Debra and I are back home from Indiana. Well, if you’ve been holding your breath about whether or not they’re still making limestone in Indiana, … breathe deep.  They are, and there’s lots of just what the Point needs.

We visited a number of quarries and our favorite was Reed Quarries Inc where Debby and Steve Reed offered us their time, knowledge and Hoosier hospitality for the large chunk of a day. Reed Quarries is a fourth-generation, family-owned business started in 1927. Of the 38 quarries that once thrived in southern Indiana, only six survive. Southern Indiana's limestone desposit stretches through three counties around Bloomington, is about 400 million years old and full of fossils, and is reputed to be the best limestone deposit in the world.

Steve drove us around the quarry and showed us hundreds and hundreds of what are called “breakwater blocks”. These blocks are roughly 2’ x 3-4’ x 6-8’ and match exactly the blocks comprising the Point's revetment. The best breakwater blocks come from the very top layer of the stone formation. These breakwater blocks, however, aren’t good for building material because they are too hard to cut and carve easily, and are not the desired "buff" color.  Only about 20% of what is cut out of the the Reed's quarry wall is the desired buff-colored stone used for buildings. The rest are waste blocks like the ones that make up the revetment at the Point. No one wants the gray or varigated colored stone or what's too hard to carve -- unless they want in-kind materials to repair and rehabilitate a 1930's WPA limestone sea wall. 

Turns out Debby Reed is a member of the Monroe County Historic Preservation Board of Review so she knew right away why our community has worked so long and hard to preserve our limestone revetment. Like us, she loves limestone and she cares about community.

Our coastal engineers McLaren Engineering Group tell us the vast majority of the blocks already at the Point (roughly 4,500) are intact and in great conditions, and we would only need a few dozen replacements for broken or badly eroded blocks. What we learned is that the breakwater blocks themselves aren’t expensive but the truck transport is. The price that Reed Quarries Inc. quoted us for a breakwater block plus transport brings the total cost just under $1,000/block -- far less expense than demolition and replacement with concrete per linear foot.

Best,

Jack Spicer
Left: Jack Spicer at Reed Quarries Inc.  Right: Steve and Debby Reed
Breakwater blocks awaiting use at Reed Quarries, Bloomington, Indiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2024
Contact: Jack Spicer
+1.872.226.2240
Debra Hammond
+1.312.285.476
Elected Officials, City of Chicago and the Community Agree: No Concrete At Promontory Point
Promontory Point Conservancy is pleased to announce that a statement from the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Chicago Parks District (CPD), and the Chicago Division of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, addressed to 5th Ward Alderman Desmon Yancy, denies any plans to replace Promontory Point’s iconic limestone revetment and promenade with a concrete alternative. Although earlier governmental plans obtained by the Conservancy indicated otherwise, now “there is no intention of replacing the limestone with a continuous concrete revetment,” said the City on April 4, 2024. 
Speaking to community members on Thursday, April 4, Alderman Yancy read aloud the City’s statement, and called on the City to “listen to the community, let the community lead, and make sure Promontory Point is restored using natural limestone and not poured concrete.”
The City’s statement came in response to the release of an independent Condition Study released by the Conservancy concluding that the Point’s limestone revetment is both repairable and provides more-than-adequate storm damage and shoreline protection as it is. The City did not say it has changed its previous judgement that the limestone revetment had failed, or whether it would dispute the findings of the McLaren Engineering Group concluding it has not failed.    
The Conservancy also notes the City’s repeated commitment to restoring the Point according to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s preservation standards, a commitment which will require the full preservation of the existing limestone, and will not be compatible with even partial concrete replacement. 
State Senator Robert Peters (D-13) also spoke, announcing the introduction to the Illinois legislature of a resolution to “Save the Point”. He stated that the resolution is intended to “further organizing efforts to make sure the City does the right thing,” and raise awareness for the preservation efforts outside the Hyde Park area.
Friends of the Parks interim President Gin Kilgore also spoke, praising McLaren’s evaluation and credentials. “We have a legitimate study that will [help] save public funds, protect the shoreline, and maintain access.” She said. “Friends of the Parks urges our public agencies to be responsive to community priorities, and respectful of the historic spots that give Chicago character.”
Other speakers included Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry (3rd District), Landmarks Illinois’ Kendra Parzen, and Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller. For additional quotes and highlights from each speaker, please find footage available here.
The Conservancy and elected officials look forward to collaboration with the City on a preservation plan to retain and repair the current limestone revetment in place.  McLaren’s forthcoming Alternative Design Study Report will provide strategies, design options and cost estimates for repairing and preserving the historic revetment without replacing it with new construction. To date, this will be the only plan that meets storm damage and shoreline protection criteria AND preservation standards.
The Conservancy urges the City, the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Corps to accept the elected officials’ call for community leadership and collaboration, full transparency, and legitimate preservation plans for saving the limestone revetment at Promontory Point. 
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Here is the statement from CDOT that Alderman Yancy read at our April 4th press conference:

"Statement for 4/4/2024"
"The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Chicago Park District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as partners in the implementation of the Chicago Shoreline Project, look forward to reviewing the report released today. Any data and input will be valuable during the planning and design process needed to meet the goals of reducing coastal storm damage while preserving the limestone and historic nature of Promontory Point."
"The project partners have publicly expressed their commitment to the preservation of Promontory Point in a manner that is consistent with the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation. There is no intention of replacing the limestone with a continuous concrete revetment."
"No planning or design work has started on the Promontory Point section of the Shoreline Protection Project. We look forward to working closely with the community, elected officials, and other stakeholders on developing a rehabilitation plan that preserves the limestone and historic character of this beloved segment of shoreline for future generations."
​
Erica Schroeder
Director of Public Information 
Chicago Department of Transportation 
office: 312-744-0707
cell: 312-520-8210