Grants Pay for Employees, Riverfront Study, at Development Council

A "connected pedestrian and bicycle path along the South Branch of the [Chicago] River from Western Avenue to Ping Tom Park" is the focus of the first paid employee of the McKinley Park Development Council, said council President Kate Eakin.

When completed, this riverfront path will “provide new transportation and recreation options for residents of McKinley Park, Bridgeport and Chinatown,” Eakin said.

Funded through a $200,000 Our Great Rivers grant from the Chicago Community Trust, the salary funds the engagement of consultant and McKinley Park resident Eladio Montenegro to spearhead the riverfront study.

Riverfront Development

The entire budget will be used for assessment and planning activities and community engagement as the project progresses, Eakin said. “We are working with the several partners and contractors named in the grant to make this happen.”

A map displays primary waterside sites along a stretch of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal under consideration for a bike path via a grant awarded to the McKinley Park Development Council.

Nina Alcacio, director of public relations for the Chicago Community Trust, said the trust awarded the council a $200,000 grant to “support the creation of a planning and development guide that will provide direction for public and private development along the neighborhood’s riverfront."

Great Rivers Chicago

"With that in mind, this grant was made to allow [the development council] the ability to build capacity and develop a team that can make this bold vision a reality,” she said.

Since 2018, the Metropolitan Planning Council has been tracking the progress of riverfront projects funded through The Chicago Community Trust’s support for Great Rivers Chicago and the Our Great Rivers vision.

Planning Council Map

“Since the release of the Our Great Rivers vision, the Chicago Community Trust has supported more than 26 projects through their Our Great Rivers Fund,” said Christina Harris, senior director with the Metropolitan Planning Council.

The Our Great Rivers Story Map presents information about these projects, Harris said. The Metropolitan Planning Council will update the story map within the next few months with information on the projects that received funding this past spring.

"The Metropolitan Planning Council provides advisory support to project teams, produces a quarterly newsletter and blog series highlighting project progress, as well as additional coordination and advocacy support as needed,” Harris said.

Riverfront Bike Pathway

The plan for the riverfront path will incorporate properties between Canalport Riverwalk Park and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal frontage next to the Damen Silos, and Richard J. Daley and Ping Tom Memorial parks, according to the planning council website. It builds on an existing partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago's College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.

Any owner who bought property in that area on the river in the past 20 years is required to build a riverfront bike pathway, but there are areas where no path exists. Montenegro will document those areas and reach out to property owners about building a pathway. The Chicago Community Trust grant cannot be used to fund infrastructure such as a bike path.

Starting Block Grant

The development council is also seeking to expand its employed staff through a Cook County Starting Block Grant, requesting $100,000 to fund two years of pay for a part-time executive director and for a consultant to help the council overhaul its mission, bylaws, operations and ethical practices.

"The recent onboarding of our project manager has made the need for governance updates even more clear," the board wrote in its starting block grant application. "This application to fund the formal updates and a staff position to oversee their implementation is the next logical step."

The next McKinley Park Development Council Meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at the McKinley Park branch of the Chicago Public Library, 1915 W. 35th St., Chicago.