Friends of the Parks

December 7, 2009

Linda Searle
Chair, Chicago Plan Commission
121 N. LaSalle
Room 1000
Chicago, IL 60602

Dear Commissioner Searle:

Friends of the Parks reviewed the revised plans for Gateway Harbor at our Policy Committee meeting of December 3rd.   We commend the Park District and its architectural team for considering our expressed concerns about the height of the facilities by reducing the height of both the restaurant and harbor building. 

We support the new Gateway Harbor project which will provide both public and boating amenities adjacent to the state’s most visited attraction, Navy Pier.  The public amenities include a half-mile, 30-foot-wide public promenade for walking, fishing and experiencing the skyline and Lake Michigan in ways not before available.  New public land will be created to connect Dime Pier to Gateway Park.   Boaters will benefit from the construction of a 240 slip harbor in Lake Michigan.  For the first time, Chicago will offer 160 transient slips for visiting boaters and will provide 80 additional rental mooring slips.   

As part of the plan, the ACOE has agreed to store their equipment in a screened area on the new landfill.  This decision will allow for the completion of the south end of Gateway Park which for decades has been an eyesore and not accessible to the public.   We urge the governmental agencies involved to move quickly to landscape the vacated ACOE land.   

Friends of the Parks’ earlier concerns about the height of the proposed structures have been considered and the building heights have been reduced by nearly 12 feet.   The buildings will be LEED certified silver.  Both solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling systems are planned. 

As the plan moves toward blueprint production, we have the following recommendations:

1. The design should include significant sun control on the south facing façade to insure the comfort level of users both in summer heat and winter cold.  Several prominent glass structures in Chicago have required expensive heating/cooling retrofits after completion.  Public tax dollars should be protected to prevent this from happening with the Gateway Harbor buildings.   
2. Cost efficient and simple glass cleaning and maintenance systems should be incorporated so that future tax dollars will not be required at a later date.    
3. We understand that only bird-friendly glass will be used to protect migratory birds from crashing into the glass buildings.  We underscore that need.
4. We commend the Park District and the City for protecting Gateway Park by prohibiting any parking with this plan.  We concur with the Park District that Navy Pier or off-site parking is available and accessible for the 80 permanent mooring slips.  We would like to see language added to the Lakefront Protection Ordinance application that would prevent any future consideration of parking on Gateway Park.

The revised Gateway Harbor Plan is well crafted to conform to the Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance.   Friends of the Parks supports its approval. 

Sincerely,
Erma Tranter
President

Cc:   Alderman Brendan Reilly
 Rob Rejman
 Greg Weykamp