Race could be driving Children's Museum fight: Daley :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Politics

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Race could be driving Children's Museum fight: Daley


September 17, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter


Opposition to a new Children's Museum in Grant Park could be racially motivated, Mayor Daley said today, demanding that the decision be made by all 50 aldermen — not just one.

"We built Millennium Park. We built museums. You mean you don't want children from the city in Grant Park? Why? Are they black? Are they white? Are they Hispanic? Are they poor? We have children in Grant Park all the time. This is the park for the entire city. What do you mean no one wants children down there? Why not? Wouldn't you want children there?" the mayor said.

Daley was asked point-blank whether he believes high-rise residents who oppose the Grant Park location are trying to keep buses filled with inner-city school children out of their neighborhood.

"Well, I hope not. Because if it is, that's wrong. We should have children. You mean someone's going to say, `We don't want poor kids in Lincoln Park. We're going to close the zoo down.' That is a disgrace. Grant Park belongs to the people of the city of Chicago," Daley said.

Currently located at Navy Pier, the Chicago Children's Museum wants to build a new, $40 million museum in Grant Park similar to the fieldhouse at Daley Bicentennial Plaza, the building the museum hopes to replace on Randolph Street just east of Michigan Avenue.

The 100,000 square-foot project would be built largely below ground and has been redesigned to lower its profile in Grant Park.

Still, residents of nearby high-rises have balked at the congestion the project would bring. They further argue that the museum would be an intrusion in Grant Park that would violate legal covenants restricting lakefront construction.

The mayor's demand that all 50 aldermen decide the volatile issue is a direct slap at newly elected downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd).
It's also a clean break from City Council tradition, which calls for the Council to follow the lead of the local alderman.

That won't happen this time if Daley has his way.

"There has to be discussion by every alderme — all 49 [other] aldermen. There has to be a discussion with all the ministers..all the schools, all of the community groups. Grant Park belongs to all of us — and not to one ward or two wards. You have to make that a strong statement. It belongs to all of us," he said.

And what about Montgomery Ward's statement about a lakefront "forever open and free?"

"It is open and free. We would never have built Millennium Park, then. They have a Park District facility. The Children's Museum is going to bring children from all over the city down there. [It's] an education program and also an opportunity to see a downtown that many of `em have never seen before," he said.

Reilly could not be reached for comment. The newly elected alderman has organized eight meetings in condominium and apartment buildings just north of Daley BiCentennial Plaza in preparation for a decision that, he thought, would be the final word.

The comment by the Mayor is really unfortunate.

I think it's dangerous ground and despicable for the Children's Museum administration to have falsely brought race in the debate and in so doing suggest some in the neighborhood are racially motivated! No one I've talked to objects to having the Children's Museum in the neighborhood, just not at that location in Grant Park. Maybe if they are so determined to have it in this neighborhood near Millenuim Park they can buy or be granted space from the Lakeshore East developers which would have access from Wacker Dr. or Lake Shore Dr. That would be a win/win situation for everyone including residents.

I hope and suspect Mayor Daley's remarks were just a knee-jerk, political comment by the mayor and that he will eventually consider the proposed relocation with some more deliberation... i.e. read the opinion articles in the Chicagoist, the Reader, and Tribune -- all against the relocation to Daley Bi, which is a bad idea for many reasons, outlined in the articles, I won't repeat here.

Personally, I think it would be really neat to have a low profile design (with windmills as someone else suggested) and lots of vertical and horizontal space with lots of light and air on the former Meigs field location. Heck, the mayor might support it as it would buttress his decision to close the airport and turn the land into park space. I don't think Meigs Field has the "Open, Free, and Clear" restriction and legal precedents.

The design as it stands was been described as "bunker-like" - it's true the most of the space is floors below daylight. This location is just not ideal, while I would not hesitate to park a car down there, why would I want my daughters to head over to a deep hole in the ground for edification and learning, the entire idea of relocating the Museum to the Grant Park location from Navy Pier is just flawed.

Eric, I just want to say Ditto to that whole response. But about moving it south to the museum campus...have you, by chance, been following the heated debate happening at the Tribune forum regarding the article by Blair Kamin? I'll attach a link, just in case...but I bring it up because somewhere in that thread, a poster points out that the Field just opened up a bunch of kids exhibits that mimic what the CCM is doing, so they could not feasibly be put near one another.

If that's the case, then the CCM is essentially obsolete in this area at all, but they don't see it that way, the Mayor certainly doesn't see it that way, and at the end of the day, they will be our immediate neighbor.

I expect the bulldozers to awaken us from a deep sleep at 3am very soon, just like Meigs.

I just hope that these false characterizations don't irrevocably harm the image of our neighborhood. After reading Da Mayor's comments, I felt as though I needed a barf bag.

Children's Museum has yet to make case for planned move -- chicagotribune.com

A great quote from Jeb in Chicago.....

"So when did Navy Pier become the Suburbs.

"The Children's Museum is going to bring children from all over this city down there," Daley said. "Yes, and education program, and also an opportunity to see our downtown, which many have never seen before."

I would not want to see a public park, which is so precious to our future generations, gutted and demolished over a 3-4 year timeframe, in order to serve the whims of a few egotistical philanthropists (who insist on plastering their name on every darn building in this town) and lofty corporations. The Notebeart museum in lincoln park should serve as a warning. It is rarely visited by children. It has become nothing but a venue for parties, receptions, dinners, balls and dances. The building is gorgeous, but the artifacts and exhibits are of poor (cheap) quality and truly boring for visitors. it has become nothing more than a unique party facility. I am worried that this is the real goal of CCM. To create a structure for corporate parties and fundraisers. If this is the true purpose, then I would not want to see a public park (which serves the community with programs, classes, camps, etc.) be gorged and gutted to satisfy the ego of the privileged and the private corporate sponsors. The children's museum is not really a museum. They have no collection or artifacts of any value, history or substance. The exhibits are not very interesting. It's really just an indoor playground. That's all. But the Corporations will use the location to sponsor parties and "events." That is what worries me."

http://www.topix.net/forum/chicago/T44DL5388667346N5

A new article from the Sun Times (Copied from the internet).

"GRANT PARK | Daley implies opposition to kids museum is racial
September 18, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN AND ANDREW HERRMANN Staff reporters
Mayor Daley suggested Monday there are racial undertones to opposition of a new Chicago Children's Museum in Grant Park, and vowed to put the matter before the City Council despite opposition from rookie Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd).
"You mean you don't want children from the city in Grant Park? Why? Are they black? Are they white? Are they Hispanic? Are they poor? ... Why not? Wouldn't you want children there?" Daley responded when asked about the vigorous campaign against plans to build the new museum in Reilly's ward just east of Millennium Park.
Asked point-blank whether he believes high-rise residents near Grant Park are trying to keep buses filled with inner-city school children out of their neighborhood, he said: "Well, I hope not. Because if it is, that's wrong. . .. That is a disgrace."
Daley's remarks angered Reilly, who called them "totally ridiculous" and "irresponsible." A neighborhood opposition leader said she was "shocked" and "disgusted" by Daley.

Some fear more traffic
Some neighbors say they are against the museum because they fear increased traffic, and others, like Reilly, believe it would violate historical precedent of keeping lakefront parks clear of buildings.
Daley is so determined to place the museum at Daley Bicentennial Plaza near Millennium Park that he will push for the matter to be decided by all 50 aldermen, violating the long-standing City Council tradition of abiding by the wishes of the local alderman on zoning and development issues.
Daley has also been pressed recently by Jean "GiGi" Pritzker, the chair of the museum board whose family donated millions for the construction of Millennium Park. The park's Pritzker Pavilion would be linked to the grounds of the new children's museum by the snake-like BP Bridge.
Daley's race remarks may have been prompted by the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of the predominantly black St. Sabina Catholic Church. Pfleger said he recently discussed with the mayor an incident he says occurred last week at a New East Side neighborhood meeting over the museum project.
According to Pfleger, one woman asked him why the museum wasn't being built in a black neighborhood and another suggested it be moved to Foster Park at 83rd and Loomis.
"I said, 'Foster Park is in the black community. What are you trying to say?'" Pfleger said in an interview. "I said, 'That is a racial comment. Our conversation is over. Please walk away from me.'
"When I hear comments like that, I interpret that as racial. I don't know how else to interpret it," said Pfleger.

Reilly wants park 'open, clear'
Peggy Figiel, a leader in the group Friends of Daley Bi, which opposes the move to Grant Park, said Daley's remarks were "insulting and an act of desperation on the part of the children's museum."
"This is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city," said Figiel. At the playground in Grant Park that serves the nearby high-rises, Figiel said, there are "no less than eight different languages being spoken there."
Said Reilly, "I've been to nine community meetings on this issue. Never once has there been any racial overtone raised."
At Navy Pier, the Chicago Children's Museum draws 500,000 people annually and wants to expand with a new $40 million museum in Grant Park on Randolph Street just east of Michigan Avenue. The 100,000-square-foot project would be built largely below ground and has been redesigned to lower its profile in Grant Park.
Reilly said Grant Park "should remain forever open, clear and free. ... This is about the future of Grant Park and whether we should abandon 171 years of history that has preserved this open space as a park for all the people of Chicago."
Reilly vowed to lobby every one of his 49 colleagues, if need be, to uphold his treasured aldermanic prerogative.
A statement released by the museum said that the institution is "encouraged by Mayor Daley's support" and that "we hope to have the support of the entire city council that represents all children and families of Chicago."

Daley implies opposition to kids museum is racial :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State