The Chicago Park District has released the first iteration of its framework plan for the future of Grant Park in The Loop. Bounded by East Randolph Street to the north and East Roosevelt Road to the south, the 319-acre park is commonly known as “Chicago’s Front Yard.” The plan outlines a vision for how the city could remodel and expand the park in the coming years.
Walking context map of Grant Park via Park District
Lake Park was first established in 1844, on land designated as park space since the city’s founding. Through years of land reclamation and expansion, the city created the park we know today, renaming it after President Grant in 1901. Since then, it has become well known for its summer closures to host events like NASCAR and Lollapalooza.
Re-imagined spaces of Grant Park via Park District
Because of this, the Park District is looking to refresh the park to ease operations, attract more visitors, and better serve the rapidly growing residential population of The Loop. They’ve assembled a design team made up of local firms—UrbanWorks, Confluence, and Brush Architects—to craft this vision for the future.
The Plan
In development for over four years, the latest iteration of the plan was presented earlier this week in a virtual community meeting. It focuses on five guiding principles: Equity, Sustainability, Health and Wellness, Thoughtful Stewardship, and Identity. These are intended to shape a more cohesive, accessible, and greener park than exists today.
Road diet of Grant Park via Park District
Road diet of Grant Park via Park District
According to the Park District, around 20 percent of the park’s land is currently dedicated to roads—a figure they hope to reduce. The plan therefore proposes a “road diet,” a trolley on Columbus Drive, additional water taxi stops, more restrooms and concessions, expanded public art, enhanced landscaping, and new seating and lighting throughout the park.
Sections of Grant Park plan via Park District
The proposal is divided into five key sections, beginning from the north at Randolph:
North Grant Park plan via Park District
North Grant Park
This section includes Maggie Daley Park and the areas extending south to Jackson Drive. Proposed changes include a new pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive, connecting to the large green hillside toward the lake. The area would be renovated with overlooks, an adult fitness zone, and improved landscaping. A large speed table on Monroe Street would improve the connection to Maggie Daley Park.
DuSable Harbor plan via Park District
Butler Field plan via Park District
The plan also includes new restrooms and concessions in currently restricted areas. To the south, Butler Field would be completely reconfigured—beginning with the removal of the existing bandshell—and reimagined with a central walkway dividing the space into four softball fields. This change would impact two of Lollapalooza’s main stages.
Lakefront plan via Park District
The Lakefront
This section covers the entire lakefront path east of Lake Shore Drive, from Randolph to the Shedd Aquarium. The highlight is the proposed sinking and capping of Lake Shore Drive between Jackson and Balbo, creating new green space and a long-sought direct connection between Buckingham Fountain and the lakefront, as well as expanding Queen’s Landing.
Promenade plan via Park District
Promenade plan via Park District
The area would also gain a new water taxi stop, restrooms, concessions, and facilities for sailing programs. Dining kiosks would line the path leading to a new lakefront deck, featuring swings and lawn steps near the curve toward Shedd—which is itself undergoing a major expansion.
Historic Core plan via Park District
Historic Core
Centered around Congress Plaza and Buckingham Fountain, this area offers two design options for Congress Plaza. Both would soften the street’s connection to Columbus Drive. One concept envisions a traditional plaza with a fountain and welcome center, while the other removes the road entirely to create green space with a central water feature.
Congress plaza options via Park District
Vision for Buckingham Fountain furniture via Park District
North and South President’s Courts would see additional trees and landscaping, and the area surrounding Buckingham Fountain would gain more seating and seasonal pop-up concessions. Adjacent formal gardens would be updated to match the existing design language in a subtle, seasonal way.
South Grant Park plan via Park District
South Grant Park
This area spans from Balbo Avenue south to Museum Campus. West of the park, land north of Agora would be redeveloped into an entry garden featuring raised berms, sensory gardens, and sculptural elements. The site of the former Columbus statue would be reimagined with rotating public art installations.
Columbus statue and entry park plan via Park District
Upper Hutchinson plan via Park District
Hutchinson field plan via Park District
Two new pedestrian bridges at 6th and 8th Streets would cross the Metra tracks and link to the rest of the park. The redesign would consolidate existing softball fields and add basketball courts, a playground, and a dog park. Hutchinson Field’s softball diamonds would be removed and the space transformed into flexible festival grounds.
Metra track cap plan via Park District
Metra Tracks Cap
The final zone proposes a massive cap over the Metra tracks throughout the park, creating 10 new “rooms” that include public art, fitness areas, playgrounds, memorials, fountains, a bike path, gardens, and a new sculpture garden and courtyard for the Art Institute. This would finally connect the entire park at grade level.
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The plan will now undergo another round of community review before being finalized and gradually implemented by the Park District over the coming years. The full presentation can be found here.
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Wow! Great ideas. I hope a lot of them get implemented over the years as the park is so heavily used. Some of these plans would really transform the park into a much more grand space. The City should ask billionaires for funding parts of it in exchange for naming rights to speed up implementation.
‘things we could have if it weren’t for workers pensions’
Things we could have if billionaires paid taxes.
Softball fields belong in neighborhood parks. They are a monumental waste of space here.
Same comment about basketball courts. And either bury part of Columbus drive, or put a few curves in to break up the monotony. Or get rid of it altoghether.
Basketball courts take up much less space and they are used very differently. Pick up basketball means the courts get used much more vs softball fields which need organized games.
It all looks great, no idea where they are going to find the money for any of it.
If they really want a road diet how about getting rid of street parking.
Also, where they plan to drop and cover DLSD, they need to do the same for the bike path. You are going to major problems with bikes, even moving at slow speed never mind the “racers”, going N/S and people crossing over.
That path is part of my commute when I bike to work, I agree 100% about including a bike tunnel there, but it’s not as big of a priority and they probably won’t
So happy to see this. I always felt around the buckingham fountain area was a dead zone, so much open space, no seating, trees or stands. This is exactly what should be done here. Super excited to see how this develops. Buckingham fountain area has HUGE potential on the doorstep of Chicago! USE IT!
This is wonderful news! The design concepts are very thoughtful and the venue settings are beautiful.The Greater Englewood district is also pursuing “Picture Your Park” Strategies in hopes to attract greater utilization of our open spaces and facilities, alongside the Englewood Nature Trail and it’s our Agro-Eco Planning District. Similar to ideas for the Grant Park Metra tracks, there are talks (Norfolk Southern Intermodal Station Advisory Committee Team) about “capping” portions the Dan Ryan Expressway between 47th and 67th Street in order to expand green initiatives and improve air quality. The goal is to balance out industrialized sections in the district in order to introduce Greenest Programming, reduce air pollution, build in clean ride solutions and revisit population growth planning. So excited about the Grant Park Framework Plan, means so much for Chicago’s future.
At least 8 or 10 different mayors would have to oversee and fund all of these ideas, so augmenting this plan with estimated price tags, potential funding sources, suggested phasing of various changes, and some elementary cost/benefit analysis (heaven forfend!) would make this grand vision something other than a master planning pipe dream for a perennially under-financed city.
How many billions in a city that can’t pay for its annual budget? Looks like a nice plan though.
Capping the scar of the Metra trains should be first not last, it would immediately provide the continuity the park needs to finally feel whole; everything else will fill and enhance the exsiting elements.
Let’s be realistic, the funding will not be there to lower and cover LSD. The costs would be astronomical vs current infrastructure needs. Other ideas have merit. A bridge over LSD is more cost feasible.
By and large this looks like a very fine design – or series of designs. First of all, though, LSD should never be depressed (near the Buckingham Fountain) as you are depriving people of fine views of the park and skyline – who wants to drive for blocks under grade?? Yes, the baseball diamonds must go – not very imaginative – more compelling uses should prevail. Remember, the cast will not be money spent, it will be money invested.
Oh, and restore Lake Shore Drive – just to Lake Shore Drive. The Du Sable stuff must go, rename some park somewhere else. BTY, I have yet to hear a cab driver, bus driver, tourist, or resident utter this whole street-name mouthful.
counterpoint: a lakefront open car sewer does not belong in a modern city and should be depressed and capped from 67th st to Hollywood ave. This would be a good start though.
There is no way that any street adajacent to Grant Park, or any thoroughfare the length of Lake Michigan, can be referred to as an “open car sewer.” Yours is a “bad start” to a bad idea. Yes, pedestrians, as well as motorists, should be entitled to view the city and Lake Michigan from their autos much in the same way that Parisians are able to view Paris and its landmarks from the Champ-Elysees, or as in any number of European cities. To depress any roadway, for any length, at these lakefront locations would be shortsighted and stupid.
In Europe, their drives full of grandeur and beauty are not also secondary highways.
The fact that 80 mph can easily be observed while you also have folks in awe checking out the skyline/views has been a recipe for disaster a century in the making.
How many died in the original S curve of Lakeshore East? How many more crash stats of pedestrians, confused drivers, and those under the influence will it take to understand the status quo is a failed design?
As pretty as is, the current road conditions are fatal and inefficient. Going in a divot next to the fountain isn’t going to ruin your drive. And if anything, you no longer have to wait for backup from the lights to add an extra 20 minutes.
Love what I see here! They should get rid of Columbus Dr altogether south of Monroe thought, pedestrianizing it as well as Congress Plaza (excited to see that as a possibility). Capping LSD is expensive but worth it–if people in cars want a view, they can park and go for a walk. Nobody needs a view of the lake on their way to/from work…distracted driving is how crashes happen, and heaven knows LSD has plenty of them on a regular basis.
100% all of this.
Capping the Metra should be phase 1 along with making the lakefront more accessible via Buckingham fountain.
The softball fields should go down to 2 and just make them nicer than the unkept fields they are now. Ugh to more pickle ball courts. They already removed the beach volleyball courts to add more pickleball courts. Sad.
One comment mentioned that Grant park is not a neighborhood park but it is 100%. Recreational sport amenities are a must.
And just lol to the comment concerned about drivers not being able to see the views. Just no.
If anything, expand more of the park so we can balance what’s park and what’s recreation. Waaaaay too much land that’s pavement (specifically roads) and not nature within our main park.
Now we just need a good mayor and not a caricature.
First – Congress Plaza from Michigan Ave to Buckingham Fountain should 100% be pedestrianized. Capping the Metra – also a great idea – maybe eventually adding a CTA train to South Shore. I’d love all of LSD below grade- but that is just a dream. But, especially downtown through the park 100%.
I love most all of the plans, especially the (expensive) decking of the Metra tracks and burying of DLSD by Queens Landing.
That said, I wish there was a quadrant of the park that was dedicated to a more naturalistic feel, perhaps with a pond and some wild tree growth. I know that hasn’t been the programming of the park in its history, but it would still be nice to have a space where the could be made possible. Perhaps the Petrillo Band Shell is now? I see that the planners here have yet more softball fields planned there, but perhaps softball fields would be better served near the decking of the Metra tracks instead.