Crain's Chicago Business published this article in their web-only edition:

Alderman to declare position on Children's Museum Mon.

Lorene Yue writes -- "If Mr. Reilly sides with the museum, he will introduce the project along Randolph Street to the city’s planning commission for approval. If he opposes it, as did his predecessor, Burton Natarus, the museum will have to look elsewhere for a new site."

For the full article see - Alderman to declare position on Children's Museum Mon.

I actually contributed to this article - or tried to... after Lorene and I spoke on the phone I sent her a follow-up e-mail to summarize, doesn't look like she used any of it:

"Points:

- The meeting was hosted by the New Eastside Association of Residents (NEAR) and Richard Ward presented for those opposing the relocation to Daley Bi Plaza.

- The Children's Museum bussed in hundreds of supporters who filled the meeting room to capacity and shut out residents who had come to hear about the issue in spite of the fact that it was billed as a meeting for neighborhood residents only. (The CCM lawyers were able to get the Park District to open the meeting due to a technicality.)

- I saw a lot of disappointed residents carrying their postcards which were to enable them to attend the meeting leave between 5:45 and 6:30, I think a lot more than people realize. I would estimate one or two times the capacity of the meeting room or about 300 to 600 people were turned away.

- The only modification I heard about which was lowering the roof does not address neighborhood concerns about the proposed site.

- Also, I talked with several of the museum employees outside who were milling around all in the same t-shirts and carrying the same signs about whether they were compelled or paid to be there and they kept evading the question, but I did think it was telling that they all packed up and left at the same time about an hour before the meeting ended.

- Here is some more information: http://blog.new-eastside.com/childrens-museum-deceptive-tactics/ You can see the neighborhood is really getting snowed by the Children's Museum! You should let people know about it."

Eric
The Alderman has the City's lawyers at his disposal and should use them; I'm thinking of a writing campaign to the corporate donors of the CCM (listed on their website) advising of their underhanded tactics. I couldn't get anywhere near the room at 6:15 and stayed until almost 7.

I find this comment rather disingenuous --

A spokeswoman for the Chicago Children’s Museum said her organization was also disappointed that people were turned away “because we would like our story to be heard and the new design to be seen.”

They were the sole presenters at all eight meetings in the buildings, this is was the first time Richard Ward presented the many reasons why people all over Chicago were opposed to the location.

By bussing all the people in and filling the meeting room, they blocked people from the sole meeting where they could have heard the points of view of people opposing the proposed location.

Further, the design is not the main issue most people have with the relocation -- it is the location.. so any redesign is not going to help.

Eric

Here are the donors from their web site - Our Donors - Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier

Corporate, Government and Foundation Donors: 75,000+

Crown & Goodman Families Irving Harris Foundation

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Corporate, Government and Foundation Donors: $30,000+

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Corporate, Government and Foundation Donors: $10,000+

Bank of America BP Chicago Virtual Charter School The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Illinois Arts Council, a state agency LaSalle Bank Lou Malnati's MetLife Foundation Standard Parking Steans Family Foundation RMHC

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Corporate Members: Executives

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Corporate Members: Partners

Accenture ADM-Archer Daniels Midland Bank of America Blue Plate Catering Burke, Warren, MacKay, & Seritella, P.C. CareerBuilder.com CB Richard Ellis Children's Memorial Hospital Darwill Press Entertaining Company Ernst and Young Food for Thought Catering Gaper's Caterers Goldman Sachs Greenberg Traurig Harris Bank Hyatt Hotels Corporation IBM Illinois Tool Works Jenner & Block

KPMG LLP Korn/Ferry International LaSalle Bank (ABN AMRO & Standard Federal Bank) Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw McCormick Tribune Foundation McKinsey & Company MB Financial Bank The Northern Trust Company PricewaterhouseCoopers The PrivateBank Rohm & Haas Chemicals LLC Sidley Austin Standard Parking UBS Warburg Vedder Price Walgreen Co. Wayne Hummer/Wintrust William Blair & Co. Winston & Strawn WTTW Television

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Corporate Members: Associates

Aetna Ariel Capital Chapman & Cutler Chicago Two-Way CNA Hyde Park Bank Intelligentsia Coffee Kuczmarski & Associates Inc. LaSalle Language Academy Lee Hecht Harrison Lou Malnati's Marriott Fairfield Inn Pepper Construction Wrightwood Capital