Pooling their efforts: thanks to a public-private partnership Chicago's venerable Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is doing swimmingly - Great Parks: Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

Parks & Recreation, Jan, 2003 by Nancy Seeger

In 1942, Alfred Caldwell called the Lily Pool "a hidden garden for the people of Megalopolis," a place where people could leave behind the pressures of city life and re-create themselves. This special place has itself been re-created through an inspiring effort by Chicagoans who truly love Caldwell's masterpiece.

The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is an extraordinary landscape located in Lincoln Park, one of Chicago's most popular and dense neighborhoods. It's a unique sanctuary where people of all ages meander and commune with nature. Located just two miles from the bustling Loop, the Lily Pool is also a haven for migratory and nesting birds. Originally completed in 1987, it was reopened in October 2001 after a two-year, $2.4 million rehabilitation that was funded jointly by Friends of Lincoln Park and the Chicago Park District. Friends of Lincoln Park--a grassroots advocacy group--raised $1.2 million of the project cost; the balance came from the Chicago Park District, the Illinois FIRST program, and grants from the USDA Forest Service, the Chicago Community Trust and the Graham Foundation.

First landscaped in 1889, the Lily Pool was a Victorian garden and lily pond on a natural pool formed between the sand dunes of Lake Michigan's beaches. By the 1950s, the landscaping had deteriorated, and in 1986 the Chicago Park District assigned its restoration to Alfred Caldwell, its uniquely talented landscape architect. The project gave Caldwell the opportunity to create a unique landscape that evokes the subtle natural beauty of the Midwest.

Caldwell is considered by many to be the preeminent 20th century Midwestern landscape architect. A contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright and a student of Jens Jensen, he also collaborated with such respected architects as Ludwig Hilberseimer and Mies van der Rohe. The Lily Pool is the best known and most complete surviving example of his work. His Prairie School design featured a cascading waterfall and a meandering lagoon, while stone paths led through masses of native plants to a council ring on a low rise. The council ring, a circular stone bench, was a central feature of Jensen's designs. Located closer to the pond, an open pavilion with low-slung wooden beams invited visitors to sit and reflect.

By the 1940s, the Lily Pool had begun to deteriorate. In the late 1950s, the adjacent Lincoln Park Zoo operated it as a bird sanctuary, known as the Rookery. The site deteriorated further as the large numbers of birds in such a small area destroyed most of the plants and eroded the lagoon edges. Trampling by pedestrians added to the problem. A large-scale renovation in the 1960s sought to address the problems, and large quantities of ledge stone, as well as period site furnishings and lighting, were added. But by the 1990s, the cycle of minimal maintenance and overuse had produced an unsightly place.

Even as the site continued to deteriorate, the public's affection for the Lily Pool continued. In 1997, Friends of Lincoln Park organized a campaign to return the Lily Pool to its former grandeur. In agreement with the Chicago Park District, the group hired Wolff Clements and Associates, Ltd. of Chicago to manage the project and serve as the landscape architectural firm. "A true partnership evolved be cause the community was the client," says Ted Wolff, the project's director. "The commitment to agree rather than disagree, and an abiding respect for the legacy of Alfred Caldwell, inspired the meticulous attention to detail and the tireless efforts of everyone involved." The result left everyone as pleased with the community process as with the beauty of the rehabilitated sanctuary.

Building Consensus

By taking an active role in every step of the project, Friends of Lincoln Park ensured the all-important community input. The Lily Pool has historically been an emotionally significant sanctuary for many Chicagoans, and planners knew that community input was crucial to the project's success. The planning process took more than two years and included several elements.

Historical Research: Julia Sniderman Bachrach, historian for the Chicago Park District, researched Caldwell's work at the Lily Pool.

Concept Planning: During the early stages of the project, Wolff Clements and Associates developed and presented a concept plan that was reviewed by many groups, including Friends of Lincoln Park, Chicago Park District, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Academy of Sciences, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and the Mayor's Landscape Advisory Task Force. Key elements of the plan included:

* Restoring the Niagara limestone paths, ledges, waterfall and council ring.

* Reconstructing two prairie-style pavilions.

* Reopening the long-closed eastern entrance and footpath.

* Massive replanting.

* Handicap accessibility.

* Adding another half acre of land for bird habitat.

Video Production: A video documenting the problems at the site was used to inform focus groups and planners about the issues confronting the project. The video included interviews with people with disabilities as well as historians, ecologists and transportation planners.