Nearly 200 Trees Brighten Millennium Park's New Open Areas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 7, 2002
Contact: Jack Beary
(312) 744-9277

The latest section of Millennium Park now is open to the public, adding another four acres of lush, colorful parkland east of Michigan Avenue and north of Monroe Street, Public Building Commission of Chicago officials said today.

The newly added Millennium Park acreage features a variety of landscape improvements, including nearly 200 trees. Park-scaping crews have sprinkled a half dozen types of plantings, among them 47 Homestead Elm trees, 42 Autumn Blaze Maples, 17 Hawthorne trees and 66 Chanticlear Pears, PBC officials said. The new section also includes a dozen Sugar Tyme crab trees, a half dozen White Firs and 24 Red Buds.

"This new park is blossoming into an urban oasis along one of the most spectacular skylines in the world," Kevin Gujral, PBC interim executive director, said. "Millennium Park will add life and beauty to Chicago's sprawling front yard between Michigan Avenue and the lake."

Other sections of the new park already are open. The popular ice rink, which will be the location of the Earth From Above exhibit scheduled to open June 21; two sections of promenade, and the Millennium Park underground parking garage. Last month, the first open green space was completed atop the Grant Park North garage.

More of Millennium Park will open this year, with green space being added above the Metra tracks, completion of the North Promenade and a Peristyle structure with Greek columns, a plaza and fountain. The next two years will see installation of a 100-ton reflective sculpture by artist Anish Kapoor, a 2.5-acre garden designed by Catherine Gustafson, completion of the performance pavilion designed by Pritzker Award-winning architect Frank Gehry, as well as completion of the new Music and Dance Theatre.