Nov. 12, 2008 – Residents living in the Grant Park area gathered to express their concerns and offer suggestions regarding a proposed 10-year contract extension with the organizers of the Lollapalooza festival on Monday night.
The last-minute Grant Park Advisory Council meeting was held at the Daley Fieldhouse to discuss the contract, which would keep Lollapalooza in Grant Park until 2018, before the Park District Board votes on matter Nov. 12.
The proposed contract extension between the Chicago Park District, the Parkways Foundation and C3 Presents is very similar to the current 5-year contract already in place, with the exception that the amount of money raised by the festival and put back into the city’s parks will increase.
“It’s basically an extension of the current contract,” said Brenda Palms, executive director of Parkways Foundation. “The money that goes into Grant Park is never at risk whether or not the festival is successful.”
Last year, the festival raised $1.6 million for the Chicago Park District, which was dispersed throughout the city’s parks. They negotiated that a minimum of 10 percent of the money raised is to be pumped back into Grant Park.
“We’re trying to get as much money in Grant Park as possible from Lollapalooza,” said Bob O’Neill, director of the Grant Park Advisory Council. “Last year, over $130,000 was put back into the park.”
Resident Thom Alcazar challenged the details and negotiations of the contract, suggesting that the neighborhood should’ve had an opportunity to compare it to similar contracts in other cities to ensure they are making an informed decision.
“There has never been an intelligent lease that a city has entered into. Are we doing a smart, good negotiation?” said Alcazar.
Along with concerns about the contract details, residents expressed their displeasure with the state of the park after the festival is over. Resident Alison Dallmer noted that months after the festival has taken place, there are still things in the park that are in desperate need of repair.
“For all the great work and all the great money that you’re saying is going in, there is an awful lot of continual disrepair and it’s upsetting,” said Dallmer, noting the crumbling concrete steps along the lakefront.
O’Neill acknowledged the problem and has been filing complaints with the city to get them fixed using the Lollapalooza generated funds.
“We will, as we do with all these projects, get those taken care of,” said O’Neill.
In addition to voicing their concerns, community members offered up suggestions as to how the money should be distributed to enhance Grant Park.
John Methvin, representing the Chicago Skateboarding Association, proposed using the funds to create a permanent skate park replicating a downtown plaza to replace the current temporary facility located at Balbo and Columbus.
“It would be more of a European garden style plaza that would accent the look of Grant Park,” said Methvin, who thinks that skateboarders would be less interested in skating illegally downtown if they had a better facility to use.
Other suggestions included using the funds to improve Queen’s Island, create a natural and organic lawn display in the park, and find a sod alternative to keep Butler Field in better shape.
The Park District Board will vote on whether or not to allow the Lollapalooza contract extension at their regular meeting at 4 p.m. today.
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