A new park: Northerly Island and Meigs Field

[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.

[quote: RMD speech about Northerly Island, pre-plowing] [note: Dan needs to research and find good quotation] 

Others, however, disagreed with Daley:

Quote: [note: counterpoint to RMD] [note: Dan needs to research and find good quotation]

On [note: date needed], Daley secretly ordered the landing strip at Meigs Field plowed with large X’s. That decision effectively destroyed the airport and enabled the city to create a new open space.

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 less than two years prior:

[clip: RMDOH_01_ogrady_sheila_20171027_003413_003506_MeigsField] 

Some disagreed with the mayor’s decision:

John McCarron, columnist and urban planning expert:

[clip: RMDOH_01_mccarron_john_20190418_005813_005915_MeigsField] 

Lester Crown, Chicago business person:

[clip: RMDOH_01_crown_lester_20180420_002917_003029_MeigsField] 

Jackie Heard, the mayor’s press secretary (1997-2011), recalls tough questions from reporters, but also remembers the appeal of Daley’s decision:

[clip: RMDOH_01_heard_jackie_20190501_003047_003439_MeigsField]