants/Don’t Wants) for the North Lakefront from Hollywood to Devon.
Invite us to make a presentation to your neighborhood organization or community group. Email roemere@fotp.org
Attend the next meeting on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 6:30-8:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway.

Planning for parks from Devon Avenue to Juneway Terrace

A Visioning Session was held with the Rogers Park community on March 8, 2008 to develop a wants/don’t wants list for completing the lakefront park system from Devon Avenue to Juneway Terrace. An architectural design charrette was held on March 13, 2008, and participants worked with pro-bono architects to provide ideas for completing the lakefront parks from Devon Avenue to Juneway Terrace. The architectural renderings will be completed by mid-May and will be posted on FOTP’s webpage.

Review the Rogers Park Vision Statement (Wants/Don’t Wants) for parks from Devon Avenue to Juneway Terrace.
Check Friends of the Parks’ webpage in mid-May to view the five designs illustrating lakefront park possibilities for the North Lakefront between Devon Avenue and Juneway Terrace. The pro-bono architects are currently working to produce architectural renderings from the March 13^th Design Charrette.
Invite us to make a presentation to your neighborhood organization or community group. Contact roemere@fotp.org
Attend the next meeting on Thursday, June 12, 2008 7:00-8:30 pm. The meeting will be held at Loyola Park, 1230 W. Greenleaf.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Please submit your comments either electronically or by mail. Include your contact information so we can keep you informed about the process of envisioning the future of the north lakefront parks.

Send your comments either electronically or by mail to:

Eleanor K. Roemer

Friends of the Parks

17 N. State Street, #1450

Chicago, IL 60602

roemere@fotp.org