ECO VIDAL DESIGN


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Eco Vidal Design, Inc. (EVD) is a Chicago-based company specializing in architectural interior design, urban planning, construction management, sustainability services, and community engagement. EVD is a certified MDE/DBE/WBE business dedicated to creating innovative and sustainable design solutions for clients in the Chicago area and beyond.

Northerly Island Park Planning



Photo by Eric Allix Rogers (CC BY-NC-ND)
Aerial view of Northerly Island Park captured in 2021.



Location: Chicago South Loop just south of the Museum Campus
Client:
City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development
Planning:
Carmen Vidal-Hallett as part of the City of Chicago DPD
Planning Completion Date:
1996
Site area:
117 acres

In 1994, Carmen Vidal-Hallett, was hired by the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development to begin the planning and transformation of Meigs Field into Northerly Island Park. The initial planning phase took two years of development before it was presented for approval before the Chicago Planning Commission. Planning stages included:
  • Historic research (Northerly Island was part of the Burhan Plan)
  • Preliminary sketches to study the size of wetlands and prairies
  • Coordination with government agencies including the Fire and Aviation Department to relocate the heliport and find a proper home for it. The Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers to plan for a proper shoreline protection, the department of the environment and the Chicago Park District
  • Numerous community meetings with civic organizations such as Friends of The Parks and the Lake Michigan Federation as well the neighborhood groups
  • Management of the selected A/E to move forward with the final plan.
  • Presentation of the plan to the Chicago Planning Commission for approval under the Lakefront Protection Ordinance. The park was finally completed after almost 20 years. Note that the original design is very similar to the final construction.