The area along the northern boundary of Chicago's Grant Park was unwelcoming for much of the 20th century. The location was largely overlooked by a city more concerned with its skyline than its ground-level areas, with commuter rail tracks cutting across it and rows of outdoor parking occupying what little space was left. As early as the 1970s, civic organizations proposed reclaiming the area for public use, but political will and financial resources never quite matched up. That goal didn't really take off until the last years of the 1990s, which paved the way for one of the most talked-about civic revolutions in recent American history.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
