>> A tunnel sending Dusable Lakeshore Drive underground.

A new Parkland constructed as a deck over metro tracks.

Those are just a few of the ideas presented in the Chicago Park District's 20 year framework for updating Grand Park.

The framework builds upon initial 22,002 planned that delivered Maggie Daley Park and aims to create cohesion in a friendlier environment for pedestrians.

Joining us to discuss the framework are Chicago Park District General superintendent got a little time needed real sir.

And Leslie wrecked president of the Grant Park Advisory Council.

Thank you both for joining us.

Now, let's talk about vicious ideas because there's a there's a lot of a good ideas here.

Carlos, tell us about the frameworks main vision and what it seeks to accomplish.

So.

>> In the context of the park district, a framework plant is a north star, its guidelines that the district now has in place for us to work towards.

And we only got here thanks to people like Leslie people from across the city who provided thousands of comments to the district, attended meetings and gave us that Northstar.

So this is now going to guide investment and development in Grant Park for the next 20 years.

And one of the key things that we heard is that people particularly in the new president south with presidents.

We've had extraordinary growth in the loop in the south loop of the last several decades.

They want more recreation opportunities for them, Grant Park a certain neighborhood park.

So this plan seeks to provide that.

But we also know that Grant Park is activated year-round and needs to be flexible because it has so many different uses in so many different needs that it feels for the people of the city of Chicago and visitors Carlo there.

Any changes that people could see sooner?

>> I know there's some up in the air, not concrete, but is there anything that people can expect?

So, yeah, well, I know one thing that Leslie and the Grant Park Advisory committee push for was ensuring that there is better signage.

We want to make sure that when people are in the park, they're able to get around the park that it's more accessible.

So we're going to be launching a wayfinding committee to bring experts and stakeholders together to help update that signage.

>> But another really update mobile movable So we have movable chairs in parks like Bryant Park New York City.

We've seen at 2 in the Tuileries Garden or the Luxembourg Gardens and Paris.

So this is a tried and true model to create a place for rest bite relaxation.

And so we're going to having 100 movable chairs around Buckingham Fountain later on this spring has has really interesting.

>> And Leslie, what was your reaction to the framework that the Chicago Park district laid out?

Well, I think it's a wonderful opportunity.

I think the fact that we have the framework plan now.

>> Obviously, it's just the beginning.

Now we have to go to the hard part, finalizing some of the elements that need to be designed and need to be finalized.

And we have to find the money to pay for things.

And we have to prioritize.

We have a permit.

The process going on right now with the park district has allocated some funds back to Grant Park from the permit fees that they collect for major events in the park.

And we're in the process of deciding what people want to do.

So we're talking about more bathrooms were talking about improving existing dog-friendly area.

We're talking about looking at everything that people want in the park and say not just what do they want today, but what can we accomplish in the next year or 2 years?

>> So they see progress and let just mentioned a few things.

What would you say are your top priorities?

You mentioned bathrooms?

Absolutely.

We've got a wonderful pickleball new pickleball and tennis facility that was installed a few years ago.

There's huge you so that Jones High School uses those facilities.

So it's it's a lot of different park users that's adjacent to the dog-friendly area.

And it's very near the skateboard park that gets high usage from youth.

And so we've got to know what I call a note of activity in that portion of the park where we really don't have bathrooms available.

You need benches, bathrooms, fountains all of these kind things that you need for So And Carlos, we know the Grand Park is known for hosting large events like Lollapalooza swindles.

But those events, you know, as we know, have caused some environmental damages to the Chicago's front yard.

>> Does this framework do anything to better equip Grant Park and these events happen will per the agreement with those event organizers.

If there's damage cause they have to address it.

They have to fix it on their dime.

But also those big events.

They help drive our local tourism economy.

They help generate tax revenue that supports our Palooza brings in over 10 million dollars.

They've done great work to make improvements in the park.

>> To provide those year-round recreation activities.

We also heard from people that we want to have the space have a permanent fairground.

And so in the southern portion of Grant Park, we're looking to have a permanent fairground so that there's better infrastructure to support those events.

But just our ground.

What does that mean?

It's like a fair grounds like a festival grounds, a place where, you know, there's a infrastructure that is built in and in place to support large festivals, large events typically for like concerts, OK, correct?

Yes.

And then in addition to that, we also know that we've heard from residents that they want us to continue the work that we've already been doing to find ways maximize the footprint.

So thanks to a import.

We've gotten from the Grant Park Advisory Council and residents we've worked with love a police organizers to change the footprint of the event so that some of those amenities can remain open to the public while the festivals going on.

And then we're also always working with the event organizers to reduce the number of days that it requires for them to set up and to break down for the festival because that means more days that the public can enjoy the park.

>> Lets them carry is what has been some of the feedback from some of the residents.

Well, the plan was just released last night.

So we're still well, you know, there's been comments, right?

There's absolutely.

And I think a lot of the comments have been reflected in the plan that's been put forward.

Obviously, there's more that we think people will be stimulated to talk about.

Now that the final plan is out.

And so we're having an advisory council meeting on the 3rd Wednesday at 06:00PM.

It will be a zoom meeting and we'll keep soliciting comments and keep working with the superintendent and other people in the park district.

Is this planning goes forward.

>> Carl's I just to mention, I think there was around 2,800 public comments that inspired this saw proposed changes.

Do you think that level of public feedback is sufficient for cities of nearly 3 million people?

Yeah.

Well, ultimately that the task is to go out and to ask the public to get involved.

>> And and we held 7 input meetings.

We made sure to solicit feedback both in-person virtually via e-mail and that.

Input is what guided this process and what led to this final framework plan.

So we're so appreciative and grateful to everyone that participated.

And we also saw a push.

So, you know, when there were articles that came out, we saw an increase in the number of people that were submitting those comments online.

So we're greatly appreciative to everyone that help promote the process.

And so importantly, everyone that participated in the process.

And I want to talk with quickly about one of the ideas, which is an underground.

>> bridge under dusable underground.

We know where how could this work and nowhere was this need identified.

Yeah.

So the deck over.

So we want to make sure that people are safer in Grant Park and we want to make sure that we're expanding the amount of space that is available for pedestrians, for families to gather.

And so we brought multiple options to the public and said which of these options would you prefer for Lakeshore Drive?

And for Grant Park and the option that got the most positive feedback was the deck over soak Queens landing, which is east of Lake Shore Drive.

And then, of course, the Buckingham Fountain table in this plan is connected by a deck over goals over Lakeshore Drive, making it easier to walk all the way from Congress Plaza all the way to the lakefront and stopping at beautiful Buckingham Fountain on the way.

So that's a big ambitious project.

It's going to cost lots of money.

And it's important to note a long time.

That's right.

And the framework plan, it's not technical.

It's not technical drawings.

There's still a lot of engineering and planning that needs to be done.

And so in order to accomplish that deck over.

But now we know based upon this public input process that we had the vision that the Chicagoans to participate in this process would like us to pursue.

Is that deck over?

So now that we have that North star, we can work with our partners at the state.

We can work with our partners at the federal level at CDOT the Chicago apartment transportation to make that vision a reality.

Leslie, quickly, what are your thoughts on the deck over?

Well, we have some concerns about feasibility place.

And so we've raised those concerns when the process was going on.

>> And we're waiting to see we're waiting to see because there's a lot that needs to be evaluated as we're going through this process.

The theory is fine.

We don't have a problem with the theory.

The concern is how do you depressed Lakeshore drive at that point.

But we certainly like the vision what the park district is trying to do.

And we're very supportive of a lot of the elements.

The bridge going from.

I'm so sorry.

I'm gonna have to leave it at that