Projects

Address

Lakefront in Burnham Park - 45th to 51st Streets
Chicago,IL60615
United States

Community Area

Kenwood

Project Description

The Morgan Shoal Revetment Reconstruction Project is located along the Lake Michigan shoreline between 45th and 51st Streets.  The project study area is located within the larger 650-acre Burnham Park which stretches along the Chicago lakefront from the Museum Campus south to Jackson Park. This project is the latest phase of the Chicago Shoreline Protection Project, a long-term shoreline reconstruction project undertaken by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Chicago Park District (CPkD), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that started in the 1990s.  In conjunction with its partners, the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC) is managing the development of planning, design, procurement, and construction of the Morgan Shoal Revetment Reconstruction project.

The PBC, in collaboration with CPD, CDOT and USACE, has engaged a project team led by SmithGroup to design the revetment reconstruction. The proposed design for the project will reflect the conceptual designs that resulted from the 2014-2015 Framework Plan process. While some refinements to the shore protection arrangement are anticipated, the coastal structures will include a combination of rubble mound and dynamic revetment, stepped stone blocks, and a transition section of steel sheet pile and concrete revetment to connect to the existing structure at 51st Street. The project will add up to 9.5 acres of new usable parkland by providing more width to the narrowest parts of the park. The additional space will allow for a dual trail system and will create separation between park users and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. 

The defining feature of the project segment is the near-offshore geologic formation known as the Morgan Shoal. One of many shoals in the area, the Morgan Shoal is a bedrock formation of dolomite limestone formed 300 million years ago that protrudes almost to the surface of Lake Michigan. The shallow water depths reduce the incident wave conditions and the shallow bedrock makes sheet-pile-based shoreline protection systems difficult to construct, therefore, it presents an opportunity for alternative shore protection measures. 

The design is intended to provide additional passive and active recreational opportunities, as well as a new comfort station, improved viewpoints at 47th Street and 51st Street, and enhanced connectivity for trail users. A balance will be struck between traditional park green space and new, diverse natural areas supporting indigenous flora and fauna, particularly migratory birds.  

The Morgan Shoal reconstruction will provide a degree of coastal protection and flood damage reduction in keeping with the broader Chicago Shoreline Protection Project. This project will also provide an important link along the Lake Michigan waterfront to create an active, interesting, and educational place for people to visit, in keeping with the 1999 Burnham Park Framework Plan and the 2015 Morgan Shoal Framework Plan. 

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Project Documents

• 2015 Morgan Shoal Framework Plan