Lake Shore Drive is one of the most famous streets in Chicago. With the skyline on one side and Lake Michigan on the other, it provides a nice snapshot of what the city has to offer. What it also provides, however, is traffic congestion and accidents.
A radical new proposal wants to not only rectify some of the issues associated with Lake Shore Drive, but also improve on some of the things that already make it such a popular area in Chicago.
According to Curbed Chicago, the proposal would straighten out Lake Shore Drive’s narrow and dangerous Oak Street S-bend and then bury it in what would become brand new public green space. 70 acres of brand new green space, in fact, that would provide new parkland, beaches, trails, and a breakwater island. These improvements would buffer the roadway from the crashing waves that can prove quite abusive in the winter months and also fix the Chicago Avenue bottleneck by removing traffic signals. New interchange ramps would also be added to improve traffic flow.
As is to be expected, these changes come at a cost, and quite a large cost at that. It is estimated the project would have a price tag as high as $500 million and require the cooperation of multiple locale, state, and federal entities to complete. If everything moves along smoothly, without any hiccups, the earliest this project would start is 2020, with a completion date many years later.
Even with the cost and time issues, the proposal is still seen as providing more good than harm to an area of the city that could use a makeover. 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins is one of the city’s biggest proponents of the plan and has spoken numerous times of its benefits to try and get it pushed through. As part of his efforts, he used renderings that were created in the summer of 2016 by VOA Associates, which has since become a part of Stantec. You can view some of those renderings below.
Rendering courtesy of the Office of Brian Hopkins.
Rendering courtesy of the Office of Brian Hopkins.
Rendering courtesy of the Office of Brian Hopkins.
Rendering courtesy of the Office of Brian Hopkins.
Rendering courtesy of the Office of Brian Hopkins.
Related Stories
Green | Sep 29, 2016
Building Design+Construction brings GreenZone Community Education Center to Greenbuild 2016
The structure will be donated to Compton YouthBuild for construction-training program.
Sustainability | Sep 29, 2016
Gloucester Cathedral to install commercial sized solar PV system on its roof
Mypower will install 150 solar panels on the roof, making it the oldest cathedral in the UK, and possible the world, with this type of solar power system.
Green | Sep 28, 2016
Green Business Certification Inc. announces 2016 LEED Fellows
LEED Fellows are best-in-class for green building design, engineering and development.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 26, 2016
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will be the NFL’s first LEED Platinum stadium
The Atlanta Falcons new home is expected to save 40% in energy usage than a typical NFL stadium.
Sustainability | Sep 22, 2016
Is ‘Growroom’ a glimpse into the future of urban agriculture?
Growroom’s spherical shape means it can also double as a covered outdoor public space.
Sustainability | Sep 19, 2016
Brussels’ Botanic Center apartment block looks to live up to its name with the addition of 10,000 plants and a rooftop “Chrysalis”
The project, which has been commissioned and is in the design phase, would eliminate CO2 and produce its own energy.
Energy | Sep 13, 2016
Oberlin College to hold conference on post-fossil fuel economy
The gathering will address climate change and new sources of energy.
BIM and Information Technology | Sep 7, 2016
Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool updated to factor in waste management
The costs and benefits of managing 29 types of waste are now included.
Sustainability | Aug 30, 2016
New federal project plans must include climate impacts
Agencies must quantify the specific impacts when possible.
Sponsored | Coatings | Aug 29, 2016
Making a greener future with biorenewable coatings
Biorenewable and recycled materials help eliminate waste and reduce the use of virgin materials