Promontory Point Conservancy
protecting and preserving Promontory Point, Chicago
The community is the Point: preserving the historic limestone revetment preserves the community that has gathered at the Point for decades
Why “Save the Point”? Save it from what?
As a community-led organization, the Conservancy advocates to save Promontory Point’s historic limestone block revetment from demolition and replacement with concrete. For the past 25 years, we have proved that preserving — retaining and repairing — the historic limestone block structure also meets the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the City’s (Chicago Dept. of Transportation, CDOT) requirements for storm damage and shoreline protection. USACE and CDOT intend to demolish the historic revetment and replace it with a concrete revetment, much like what’s seen on the rest of Chicago’s lakefront. Our engineering studies show that USACE and CDOT can destroy the Point but they don’t have to.
As a community-led organization, the Conservancy advocates to save Promontory Point’s historic limestone block revetment from demolition and replacement with concrete. For the past 25 years, we have proved that preserving — retaining and repairing — the historic limestone block structure also meets the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the City’s (Chicago Dept. of Transportation, CDOT) requirements for storm damage and shoreline protection. USACE and CDOT intend to demolish the historic revetment and replace it with a concrete revetment, much like what’s seen on the rest of Chicago’s lakefront. Our engineering studies show that USACE and CDOT can destroy the Point but they don’t have to.
When will all this happen?
CDOT has already hired its contractor for the $5m design planning study for the Point. USACE and CDOT are fully funded for the design phase and the $100m construction at Promontory Point. USACE has not specified a date for when construction will begin on the Promontory Point Project. USACE’s earlier plans showed construction starting in Spring 2026 and closing the Point for 5 years.
How can we Save the Point?
The Point can be realistically, engineeringly and economically saved. We are not peddling a competitive plan to the USACE/CDOT plan for demolition and replacement with concrete but rather offer an array of preservation design options that retain and repair the limestone block revetment while meeting coastal resilience requirements. And preserving the historic limestone revetment preserves the community that has gathered at the Point for generations.
The community commissioned its own third-party, unbiased, independent coastal and structural engineering reports that demonstrate that the historic limestone block structure:
The Point can be realistically, engineeringly and economically saved. We are not peddling a competitive plan to the USACE/CDOT plan for demolition and replacement with concrete but rather offer an array of preservation design options that retain and repair the limestone block revetment while meeting coastal resilience requirements. And preserving the historic limestone revetment preserves the community that has gathered at the Point for generations.
The community commissioned its own third-party, unbiased, independent coastal and structural engineering reports that demonstrate that the historic limestone block structure:
- has NOT failed
- functions in good condition right now for storm damage and shoreline protection
- can be retained, repaired and rehabilitated to meet both preservation standards AND coastal resilience and erosion requirements
- can be rehabilitated in less than two years and in sections so that as much as 80% of the Point stays open to the public at any one time
- does not require clear-cutting all the trees along the perimeter of the revetment and into the meadow for staging
- can be adapted for Universal Design Access (ADA compliance) in three places
- can be repaired and rehabilitated at less than the cost of demolition and new concrete construction
- if repaired and maintained, has another 100 years of service
Didn’t we already Save the Point?
Although Promontory Point is double-landmarked, these protections only slow down the process and do not guarantee that the historic revetment will not be destroyed and demolished. Through FOIA, the Conservancy found that CDOT has a misleading condition study purporting that the limestone revetment has failed. This allows USACE and CDOT to back into their plan for demolition and replacement with concrete, and bypass the landmarking protections.
Our recent condition study of the historic revetment shows just the opposite: the revetment has NOT failed and functions right now in good condition! And it can be fixed and repaired economically. So, this community-led advocacy continues to fight to save its beloved third-space on Chicago’s South Side.
Although Promontory Point is double-landmarked, these protections only slow down the process and do not guarantee that the historic revetment will not be destroyed and demolished. Through FOIA, the Conservancy found that CDOT has a misleading condition study purporting that the limestone revetment has failed. This allows USACE and CDOT to back into their plan for demolition and replacement with concrete, and bypass the landmarking protections.
Our recent condition study of the historic revetment shows just the opposite: the revetment has NOT failed and functions right now in good condition! And it can be fixed and repaired economically. So, this community-led advocacy continues to fight to save its beloved third-space on Chicago’s South Side.
What can I do?
We’ve got the engineering, the technology, the preservation and the economics nailed! So, now you are the Point!
Here’s what you can do now:
We’ve got the engineering, the technology, the preservation and the economics nailed! So, now you are the Point!
Here’s what you can do now:
- Watch this video to quickly get up to speed on how to Save the Point!
- Thank and keep the political pressure on our political representatives that are supporting the community-led struggle to Save the Point, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, State Senator Robert Peters, Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry and 5th Ward Alderman Desmon Yancy
- Encourage other local politicians to get on board, support a preservation approach, and listen to the community’s input into design and construction
- Stay Tuned when USACE and CDOT begin their community meetings and announce their plan. (Under federal preservation law, USACE is required to conduct public meetings, and receive, consider and incorporate, to its best ability, public input into their design as part of the Section 106 Review.) Get on our mailing list and follow us on social media at #savethepointchi
- Donate to support our ongoing work to Save the Point!