Northerly Island then (2003) and now. http://t.co/olOP8SFenW pic.twitter.com/PFTHPPod8y
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) September 2, 2015
It's the Friday before the long Labor Day weekend and to make things even better, the city has opened the new Northerly Island Park to the public. What was once a private airstrip is now a lush 40-acre park complete with a five acre lagoon, mini foothills and a winding mile-long bicycle/pedestrian loop. While the park will be open to visitors this weekend, it's not exactly finished just yet. Similar to the 606 and Maggie Daley Park, Northerly Island's new plantings will take several months to settle in and mature. Designed by SmithGroupJJR and Chicago's Studio Gang Architects and constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the new park will boast various micro ecosystems for visitors and students to enjoy and explore. In addition to educational programming, the new park will also feature camping retreats. Northerly Island has come a long way since the Meigs Field airstrip was bulldozed under Mayor Richard M. Daley's orders in 2003. It joins The 606, Maggie Daley Park, the Grant Park Skate Park and the Chicago Riverwalk extension in becoming one more high profile public park space delivered in the last year. Be sure to send us your photos of the new park.
·Long Awaited Northerly Island Park to Officially Open on Friday [Curbed Chicago]
·Parks & Rec archives [Curbed Chicago]
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