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  #781  
Old Posted May 23, 2018, 9:34 PM
Skyguy_7 Skyguy_7 is offline
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^I doubt the descent is politically motivated; some people just don’t like it. I’m strongly against the former President’s politics but I think this is a fine location for the Center. It’s underutilized land and it will be cool to see such a complex on the southern shores of Lake Michigan.

Last edited by Skyguy_7; May 23, 2018 at 9:50 PM.
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  #782  
Old Posted May 23, 2018, 9:50 PM
Vlajos Vlajos is offline
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This fetish for parks is strange. One of Chicago's largest and most visible parks, Grant Park, is hardly used. I can't imagine Jackson Park is swarming with people typically. The Obama Center, I imagine, will actually draw people to the park.

And the soldier filed parking lot on the lake will remain that for our lifetimes due to fools.
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  #783  
Old Posted May 23, 2018, 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Vlajos View Post
This fetish for parks is strange. One of Chicago's largest and most visible parks, Grant Park, is hardly used. I can't imagine Jackson Park is swarming with people typically. The Obama Center, I imagine, will actually draw people to the park.

And the soldier filed parking lot on the lake will remain that for our lifetimes due to fools.
Losing the Lucas museum is probably one of the most infuriating things to happen to this city in a long while.

As for the Obama Chicago Public Library annex/digital file warehouse, or whatever they are calling it now, while I prefer it to have been built on vacant land, I don't mind it going in Jackson Park, especially with the removal of Cornell Drive. I think the footprint of the museum is pretty close to the square footage of asphalt that will be removed, so its somewhat of a wash when it comes to parkland actually being consumed.
The city footing the bill for the infrastructure investment I am less fond of, however.

In the end, I'm feel pretty meh about this. I'm glad Chicago is getting the 'Obama memorial study hall with books building', but not fully excited by the design or placement.
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  #784  
Old Posted May 23, 2018, 11:20 PM
Skyguy_7 Skyguy_7 is offline
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An interesting fact worth sharing: The collection of Obama’s files, artifacts, books are currently stored here in Chicagoland. Specifically, in a brand new warehouse in Hoffman Estates, built especially for these files, with non-union labor and built by mostly Russians.. They were busted by union business agents towards the end of the project. Going non-union on a commercial project of that scale is not illegal, but definitely frowned upon. Cracks me up that it was built by Russians.
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  #785  
Old Posted May 23, 2018, 11:57 PM
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Does the Obama Presidential Library still have that parking lot on the Midway Plaisance? I hope not.
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  #786  
Old Posted May 24, 2018, 12:05 AM
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The garage was scrapped (thankfully) since community groups rightly realized that it would screw up the visual appeal and public access to the dedicated green space of Midway Plaisance. Last I checked, the garage will now be located underneath the main library building, unless there has been a change to that plan that I am unaware of.
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  #787  
Old Posted May 24, 2018, 3:41 AM
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How did it end up in Jackson Park? Oprah said that was the only proper place for it.

I recently had a chat with someone who, while not in the room himself, knew folks who were. He said that Oprah stood up and told the site selection committee that major Chicago institutions go in parks on the lakefront; nowhere else. Frank Gehry resigned from the committee later that day.
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  #788  
Old Posted May 24, 2018, 11:43 AM
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How did it end up in Jackson Park? Oprah said that was the only proper place for it.

I recently had a chat with someone who, while not in the room himself, knew folks who were. He said that Oprah stood up and told the site selection committee that major Chicago institutions go in parks on the lakefront; nowhere else. Frank Gehry resigned from the committee later that day.
Well, to be fair...

It certainly does seem that many, if not most of Chicago's greatest institutions are located on or near the Lakefront or in a major park. Field, Shedd, MSI, AIC, Adler, Soldier Field (debatable about being a cultural treasure, but whatever), list actually goes on and on... Even the Chicago History Museum is pretty close to the Lakefront, and of course right on the edge of Lincoln Park (speaking of Lincoln Park, how about the Zoo???)

I've never understood what the huge opposition is/was to the Obama Center being located on the edge of Jackson Park. Maybe being an outsider I just don't get it, but it seems to me to be a win-win situation, especially since it would seem that the park would see MORE use as a result of additional visitors to the Presidential Museum.

Ah well, just my $0.02.

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  #789  
Old Posted May 24, 2018, 1:40 PM
Halsted & Villagio Halsted & Villagio is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vlajos View Post
This fetish for parks is strange. One of Chicago's largest and most visible parks, Grant Park, is hardly used. I can't imagine Jackson Park is swarming with people typically. The Obama Center, I imagine, will actually draw people to the park.

And the soldier filed parking lot on the lake will remain that for our lifetimes due to fools.
Excellent post. I agree on all points... including the Soldier Field parking lot. As for Jackson Park, you are right, it is not being used as much as it should be used and indeed large parts sit in disrepair... that will likely turnaround now with the addition of the Obama Library. A win for the community, the city and yes, the park itself.
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  #790  
Old Posted May 24, 2018, 3:25 PM
Vlajos Vlajos is offline
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Originally Posted by Halsted & Villagio View Post
Excellent post. I agree on all points... including the Soldier Field parking lot. As for Jackson Park, you are right, it is not being used as much as it should be used and indeed large parts sit in disrepair... that will likely turnaround now with the addition of the Obama Library. A win for the community, the city and yes, the park itself.
Exactly. And to be clear, I am not advocating for eliminating parks, I personally love parks. I also love Museums. They go perfectly together.
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  #791  
Old Posted May 24, 2018, 7:40 PM
cityofneighborhoods cityofneighborhoods is offline
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As someone who lives two blocks away from Jackson Park, the OPC is the best thing that could happen to the park. My family and everyone I know utilizes pretty much every other park space in and around Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore, Washington Park, Kenwood, Bronzeville, etc. except for Jackson Park, mainly because Cornell Dr. makes the park so uninviting. Just to cross the 6 lane road on foot, you have to wait to sprint across because cars are flying by at 40+ mph. Once you cross to start walking the path on Wooded Island and to enjoy the lagoon, you have the blight of the fencing, road and cars to your west. The thing I'm the most excited about from the renderings is it seems there will be a new path along the westside of the West Lagoon along with some lawns for people to actually gather, picnic, etc. Also, the increased foot traffic in the more wooded portion of Wooded Island will make it feel more secure. With the improvements and making the spaces not cut off from each other, Jackson Park could be restored to a really amazing park space where people from all the surrounding neighborhoods gather.

It's hard to wrap my mind around how park groups can be opposed to cutting off Cornell Dr, a 60s affront to their supposedly beloved Olmsted design. Chicago has so few park spaces like in Prospect Park, Central Park, Golden Gate Park, etc. where you don't have to see cars whirling by while in the park.
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  #792  
Old Posted May 24, 2018, 7:48 PM
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^ There are, unfortunately, too many hypocrites in Chicago who probably are glued to their cars. They fight in the name of "park space" only when it compromises parking or roads.

Nobody stopped all of those roads that cut through and forever ruined Grant Park because, after all, car is king.
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  #793  
Old Posted May 24, 2018, 8:44 PM
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Originally Posted by cityofneighborhoods View Post
As someone who lives two blocks away from Jackson Park, the OPC is the best thing that could happen to the park.

I couldn't agree more with everything you said. I don't usually post here often but it baffles me the reaction this is getting from a lot of people here.

I've visited this park twice on two separate visits to Chicago and crossing those separate roads was horrible and I could see as a detriment for people trying to visit this park. It's a beautiful area that just needs a little investment to make the park more enjoyable. Hopefully this goes ahead as planned and I look forward to another visit to see everyone in the neighborhood enjoy it.
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  #794  
Old Posted May 25, 2018, 2:56 AM
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It's hard to wrap my mind around how park groups can be opposed to cutting off Cornell Dr
What park group is opposed?
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  #795  
Old Posted May 25, 2018, 4:58 AM
cityofneighborhoods cityofneighborhoods is offline
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What park group is opposed?
Jackson Park Watch, Cultural Landscape Foundation
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  #796  
Old Posted May 25, 2018, 5:30 AM
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Jackson Park Watch, Cultural Landscape Foundation
Never heard of them.

Likely have no more or less than 2 alderman that would support that group.

Nothing more to see here... Walk away folks...
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  #797  
Old Posted May 25, 2018, 1:01 PM
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I'm surprised FotP isn't involved at all... I assume they realized they burned so much political capital in running the Lucas Museum out of town that they had to lay low on this one.
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  #798  
Old Posted May 25, 2018, 2:13 PM
Baronvonellis Baronvonellis is offline
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Alright, I've changed my mind. I don't go to Jackson Park very often, I didn't realize there was that large Cornell Dr. that goes through the park, and that there are so many roads going through the park. Wow! As well as an expressway, Lake Shore Dr. being next to the park. I've always driven down Stony Island, I didn't even realize there was another busy street a block over. That makes no sense. I guess just eliminating all those roads through the park alone is worth doing, and since it's a benefit for everyone who uses the park I guess it's alright to have the city pay for it. It would be nice if the Obama foundation payed for it, but not a deal breaker.

This is part of a larger issue, with having so many roads going through Grant Park, Humbolt Park, Washington Park, Garfield Park, Douglas Park ect. This is a fault of all large parks in Chicago, with so many busy roads cutting though the parks that the Parks district and the city should fix. I would rather had Friends of the Park work on a large campaign to address this issue, to actually benefit the parks for people, pedestrian, safety/comfort, and improve them. Rather than chasing away the Lucas Museum.

I think Obama is a great guy, I"m not against him, I'm all for him building a library/research center. I think ideally it would have been better in some underdeveloped vacant land on the southside. I think Presidential libraries are rather boring in general, and I might visit it once and then forget about it.

I'm just still mad that they chased the Lucas Museum out of town, as being a art museum it's something I would have been much more interested in visiting, and it would have gotten rid of a parking lot and added park land to the lakefront. But of course, we've all discussed this before.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cityofneighborhoods View Post
It's hard to wrap my mind around how park groups can be opposed to cutting off Cornell Dr, a 60s affront to their supposedly beloved Olmsted design. Chicago has so few park spaces like in Prospect Park, Central Park, Golden Gate Park, etc. where you don't have to see cars whirling by while in the park.
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  #799  
Old Posted May 25, 2018, 2:28 PM
ChiShawn ChiShawn is offline
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Nobody stopped all of those roads that cut through and forever ruined Grant Park because, after all, car is king.
Maybe this can be the first of many road closures. We can close Columbus through Grant park, Stockton and Cannon through Lincoln park, Sacramento/Humboldt through Humboldt park, Central Park through Garfield Park, and Morgan through Washington Park. We could have some NYC style parks where you can actually escape from the city.

I doubt this will ever happen though.
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  #800  
Old Posted May 26, 2018, 4:08 AM
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Maybe this can be the first of many road closures. We can close Columbus through Grant park, Stockton and Cannon through Lincoln park, Sacramento/Humboldt through Humboldt park, Central Park through Garfield Park, and Morgan through Washington Park. We could have some NYC style parks where you can actually escape from the city.

I doubt this will ever happen though.
Not so sure I ever see Columbus through Grant Park ever being completely closed down permanently, but I do think a road diet could easily be put into place, making it less of a a hindrance to the overall personal enjoyment of Grant Park as an "escape" from the city.

Completely closing it off would result in even more gridlock along an already pretty much gridlocked section of LSD, and would impact Michigan Ave. through that area as well. Again, already nearly gridlocked.

Stockton/Cannon aren't anywhere near as major an arterial as Columbus is, and perhaps one/both of them CAN reasonably be closed. I've only actually driven on Cannon a couple of times, and I'm really not sure what true use it has, honestly.

Not going to comment on the others, since I don't have too much knowledge on the specifics...

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