CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lightfoot and General Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District, Mike Kelly, announced Thursday a $4.75 million donation from Ken Griffin, philanthropist and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Citadel.
The donation is funding the repair work underway on the lakefront trail, which sustained damage over the winter as a result of rising lake levels and severe storms.
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The contribution, which was initiated in April, enabled work to repave damaged sections of the pedestrian and bike paths, while the trail was closed this spring. According to the Mayor's Office, the funds will also facilitate intermediate fortification measures to protect from future storms and will stabilize and strengthen key sections of the shoreline along the lakefront trail, particularly on the South Side.
The announcement follows a $12 million gift from Griffin in 2016 to fund the completion of the lakefront trail project, which provided separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians along the 18-mile pathway – from the Edgewater community to the South Shore community – making recreational activities safer for the thousands of people who visit the lakefront each year.
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The Mayor's Office said this work will build upon the city’s multi-departmental effort to preserve and protect the lakefront. Most recently the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started a lakefront stabilization project to protect Lake Shore Drive at 49th Street. The project led by the Army Corps will install more than 2,000 tons of rip rap and concrete blocks along the shoreline from 49th to 50th Streets.
The area, known as Morgan Shoal, has suffered severe erosion as a result of major storms over the fall and winter at a time when the water level in Lake Michigan is at a historically high level. The project will also rebuild a portion of the Lakefront Trail in this area, which is expected to take about three months to complete.
Earlier this week, the city announced the lakefront trail will reopen on Monday, June 22 after it’s been closed for the past two months to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 virus. The plan for lakefront trail usage, which allows trail use for commuting and exercise including walking, running and cycling from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, requires users to stay in constant motion.