Renderings emerge for long-awaited DuSable Park

Renderings have emerged for the long-awaited DuSable Park in Streeterville. Located at 401 N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, the 3.5-acre parcel is located on a small peninsula east of Lake Shore Drive. Plans for the park have been in the works since 1987 when former Mayor Harold Washington gave the land to the Chicago Park District to develop a park in honor of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable.

With Ross Barney Architects and Brook Architecture leading the design, the park aims to honor the life of DuSable. The Haitian-born trader and businessman set-up shop in the 1780s just west of the park at the original mouth of the river, making him among the first non-Indigenous people to take advantage of the economic potential of what would later become Chicago.

The park will feature an entry plaza to memorialize DuSable that leads to a promenade that runs around the site. A pavilion will allow visitors to learn about DuSable, his Potawatomi wife, Kitihawa, and their real estate holdings on their riverfront site. A boardwalk will run around the east end of the park along the water’s edge. Lush planting, wetlands, prairies, and a trio of hills will all be included in the landscaping of the park. 

Visitors will access the park from a connection to the lakefront trail’s Navy Pier flyover, an extended riverwalk through the 400 Lake Shore site and a dedicated bus stop.

With a budget of $15 million, the project is being funded with $5 million in Open Space Impact Fees and a $10 million contribution from Related Midwest who is developing 400 Lake Shore which is currently under construction.  

While plans have been submitted to the Chicago Park District, the plan still needs approvals from the Chicago Plan Commission for a Lakefront Protection Ordinance application and final approval from the Chicago City Council. The park is slated to open in Summer 2027.