The Plan Hits the Fan
Be careful what you wish for.
The threats to open park space in the protected area of Grant Park have long deserved more attention from the press. Now we’re getting more than any of us might have imagined.
The September 2 editorial in the Chicago Tribune, which plainly and strongly opposed construction of a new Chicago Children’s Museum building in the northeast corner of Grant Park, was eloquently written and an unexpected lift to many of us who sought to bring attention to the issue and preserve the park. Published just a week before the final neighborhood meeting on the matter, it helped many to keep the faith.
Nobody expected the museum’s backers to roll over, but nobody expected the kind of ugly response that is hitting the media today, either.
This blog has never been anything more than an information resource for locals who aim to preserve open space in Grant Park, and to maintain community park resources and the joys that come with them. If you’re reading this, you almost certainly know what happened next.
For those who may wander in here and not know the story, here is the Cliff’s Notes version: Museum backers demanded access for supporters who did not live in the area to a September 10 meeting, which had been planned as the last in a series of neighborhood resident-only meetings organized by Alderman Reilly for the Chicago Children’s Museum to present a proposal to build in the Daley Bicentennial Plaza site. They brought in loads of people long before meeting time and commandeered seats with the explicit intention of preventing neighborhood residents from entering the meeting room. Locals showed up anyway and stood in the halls and even outside in the rain through the meeting. Alderman Reilly reminded all that he represents the residents of the 42nd ward and promised to state a position the following week. Before Alderman Reilly made his announcement, Mayor Daley called for a vote of all 50 aldermen (positively not typical of Chicago political mechanics) and asserted lots of nasty things about opponents of the museum’s relocation to Grant Park (a quick search on the topic will get you all the gory details). On September 18, Alderman Reilly announced his opposition to the museum’s plan. The Chicago Tribune published another editorial supporting Alderman Reilly. The Sun-Times put nasty comments from Daley and the museum’s chairman on the cover. TV new reporters have been trolling the park. The Chicago Reader finally started publishing a few short pieces on the subject.
What to do? Not much. Keep the faith. Be nice. And go enjoy the park.
The threats to open park space in the protected area of Grant Park have long deserved more attention from the press. Now we’re getting more than any of us might have imagined.
The September 2 editorial in the Chicago Tribune, which plainly and strongly opposed construction of a new Chicago Children’s Museum building in the northeast corner of Grant Park, was eloquently written and an unexpected lift to many of us who sought to bring attention to the issue and preserve the park. Published just a week before the final neighborhood meeting on the matter, it helped many to keep the faith.
Nobody expected the museum’s backers to roll over, but nobody expected the kind of ugly response that is hitting the media today, either.
This blog has never been anything more than an information resource for locals who aim to preserve open space in Grant Park, and to maintain community park resources and the joys that come with them. If you’re reading this, you almost certainly know what happened next.
For those who may wander in here and not know the story, here is the Cliff’s Notes version: Museum backers demanded access for supporters who did not live in the area to a September 10 meeting, which had been planned as the last in a series of neighborhood resident-only meetings organized by Alderman Reilly for the Chicago Children’s Museum to present a proposal to build in the Daley Bicentennial Plaza site. They brought in loads of people long before meeting time and commandeered seats with the explicit intention of preventing neighborhood residents from entering the meeting room. Locals showed up anyway and stood in the halls and even outside in the rain through the meeting. Alderman Reilly reminded all that he represents the residents of the 42nd ward and promised to state a position the following week. Before Alderman Reilly made his announcement, Mayor Daley called for a vote of all 50 aldermen (positively not typical of Chicago political mechanics) and asserted lots of nasty things about opponents of the museum’s relocation to Grant Park (a quick search on the topic will get you all the gory details). On September 18, Alderman Reilly announced his opposition to the museum’s plan. The Chicago Tribune published another editorial supporting Alderman Reilly. The Sun-Times put nasty comments from Daley and the museum’s chairman on the cover. TV new reporters have been trolling the park. The Chicago Reader finally started publishing a few short pieces on the subject.
What to do? Not much. Keep the faith. Be nice. And go enjoy the park.
Labels: 42nd ward, Alderman Reilly, Brendan Reilly, Chicago Children's Museum, Daley Bicentennial Plaza, Gigi Pritzker Pucker, Grant Park, green space, open space
posted by Meta Brown at 9:48 PM
1 Comments:
Let's leave Grant Park for what it was donated to the city for -- a park! It's much easier to find a place to relocate the Children's Museum than it is a very old, beautiful and historic park.
Best,
Jason Rosado,
Chicago Business Coach
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