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Originally Posted by Chi-Sky21
Gee I wonder how much the art institute or any of the others paid for their land......you gotta give something to get something.
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It was just another give away by the city. When the Art Institute was built in 1893, Lake Park (wasn't even Grant Park yet) was just a strip of land between Michigan Ave and the railroad tracks. With the lake on the other side of the tracks.
But the city had already promised land owners along Michigan Ave. in 1839 that the land east of Michigan was "Public ground. Forever to remain vacant of buildings."
But here's the rub. In 1882 the Art Institute purchased a privately owned lot at the SW corner of Michigan and Van Buren. They later purchased another lot due south, also privately owned, and built a building there in 1887. Then when the World's Fair was planned, the Institute got the city to build an exposition building on park land (in clear violation of city promises) and give that land to the Institute. Despite the fact that they already had a facility on Michigan Ave, on private land.
The Worlds Fair buildings were all meant to be temporary. The Art Institute should never have been allowed to move in. They didn't need to move into the park for any reason other than pride. Same goes for every other building past or future. Sorry but them's the facts.