At a press conference on January 14, the Promontory Point Conservancy released the results of three new engineering and design studies aimed at providing an alternative to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Chicago Park District’s (CPD) plans to replace the Point’s aging limestone with concrete.
“All three reports agree with our consistent strong message that the limestone revetment has not failed and can be maintained and repaired,” said Jack Spicer, co-founder and president of the Conservancy. “There are multiple preservation design alternatives that meet the Army Corps and the City’s requirements for storm damage and shoreline protection, while still keeping the fabric of the historic structure in place.”
For a quarter century, the Conservancy has fought against proposals to replace the limestone steps with concrete, which has taken over much of the city’s shoreline. The group also led efforts to secure the Point’s Chicago Landmark Designation in 2023 and a National Register of Historic Places listing in 2018.
The newly released reports, commissioned by the Conservancy, include a coastal vulnerability analysis, an alternative design study from the McLaren Engineering Group, and a historic structure study from Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. The Conservancy released a study on the condition of the limestone last April, also from McLaren.
The coastal vulnerability analysis concluded that “preserving, repairing and rehabilitating the historic limestone block, step-stone revetment and promenade is a viable option for shoreline stabilization,” while still meeting the City and USACE’s criteria for shoreline protection. The report says that the revetment and promenade are “resilient and withstand harsh and dynamic lakefront forces,” suggesting that maintenance and rehabilitation can mitigate the limestone’s deterioration.
McLaren’s design study proposes five alternative design concepts for the Point with the goal of “providing adequate and resilient shoreline protection while retaining the historic fabric of the structure to the greatest extent possible.” McLaren also concludes that preservation efforts would be “less or no more expensive than the USACE/CDOT plan” and that “maintenance of a rehabilitated limestone block revetment and promenade is less or no more expensive than maintenance and upkeep of the USACE/CDOT plan.”
In the firm’s estimated cost comparison, the five alternative design options range in cost from around $55.9 million to $93 million, compared to an estimated cost of $100 million for the USACE and CDOT plan. In a statement to the Hyde Park Herald, Mike Padilla, the USACE project engineer for Promontory Point, said that he was unsure where McLaren got the figure of $100 million from, saying that there “is no plan yet.”
In an email sent to community members on January 7, the Conservancy alleged that the USACE and CDOT plan is set to begin demolition and construction in the spring of 2026, closing the Point to the public for five years.
“What the U.S. Army Corps, the City, and the Chicago Park District want for Promontory Point. It’s not what we want for our jewel on the Chicago Lakefront,” the email read.
“The Conservancy once again invites these agencies to collaborate with the community and their elected officials to develop a solution suited to the interests and needs of all. Listen to the community. Let the community lead,” Spicer told press conference attendees.
Community meetings organized by the Conservancy are set to begin on January 22 and will continue to take place at various neighborhood locations through April 8. Hyde Park residents are invited to attend and voice their concerns, comments, and questions about the future of the Point.
CDOT and USACE did not respond to the Maroon’s request for comment by the time of publication.