Riverwalk West: Tying modern infrastructure to greenspace and commerce
The Issue
300 South Riverside Plaza, a commercial office building located on the south branch of the Chicago River, was recently featured in Urbanize Chicago. The article focused on a vision for the future: expand the Riverwalk. Local architecture firm, DMAC Architecture, partnered with Third Millennium Group, building owner, proposed a new vision for a south branch Riverwalk expansion.
The concept presented is not just a continuation of the Chicago Riverwalk on the South end of the river but a unique vision that ties modern infrastructure to greenspace. With the remodel of the Old Post Office, Union Station, and the new BMO Tower, this presents an opportunity for the City to expand its revered river walkway and create further connections within the West Loop community and beyond.
The City of Chicago has transformed downtown through the redevelopment of the Riverwalk East, connecting people to nature and increasing economic vitality in the heart of the City. The benefits include increasing the Floristic Quality Index, an index reflecting the quality of an area’s native plant communities. The current Riverwalk went from 0 to 38.2, an FQI above 35 is considered “natural area” quality.[1] The Riverwalk concessions program generated $16.5 million in 2019 up from $14.4 million the year before. The growth was driven in part by the addition of small vendors through the Community Marketplace.[2] The intent of the program is to provide small, neighborhood businesses an opportunity to get exposure to the high number of Riverwalk visitors and inspire visits to neighborhood locations.[3]
As a community leader I hope you see the potential this vision has. This will make Chicago’s mark on architecture even stronger and provide human connection, ecological benefits, and generate revenue at a time when most needed for the City of Chicago. Please join The Westbank Riverwalk Coalition to help make the Riverwalk West expansion a reality
[1] Landscape Performance Series, https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/chicago-riverwalk
[2] The Chicago Tribune, https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-riverwalk-revenues-2019-20191231-wilpg5wjmndudpebdqkcsyysam-story.html
[3] Chicago Riverwalk Community Marketplace, https://www.chicagoriverwalk.us/communitymarketplace
The Issue
300 South Riverside Plaza, a commercial office building located on the south branch of the Chicago River, was recently featured in Urbanize Chicago. The article focused on a vision for the future: expand the Riverwalk. Local architecture firm, DMAC Architecture, partnered with Third Millennium Group, building owner, proposed a new vision for a south branch Riverwalk expansion.
The concept presented is not just a continuation of the Chicago Riverwalk on the South end of the river but a unique vision that ties modern infrastructure to greenspace. With the remodel of the Old Post Office, Union Station, and the new BMO Tower, this presents an opportunity for the City to expand its revered river walkway and create further connections within the West Loop community and beyond.
The City of Chicago has transformed downtown through the redevelopment of the Riverwalk East, connecting people to nature and increasing economic vitality in the heart of the City. The benefits include increasing the Floristic Quality Index, an index reflecting the quality of an area’s native plant communities. The current Riverwalk went from 0 to 38.2, an FQI above 35 is considered “natural area” quality.[1] The Riverwalk concessions program generated $16.5 million in 2019 up from $14.4 million the year before. The growth was driven in part by the addition of small vendors through the Community Marketplace.[2] The intent of the program is to provide small, neighborhood businesses an opportunity to get exposure to the high number of Riverwalk visitors and inspire visits to neighborhood locations.[3]
As a community leader I hope you see the potential this vision has. This will make Chicago’s mark on architecture even stronger and provide human connection, ecological benefits, and generate revenue at a time when most needed for the City of Chicago. Please join The Westbank Riverwalk Coalition to help make the Riverwalk West expansion a reality
[1] Landscape Performance Series, https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/chicago-riverwalk
[2] The Chicago Tribune, https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-riverwalk-revenues-2019-20191231-wilpg5wjmndudpebdqkcsyysam-story.html
[3] Chicago Riverwalk Community Marketplace, https://www.chicagoriverwalk.us/communitymarketplace
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Petition created on September 30, 2021