The city is talking about possible big changes to Grant Park. We asked what improvements readers would like to see there. Here’s what you said, lightly edited for clarity:
“This summer, access to the park was restricted beginning in mid-May as the build-out for Sueños began. As soon as the park reopened, construction for NASCAR began. Two days after the park reopened after NASCAR, construction for Lollapalooza began and the entire park began shutting down. … Remove events from Grant Park that make it inaccessible for long periods and [remake] it into a public place of recreation, leisure, enjoyment of nature and family friendly pursuits.”
— Sue Connaughton
“Covered and landscaped overhead foot-bike bridges wide enough for landscaping and wheelchair access up and down by lift.”
— Laura Ann Parry
“Get all the weekend running events out of it. … Stop with the weekend street closures that force you to drive to 31st Street to get into the South Loop.”
— David Flinn
“Burying DuSable Lake Shore Drive would be ideal, making the lakefront more inviting and accessible. It’s ugly now. What began as a carriage lane is now an eight-lane highway with cars speeding well beyond the limits and trucks rumbling through illegally.”
— Joe Paszczyk
“More structures, public utilities like bathrooms, bike paths, more seating, bike racks, more community events in the park to draw people in.”
— Stasi Pappas
“Put turtles in it.”
— Kate Jones
“Get rid of all the streets, including LSD. … There would be room for permanent concert stages, playground, more sports courts, bike paths, activating Buckingham Fountain with food, drinks, seating and so much more.”
— Nora Navin
“More native plantings rather than resource-requiring grass.”
— Ernie Kaminski
“Less cars and more bathrooms. Also more company softball on those playing fields.”
— Wester Eastlake
“Grant Park will never be successful if there are cars in it at all. Cars have become bigger, more numerous and are driven more menacingly than ever. … They’re designing this like a highway and telling us the grass in the median is a park.”
— James R Anderson
“I do not see any six-lane roads going through Central Park. Why? Because NYC supports people over cars from the suburbs.”
— Wil B Snodgrass III