Plan to Re-Open Meigs Wins Award
"Parks and Planes" proposal wins recognition from Chicago group
May 21, 2004
(Chicago,
IL) - Advocates of re-opening Meigs Field got a boost today, when a Chicago
trade organization recognized a proposal by the Friends of Meigs Field with one
of its highest awards. The Publicity
Club of Chicago presented a Golden
Trumpet award to the Friends of Meigs for its innovative plan to re-open
Meigs Field as a combination park/airport/air museum.
The proposal, titled "Parks
and Planes: A Vision for Meigs Field and Northerly Island," received
the award at the PCC's annual awards luncheon, in the category of Best Book,
Brochure or Booklet. The PCC is the nation's largest public relations membership
organization.
"We are tremendously excited about this
recognition," said Rachel Goodstein, past president of the organization, in
accepting the award.
The proposal is a bold and innovative proposal that would
benefit park users and flyers alike. Combining 18 acres of new lakefront
parkland with a re-opened and improved Meigs Field, the proposal also includes
an aviation museum to complement the Chicago Museum Campus. Park features would
include more new lakefront parkland than has been added in perhaps 50 years,
meadows, harborside promenades, nature walks, an improved and expanded 12th St.
beach, and even an artificial scuba reef. The plan also contains a 20-year
vision for the future with expanded parkland, museum, and airport.
Funding for the plan would come from federal (95%) and other
aviation funds-requiring no local property taxes-and leave up to $100 million in
revenues left over to improve other parks across the city.
"This is practically a no-brainer," said Steve
Whitney, president of the Friends of Meigs Field. "New parkland, exciting
new things to do with your kids on the Museum Campus, more airport capacity
during a time of record airport congestion, and millions for other parks, all at
no cost to local taxpayers. The public should know about this proposal."
The plan was written under the leadership of Phil Guziec,
chairman of the Friends of Meigs' plan committee, illustrated by Terry Baker and
Sheila Macomber, and designed and produced by Rick Vogeney of Vogeney
PhotoDesign.
At the same awards luncheon, the Friends of Meigs also
received a second award for Crisis Public Relations, for the work of the group
in the hours, days, and weeks following Mayor Daley's demolition of Meigs'
runway in March of last year.
For further details on the plan, to download a copy, or to
read about adverse effects of Meigs' closure, click here.
Click
here to read the Friends of Meigs' press release.
Click
here to see the winners of the PCC's 2004 Golden Trumpet Awards.
