Saturday marks the official beginning of summer and Chicago has a magnificent park that you may not know about.

>> It's on northerly island between the Old McCormick Place and Soldier Field used to be an airport.

So what happened?

Our Eunice Office on has the story in our latest edition of WT Tw News explains.

>> We all know O'Hare and Midway, but along the lakefront near Soldier Field in the other planetarium is a little strip of land that was once home to a small airport.

Com makes field.

That was until one march morning.

A little over 20 years ago when the city will to find Mayor Richard Daley had the airport bulldozed in the middle of the daisha's covert bulldozing operation was the conclusion to years long political battle to the airport into what it is now Northerly Island Park.

>> So how is this even possible?

First, let's back up.

>> By the Mid 20th Century makes field was the busiest single runway airport in the country.

It was primarily used by politicians and business elites to jet in and out of downtown.

But Mayor Richard Daley had other plans for the land, the many peninsula that next we'll on was owned by the Chicago Park District.

>> And for years, some Chicagoans daily included argues Lakefront Land should instead be used as a park open to all residents.

But a series of political deals and pushback from aviation and business advocates kept the airport open so daily hatched a plan.

>> By cover of night in March 2003, the mayor's demolition crew arrived at the airport in car giant X's into the runway rendering it unusable.

And all of this was done without telling the City Council the state or the Federal Aviation Administration.

The surprise move left several planes stranded daily defended this time as unnecessary post 9.11 security measure to prevent planes from flying near downtown Chicago.

But critics and condensate the mayor was merely dodging a prolonged and expensive legal battle with various groups fighting to keep their open.

No matter the purpose of the plot, Chicago had to pay the $33,000 fine and an additional 1 million dollars to repay grant funding.

Daley's midnight Caper became a textbook example of mayoral clout and makes field became Northerly Island Park.

>> Home to an outdoor concert venue Urban Nature.

Sanctuary.

>> And a great place to visit in the summer.

You can watch our whole series of explainers on our website.

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