Private Interests Eye Daley Bicentennial Plaza

Daley Bicentennial Plaza is located within Grant Park on Chicago's downtown lakefront. Grant Park, which dates back to the early 19th century, is situated on a large plot of land in the heart of the city. No permanent buildings may be constructed in Grant Park. Indeed, the fieldhouse at Daley Bicentennial Plaza, a neighborhood recreation area, is located below street level. Many passersby on Randolph Street have no idea that the fieldhouse lies just below.

From the start, commercial and other private interests eyed this attractive parcel of real estate. Local leaders fought to preserve Grant Park as open land; most notable of these was the merchant A. Montgomery Ward, who repeatedly took his fight as far as the Illinois Supreme Court, and won. Forever Open, Clear, and Free : The Struggle for Chicago's Lakefront (by Lois Wille, published by University of Chicago Press) details many challenges to the public nature of the park and the efforts of those who took on the task of preserving it.

Chicago has not seen the end of attempts to encroach on Grant Park. Most recent, and still in play, is the Chicago Children's Museum's bid to move to Daley Bicentennial Plaza. Currently located in a large space on Chicago's Navy Pier, and enjoying a 99 year lease at the modest rent of $1 per year, the museum still is unsure of the suitability of the Navy Pier location for its future. [Chicago Tribune article on the Chicago Children's Museum bid to take over Daley Bicentennial Plaza. This article may require registration to access.]