“Millions of public dollars and lots of planning have been poured into Northerly Island, but the nature preserve was nearly desolate on a sunny Saturday afternoon in late August. Meanwhile, North Side beaches, Grant Park and the Museum Campus were buzzing with locals and tourists alike.

“Matthew Bregg, 33, discovered Northerly Island on a bike ride shortly after he moved to the Lakeview neighborhood two years ago. He said he walks or bikes through the preserve about once a month, and on this most recent expedition, he brought five friends visiting from across the country.

“‘It has one of the best views of the skyline. It’s just gorgeous,’ he said.

“During its colorful history, the manmade island was the center of the Chicago World’s Fair from 1933 to 1934, made the short list of potential United Nations headquarters in 1945 and had a stint as an airport for elite business travelers until it was abruptly closed by former Mayor Richard M. Daley in a controversial move in 2003.

“Today, Northerly Island houses a seasonal music venue and the little-known nature preserve. Waves smash against the shore, testing the structural integrity of a manmade seawall. A singular access point makes traffic terrible on concert days and leaves the island eerily quiet otherwise. A century after it was built, Northerly Island exists with no clear purpose.

“The city has wiped its hands, with the Chicago Park District, which oversees the island, declaring itself “proud of the work (it has) done to transform Northerly Island.”

“The lone island on the southern end of Chicago’s lakefront was supposed to ‘belong to the people’ and ‘be treated as park space,” per Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago. The renowned urban designer envisioned it as the northernmost point in a string of manmade islands on a lagoon between Grant and Jackson parks.

“Eleven years after he published his plan and eight years after he died, Chicago voters approved a $20 million plan to dredge the lake and build the 91-acre island. But none of the other islands were built, and Northerly Island was later connected to the Museum Campus, technically making it a peninsula.

“‘Northerly Island is critical to the experiential cohesion of the Museum Campus,’ said Shedd Aquarium President Bridget Coughlin, citing the campus as a place where people can play, commune with nature and learn. In addition to the aquarium, it’s home to the Field Museum of Natural History and Adler Planetarium.

“‘The very beauty (of Northerly Island’s nature preserve) is that it is natural and remote. The irony is that it’s inaccessible.’ (Atkins, Chicago Tribune, 9/1/24)

“The concrete and glass midcentury modern Northerly Island Visitors Center would be a key part of the isle’s future. Built in 1961 and designed by Consoer & Morgan, it’s a nifty-looking time warp of a building.

“It seems like they could’ve been doing more with the facility,’ said freelance writer Robert Loerzel, who frequents the isle as a birdwatcher. It’s evocative of that midcentury look of what you’d expect [a small] airport to look like. But it’s kind of in sad shape right now.’

“Indeed. Especially after catching fire last Nov. 26, 2023. The park district said the building accidentally caught fire but had no further specifics. A Chicago Park District spokesperson said the structure’s damaged concrete and mechanical ductwork are now being fixed.

“Preservation Chicago, in listing the center among its seven most endangered buildings in 2009, called for landmarking the structure.

“‘We’d very much like to see this building saved and restored for the future,’ Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller said.

“And that’s exactly what should happen, preferably as a prelude to enacting the ambitious 2010 framework plan. Mayor Kelly and the Chicago Citizens’ Committee called Northerly Island ‘an unrivaled site.’ It is. And it’s high time we start treating it that way.” (Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/4/24)

Read the full story at Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times

• Northerly Island’s potential as an urban oasis goes unrealized as grand plans come and go, Karina Atkins, Chicago Tribune, 9/1/24
• Mayor Kelly and the Chicago Citizens’ Committee called Northerly Island “an unrivaled site.” It is. And it’s high time we start treating it that way, Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/4/24