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RATIFICATION OF CONTRACT FOR
EMERGENCY LAKEFRONT EROSION THREAT ASSESSMENT
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To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District:
On January 10-12, 2020, the City of Chicago was subject to a damaging Lake Michigan storm, with high winds and large waves. The January 2020 storm, which came during a period of very high Lake Michigan water levels, caused damage to some buildings on, or close to, the lakefront and highlighted the vulnerability of those structures to future storms, when lake levels could potentially be still higher. Beyond buildings, other public assets were also impacted. Several transportation corridors were either partially or fully closed, and several areas owned by the Chicago Park District were subject to overtopping, flooding, erosion and damage.
The Chicago Park District and their partner, Chicago Department of Transportation, immediately mobilized inspection teams to assess the lakefront. The inspection teams were comprised of Architectural/Building Structural, Civil/Coastal and Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) professionals. The teams visited approximately 100 buildings located along the lakefront (predominantly in the 7th Ward, 48th Ward and 49th Ward) to collect information related to the nature and extent of damage sustained and to assess future vulnerability. Visits to private property were coordinated through the City of Chicago (Department of Buildings, OEMC, CDOT or other departments). Visits to Park District or City of Chicago property were coordinated with relevant staff from those agencies. Teams used a customized mobile device survey tool to collect comparable information at each property.
Each property was visually assessed for the potential for lakefront flooding to cause life-threatening situations as well as damage and disruption. Wherever possible, the inspection teams asked questions of the building owner, management representative, or other building employee related to experience w...
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