UIC officials said the site would extend like a deck over the point where the Kennedy, Dan Ryan and Eisenhower expressways come together, formerly known as the Circle Interchange. Officials said capping the expressways would be similar to the way Millennium Park was built over existing Illinois Central Railroad tracks. — chicagotribune.com
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That looks like chaos. But green chaos.
UIC's proposal in detail. Someone perusing the article might overlook that the library will be located 5 miles west of this overhighway-park. They are trying to sell the project on ancillary benefits way out of proportion to the potential impact of a presidential library.
What they are proposing is to use the library and associated institutional add-ons as the staple of a North Lawndale campus that will bring tourists and visitors in to "upgrade" the community. Which sounds a lot like gentrification to me... but I can't imagine it will succeed even at that. UIC's campus already seems kind of spread out - they don't need to de-centralize it further.
This proposal is just fishing for money for a grab-bag of infrastructure + institutional development wishes quite unrelated to the real problems of that community or the purposes of the library. In that sense it encapsulates the worst of the political ethos of Illinois and Chicago.
Otherwise known as the Library of Broken Promises.
Midlander, I think I agree with you. The presidential library is becoming a presidential urban planning project.
But what caught my eye is that they are proposing a building designed by Thomas Mayne. I think thats a brilliant choice.
seems a like a last ditch effort to be remembered as a Trajen like president...too little too late
Davvid - I noticed Morphosis was listed in the proposal too (no building design shown yet).
But I don't understand what that means, since the article states clearly that the architect will ultimately be selected by Obama. I guess UIC is just making a suggestion. I don't really see the point of pretending a building design is part of the proposals at this point. The institutional support and site are all that really should factor in to this.
seems a like a last ditch effort to be remembered as a Trajen like president
Trajan? I think he's more of a Trojan horse. And nobody remembers a president for his library, it's just another black hole of corruption.
Really Miles? wizbangblog.com is your source?
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