Sidebar: Northerly Island Park
img: [image about Meigs Field: but a “vivid” document is acceptable if necessary.] [note: Needs to be sent to photo lab as of March 19, 2020]
Expanding parkland sometimes involved difficult decisions. One example was Daley’s advocacy for a new park at Northerly Island near downtown. This land, near Chicago’s museum campus, was the site of Meigs Field, a small airport.
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quote: [RMD speech about Northerly Island, pre-plowing] [note: Dan needs to research and find good quotation]
Others, however, disagreed with Daley:
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Quote: [note: counterpoint to RMD] [note: Dan needs to research and find good quotation]
Around midnight on Monday, March 31, 2003, the mayor secretly ordered trucks to plow six large X's onto the landing strip at Meigs Field, effectively destroying the runway.
img: [ideally image of Meigs Field with X's. Maybe from Daley Dailies? Needs to be sent to photo lab. Maybe purchase from Tribune?]
Sheila O’Grady, Daley’s chief of staff (2000-2005), recalls the mayor feared Meigs Field posed a security threat in light of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks fewer than two years prior:
Some disagreed with the mayor’s decision:
John McCarron, columnist and urban planning expert:
Lester Crown, Chicago business person:
Andrew McKenna, Chicago area businessperson, explains the reaction of the business community:
Jackie Heard, the mayor’s press secretary (1997-2011), recalls tough questions from reporters, but also remembers the appeal of Daley’s decision:
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This page references:
- Sheila O'Grady remembers Mayor Richard M. Daley's decision to destroy Chicago's Meigs Field airport.
- John McCarron remembers Mayor Richard M. Daley's decision to destroy Chicago's Meigs Field airport.
- Lester Crown remembers Mayor Richard M. Daley's decision to destroy Chicago's Meigs Field airport.
- Andrew McKenna remembers the Meigs Field controversy.
- Jackie Heard discusses Mayor Richard M. Daley's decision to destroy Chicago's Meigs Field airport.