Friends of the Parks

DuSable Park Construction on Hold Due to Economic Downturn

DuSable Park, a 3.5 acre peninsula located at the juncture of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan just north of Randolph Street, was dedicated as a future park in 1988 to honor Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, the founder of modern day Chicago.  Since 1988, however, the park has not been constructed due first to environmental contamination findings, and most recently to funding issues.  The latest major block to the development of DuSable Park is the 2009 economic downturn which has halted the construction of the Chicago Spire.   In 2008, the City of Chicago approved the plan to construct the Spire, the nation’s tallest residential building, and tied the completion of DuSable Park to the completion of the Spire.

In addition, the developer of the Spire agreed to contribute $9 million to build the park.  However, with the complete halt of the Spire project in 2009, the timing for the construction of DuSable Park is in limbo.

Since 2003 progress had been made by the Chicago Park District to complete the required environmental clean-up of the 3.5 acre site.  Following the environmental clean-up, the Park District worked with the DuSable Park Coalition to finalize an architectural plan for DuSable Park.  The DuSable Park plan includes a sculpture to be designed by Martin Puryear as well as artistic plaques and informational signage which will tell the story of the settlement of the City of Chicago by Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable at the end of the 18th Century.

In 2006, the north river esplanade from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Park was designated by the city as the DuSable Founder’s Trail, connecting DuSable Park with Pioneer Court on Michigan Avenue, the site of DuSable’s first settlement in the 1770’s.

The construction of the park presents the unique opportunity to establish a park for all Chicago to commemorate the city’s founder, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable and his contributions to Chicago.