Chicago Park District
Morgan Shoal Revetment Reconstruction Project

Morgan Shoal is a naturally occurring limestone bedrock feature just offshore from Burnham Park near Chicago’s Hyde Park and Bronzeville neighborhoods. It serves as both a biodiversity hotspot in the middle of an urban waterway and as a protective force, shielding the nearby shoreline to an extent from wave action and erosive forces. Living Habitats is supporting the Public Building Commission, Chicago Park District, and prime consultant SmithGroup in this project, which proposes an expanded waterfront park in the vicinity of Morgan Shoal, including the creation of new natural areas that represent Illinois’ native ecosystems and expand critical habitat connectivity along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Specifically, Living Habitats’ role on this project is to assess the existing ecological site conditions and develop strategies for park planting and programming to support terrestrial wildlife. These strategies are carefully interwoven with site circulation and social amenities to provide a design that serves nearby residents and becomes an important piece of broader restoration efforts throughout Burnham Park and Chicago’s lakeshore.

 

Location:
Chicago, Illinois

Date:
2021 – Present

Client:
Chicago Park District

Public Building Commission

Chicago Department of Transportation

Team:
SMITHGROUP: Architect of Record

STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES, INC.: Structural Engineering

INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINERRING, INC.: Civil Engineering

LATENT DESIGN CORPORATION: Architecture

WANG ENGINERRING, INC.: Geotechnical Consultant

LIVING HABITATS: Ecological Consultant

AMERICAN SURVEYING & ENGINEERING: Surveying Consultant

CCJM ENGINEERS: MEP Consultant

THORNTON TOMASETTI: Structural Consultant