DuSable Park (Chicago) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids DuSable Park |
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| Location | Chicago |
| Area | Streeterville |
DuSable Park is a special piece of land in Chicago, right where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan. It used to be a place for businesses and factories. For a long time, people have been working to clean it up and turn it into a beautiful park. The park is named after Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. He was the first known settler in Chicago, arriving in the 1780s. Many people call him the "Founder of Chicago".
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Where is DuSable Park Located?
DuSable Park is in a great spot in Chicago. It sits just east of North Lake Shore Drive. To its north, you'll find Lake Point Tower and Navy Pier. Lake Michigan is directly to its east.
The entrance to the Ogden Slip is north of the park. The mouth of the Chicago River is to its south. A very tall building called the Chicago Spire was once planned for the area just west of the park. However, that project was later canceled.
How DuSable Park Was Formed
The Land's Beginning
The land where DuSable Park now sits was created over time. After a jetty was built for the Chicago Harbor Light, lake currents changed. This caused soil and sand to build up in the area.
In 1857, the State of Illinois sold this land to a company. Later, in 1893, the Ogden Slip was dug out. This allowed boats to carry cargo from nearby railroads. The United States Army Corps of Engineers then filled in the DuSable Park site.
In 1948, the Chicago Plan Commission made a rule. It said that land along the lakefront could only be used for parks or for boats. In 1964, the land was leased to the builders of Lake Point Tower. The company that owned the land also sold some of it to another developer. This developer had an option to build more towers where DuSable Park is now.
Becoming a Park
To stop more buildings from going up, Mayor Richard J. Daley's government created a rule. It was called the Lakefront Protection Ordinance. This rule stopped new buildings from being built east of Lake Shore Drive.
In 1972, the developer sued the City of Chicago. But eventually, they decided not to build on DuSable Park. The original land owner also agreed not to build there.
In 1987, Mayor Harold Washington officially named the land "DuSable Park". This honored Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. The Chicago Park District took ownership of the land in 1988.
Years later, some companies were asked to check the park for possible radioactive material. In 1997, a company called MCL Companies took over the land. They then gave it to the Chicago Park District. They also promised to pay $600,000 to help develop the park.
In 2000, the Chicago Park District thought about leasing the land for a parking lot. But people were upset and formed a group called the DuSable Park Coalition. Because of this, the parking lot plan was stopped.
Since then, there have been ideas for developing the park. The Art Institute of Chicago even asked an artist to design a statue of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. This statue will be placed across the river at DuSable Harbor.
Plans for a New Park
In 2005, a developer announced plans for a new tall building. It was called the Fordham Spire. This company promised almost $500,000 to help build DuSable Park. The park would be right next to their new tower.
However, the developer could not get enough money for the project. So, another company took over the building plans. The building was renamed the Chicago Spire.
In 2007, the new development company offered $6 million to finish DuSable Park. Soon after, they increased their offer to $9.6 million. They also offered their own design for the park. This design included a ramp for cars going onto Lake Shore Drive.
To make people happy, the company changed the ramp design. It was moved under Lake Shore Drive. This way, it would use less park space. The Chicago Spire project was eventually canceled in 2010.
Cleaning Up DuSable Park
The edge of the land, called the revetment, needs fixing. This might cost a lot of money. Also, tests done in 2000 showed that some soil at DuSable Park had radioactive material called thorium.
From 1904 to 1936, a company processed ores that contained thorium. They used it to make gas mantles, which were used in lamps. It was thought that after the factory closed, some of this contaminated soil was dumped at the park site.
In 2003, the Chicago Park District said the thorium cleanup was not finished. The company building the Chicago Spire was going to take more soil samples. This would help them figure out how much radioactive material was there.
In 2012, the Chicago Park District received money to clean up the site. The contaminated soil was put into bags. Then, it was sent to a special cleanup site. The Park District later reported that the cleanup was finished by September 2012.
