Fact Sheet - PPC & McLaren Condition Study Press Conference

Constructed in the late 1930s, Promontory Point’s limestone block revetment and promenade have been an iconic feature of the South Side park’s lakefront, and a highly-valued community gathering spot for 85 years. Documents and plans obtained from the Chicago Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Chicago Department of Transportation indicate the City intends to remove the Point’s limestone blocks and replace them with a concrete embankment. The basis for this is a condition study, which they will not release to the public, indicating that the limestone revetment and promenade have structurally failed. As a result, Promontory Point Conservancy commissioned an independent condition study from McLaren Engineering Group, an industry-leading coastal engineering firm with extensive expertise in assessing waterfront structures. The conclusive findings of McLaren’s condition study includes the following: 
✓ The limestone blocks provide satisfactory shoreline protection against storm damage and aggressive wave action. 
✓ McLaren concurs with engineer Cyril Galvin’s conclusion in a 2002 study that the Point’s limestone blocks have not failed. 
✓ Fewer than 25% of blocks require replacement because virtually all of the Point’s limestone blocks remain functional and fully or nearly intact. 
✓ The scattering and settling of the limestone blocks in the promenade is caused by the erosion of the underlying (“subgrade”) gravel and rock fill material stabilizing the blocks. 
✓ This subgrade material is replaceable, and it is a practical solution to simply re-position settled blocks and, with proper drainage and maintenance, prevent further disruption of the promenade. 
✓ Re-setting the displaced blocks will provide as effective, if not more, protection against wave and storm damage than a concrete-based replacement. 
✓ Repairing the current limestone structure offers practical opportunities for increasing pedestrian access and ease of use for disabled community members. 
✓ The plans obtained from CDOT and the Chicago Corps necessitate the removal of nearly all limestone blocks currently present at the Point, which alone will incur an astronomical cost far greater than repairing and maintaining the current limestone structure. 
✓ Retaining and preserving the limestone structure currently in place adheres to legal guidelines for preservation. 
✓ The concrete replacement plans obtained from the CDOT and the Chicago Corps would likely not be in compliance with legal preservation guidelines. 
✓ In the coming months, McLaren will produce an Alternative Design Study Report that will include design options and cost estimates for retaining, repairing, rehabilitating and maintaining the Point’s iconic limestone. 
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