Pressure Builds to Restore Grant Park

Chicagoans are tapping their feet wondering when Grant Park will return to its former green state.

 

The combination of heavy rains and Lollapalooza concert-goers and crews left the downtown park in a dried mud state. 

 

That’s not appealing to park lovers.

 

Grant Park Conservancy President Bob O’Neill admitted to the Chicago Sun-Times that residents are getting anxious.

 

Lollapalooza racked up $200,000 in restoration costs last year, which concert promoter C3 Presents LLC paid for under its contract with the City of Chicago. This year’s tab remains a mystery to the public, the Sun-Times reports.

 

This year’s damage surpassed the previous year with up to 80 percent of the park needing some kind of repairs, said Adam Schwerner, director for the park district’s department of natural resources.

 

Schwerner insisted Grant Park’s appearance will improve after crews lay down the sod and said it will be "dramatically better" by mid-September.

 

The Grant Park Conservancy plans to keep the pressure on the park district so people can return to the park before winter arrives.