Promontory Point Condition Study Contradicts City Findings and Plans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 4, 2024

​Today Promontory Point Conservancy and McLaren Engineering Group release the results of a condition study of Chicago’s Promontory Point, concluding unequivocally that the iconic limestone block revetment currently in place along the Point’s shoreline is structurally sound, provide critical shoreline protection for the inland park and south lakefront, and may be easily rehabilitated. 
The full results of the study will be announced at The Promontory, 5311 South Lake Park Avenue West, 10 A.M. CDT, with comments from 5th Ward Alderman Desmon Yancy, State Senator Robert Peters (D-13), and Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry (D-3). Please find the full text of the study here.
For 24 years, the Chicago Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Chicago Park District, and the Chicago Department of Transportation have claimed that the Point’s historic limestone revetment has failed, and must be replaced with a continuous concrete embankment. They have expressed their intentions to close the Point to the public for three to five years to complete this work. McLaren’s study demonstrates that this conclusion is incorrect, and that repairing and maintaining the current limestone structure is both feasible and more cost-efficient than the demolition and replacement plans obtained from the City and the Chicago Corps. 
It has been documented that the Point’s limestone provides equal or better shoreline protection than the proposed concrete replacement. McLaren also concurs with projections of another century of service life, with proper maintenance. The study determined that accessibility modifications may be easily made to the existing structure. As a result, it also concluded that the cost of removing the limestone for a new concrete structure will be dramatically higher than simple preservation and repair. 
McLaren is an industry leader in the analysis of waterfront structures, with nearly 50 years of experience in civil engineering design and assessment. The study was conducted by a team of engineer-divers responsible for every step of the analyzing process. For more statistics and conclusions, please refer to the attached fact sheet and full report text. 
The Conservancy and McLaren will release an Alternative Design Study containing proposals and strategies for such an approach later this summer. These proposals will fulfill storm damage and shoreline protection as well as legal preservation criteria. 
The Conservancy invites CDOT, the Park District, and the Chicago Corps to collaborate with us, our elected officials, and the community in developing a solution beneficial to everybody’s interests. To preserve the limestone is to preserve the community that has gathered at the Point for decades. It is an investment to ensure that future Chicagoans may enjoy this park with the same fullness we do now. 
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For written inquiries please contact Malachi Hayes at ([email protected])