Promontory Point, on the south shore of the lake, is beloved for its natural aesthetic, designed by noted landscape architect Alfred Caldwell in 1937. (Preservation Chicago/Eric Allix Rogers)
A federal assessment of the Chicago shoreline by the US Army Corps of Engineers will no longer include Promontory Point, because Point is receiving its own review.
On Monday, the Corps, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District, all partners in the Chicago Shoreline Project, announced that work on the lakefront project will proceed in separate phases.
Since 1996, nine miles of the city’s shoreline have been rehabilitated to protect against erosion and future storm damage. In late 2022, the Chicago District of the Corps received funding to develop a Comprehensive Reassessment Report for the remaining miles of Chicago’s lakefront, along with the remediated sections that are not performing well. The study is expected to cost $3 million and be completed in 2025, according to a statement from the Corps.
Promontory Point was left out of the scope of this overview because the money for its rehabilitation planning comes from different sources.
The city is picking up the $5 million tab to fund the design of shoreline protections for the unique peninsula, which juts out into Lake Michigan between 54th and 56th streets. Any design is expected to incorporate preservation of the historic limestone facing from the Point Step, authorities said. The city will issue a request for proposals later in 2023.
The Corps received $450,000 in federal funds to conduct an independent review of any design the city selects for Promontory Point. According to the Corps, this activity was originally authorized by Congress in 2007, but had not been funded until now.
Given Promontory Point’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places and its current application for Chicago landmark status, the Corps’ review will need to consider whether a design meets standards for both storm risk reduction and preservation. historical.
“The project partners are confident that the City’s design, coupled with third-party review, will result in a rehabilitation plan that preserves the limestone and historic character of this important segment of shoreline in a manner consistent with Standards. of the Secretary of the Interior. for Historic Preservation,” the Corps said in a statement.
Separating Promontory Point from the larger waterfront project will allow design and construction on the Point to move forward sooner, the Corps said, adding that there will be opportunities for public input at various stages of the process.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
