In 1987, Mayor Harold Washington dedicated a three-acre site at the joining of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan as DuSable Park. Nearly 40 years later, this land—dedicated to the city’s first non-Native settler and Black founder— remains unfinished. In 2000, Friends of the Parks formed the DuSable Park Coalition and led the charge to realize this vision.

Progress is finally underway.

In May 2020, the Chicago Plan Commission approved Related Midwest’s development at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive with the condition that it fund and support DuSable Park. By 2024, construction had begun. FOTP sits on the DuSable Park steering committee with members of the DuSable Park Coalition, community leaders, and the Chicago Park District to finalize the planning for this historic park. The goal is to start breaking ground in early to mid-2026.

Who Was Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable?

Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable, born in present-day Haiti to parents of African and French descent, established Chicago’s first permanent settlement in the late 1700s. From his trading post on the north bank of the Chicago River, he built relationships with Indigenous communities, married Kitihawa of the Potawatomi, and raised a family. His entrepreneurial spirit and inclusive vision laid the foundation for the city that would become Chicago.

Annual Commemoration

Each August, the DuSable Heritage Association, DuSable Park Coalition partners, and FOTP gather to honor DuSable’s life and legacy—to celebrate his contributions to Chicago as a pioneer, entrepreneur, and community builder.