When I read about the lack of progress at the Northern Island redevelopment near downtown Chicago in political columnist Greg Hinz’s blog last week, I felt a familiar sense of nausea. It was the feeling I got when I first saw a picture of the large Xs carved into one of the most incredible aviation landmarks in the United States, Meigs Field. I experienced the same feeling when I saw the island from Sears Tower a couple of years after the airport closed. Today the field looks much the same as it did then – an unsightly field with some basic paths and temporary tent-like structures.
I’m all for recreation. I love to run, walk, hike and ride bikes, and if the Chicago shoreline was a concrete jungle, I would sympathize with the supporters of the Meigs closure. However, most of the waterfront was already lined with parks and walkways, so there were plenty of areas for fitness freaks and outdoor enthusiasts to get their kicks. I’m assuming that all of these parks cost the City a fair amount of money to maintain. So I’m not surprised there is no money for the Northern Island redevelopment project, as Hinz indicated in his blog. There was no need for another park, but there was and still is a need for Meigs Field.
