Extra fences and security planned to combat Lollapalooza gate crashers and … – Chicago Sun

Concert goers fill the south lawn at Lollapalooza Friday, August 5, 2011, at Grant Park in Chicago. | John J. Kim~Sun-Times

Updated: July 27, 2012 2:30AM

The estimated 300,000 music lovers expected to descend on Grant Park next weekend for Lollapalooza will notice more fencing and increased security to prevent gate-crashing, fence- jumping and a repeat of last year’s landscape-trampling debacle.

Bob O’Neill, president of the Grant Park Conservancy, said bushes and flower gardens will be “fenced off,” forcing patrons of America’s largest music festival onto Columbus and Balbo, where the asphalt surfaces can “take a lot of impact.”

Concert-goers will also be on grass. But, they won’t be allowed to cut through bushes or walk through flower gardens, he said.

“If people can find a shorter route by cutting through bushes or gardens, they do it. But, this year, it’ll be much more difficult,” O’Neill said.

“There’ll be much more fencing off of all the areas with sensitive landscaping. Flowers and bushes and things that can get trampled will be protected. Some of the gardens are quite large and those will be completely fenced off. It’ll be very obvious to concert go-ers that landscaping is more protected this year.”

Last year, heavy rains and record crowds combined to cause massive damage that cut off access to large sections of Grant Park for months. The damage required two months to repair. An estimated $1 million in new and tougher turf was installed at the expense of Texas-based C3 Presents, Lollapalooza’s organizer.

This year, an independent third-party will monitor landscaping in Grant Park before and after the concert so there is, what O’Neill called “objectivity and expertise” in assessing the damage and avoiding a situation where, “It’s their word against ours.”

O’Neill said he plans to do a walk-through of Grant Park on Monday and take “before” photographs.

To avoid gate-crashing and fence-jumping that exacerbated damage to the park, O’Neill said concert-goers will notice higher fences at vulnerable locations and a dramatic increase in private security guards.

“There’ll be a much taller fence around the entire festival, particularly where the breaches were,” he said.

“Last year, some people snuck in on the Lake Shore Drive side. They find areas where there are fewer people and fewer witnesses. That’ll be more secure. They’ll have more security, particularly on the east side.”

With an assist from the record drought, O’Neill said he’s confident that last year’s damage can and will be avoided.

“The soil isn’t saturated like it was last year. If it rains, the soil dries out more quickly. The chance of having a lot of rain between now and next weekend are very slim and a lot isn’t predicted,” O’Neill said.

“And there are a lot more precautions being set, much more diligence in auditing the before and after.”

Last year, Lollapalooza drew a record 270,000 music lovers to Grant Park, making it the nation’s largest music festival. This year’s festival — beginning next Friday and running through next Sunday — is expected to draw more than 300,000.

Last spring, the city extended Lollapalooza’s run at Grant Park until 2021 but yanked he giant music festival’s tax-free pass — meaning organizers will have to pay millions more to local governments.

The deal removed the exemption Lollapalooza had been receiving from paying the city and county amusement taxes as well as state liquor taxes.

C3 Presents, Lollapalooza’s organizer, will now pay a minimum of $4.05 million in local taxes this year, up from $2.7 million under the old deal. Officials said that amount will increase to $5.4 million by 2021.

In addition, the Chicago Park District’s shares of ticket sales will grow from 10.25 percent to 11 percent this year, and to 15 percent in 2021. There is a guaranteed minimum payment of $1.5 million, up from $1.1 million in the old deal.