BY FRAN SPIELMAN
City Hall Reporter
fspielman@suntimes.com

March 28, 2013 3:40PM

Artist rendering of the city’s plans to complete the Chicago Riverwalk. The Cove between Dearborn and Clark.

Article Extras

Updated: March 28, 2013 7:03PM

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s dream of turning a six-block stretch of the downtown Chicago riverfront into an enticing riverwalk that rivals San Antonio’s will finally become a reality, thanks to a $100 million federal loan awarded Thursday.

In one of his final acts as U.S. Transportation secretary, former Illinois congressman Ray LaHood came back home to announce the $100 million loan that Mayor Rahm Emanuel hopes will transform the riverwalk into Chicago’s next great public space that will rival Millennium Park.

LaHood described the project as a “done deal” and said he was absolutely confident in the city’s plan to retire the $100 million loan.

“The financial stability of this project is solid. It’s a matter now of finishing up the paperwork,” LaHood said.

“This riverwalk will become another economic corridor in downtown Chicago for small business.”

Emanuel said it’s time to “re-introduce” Chicagoans to the Chicago River and realize the riverfront’s true potential to become the city’s next recreational frontier.

“It’s no longer just a dream or a drawing on the board. It’s now becoming a reality,” the mayor said.

Emanuel and his Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein were somewhat sketchy on where the revenues will come from to repay a 35-year loan with no payment schedule until construction that is scheduled to start in 2014 is completed two years later.

“A little over 70 percent of the revenues will come from … the existing tour boat fees, which were re-bid last year. Right there, we’ve got the bulk of it covered,” Klein said.

“We’ve got retail leasing. We’ve got various other advertising and sponsorship opportunities, which we’re not even heavily counting on. And we’ve been extremely conservative in our estimates on revenues purposely because we knew we’d have to go through a very rigorous process, which we have, with” the U.S. Transportation Department.”

Asked whether the Chicago River was likely to see a lot more advertising and boat traffic to repay the loan, Klein said, “No. Any additional advertising would be very tasteful and very limited. … [And] right now, it’s just using the existing two [boat] slips.”

Emanuel predicted that 400 people would be put to work building the riverwalk from State Street west to Lake and that 400 permanent jobs would be created to operate the restaurants, bars and entertainment space that will be created.

“Our downtown has changed. It’s the fastest growing commercial-residential area in the country — by a factor of three. Nobody’s even close. And the riverwalk will now create and complement what’s gonna be a 500-apartment building right there on the riverfront. It will change all the [property] values here — both commercial and residential,” the mayor said. “Our city is changing and we need to change with it to accentuate the economic opportunity and potential of the city.”

On display at Thursday’s news conference were “conceptual ideas” and catchy names for each of the six blocks between State and Wells that run along Wacker Drive and the Chicago River.

State to Dearborn would be known as “The Marina,” with restaurants and public seating that allows people to while away their time watching commercial and recreational boat traffic along the river.

Dearborn to Clark would be turned into “The Cove,” featuring kayak rentals and a dock for “human-powered watercraft.” Clark to LaSalle would be turned into a heavily landscaped “River Theater” with a wide staircase to Upper Wacker Drive.

Kids who love to splash around in chlorinated and “zero-depth” public fountains would be able to do just that in the one-block stretch from LaSalle to Wells, to be known as, “The Swimming Hole.”

Wells to Franklin would be turned into “The Jetty,” described as a place to learn about the “ecology of the Chicago River” complete with floating gardens and piers for fishing.

And Franklin to Lake would be known as “The Boardwalk,” described as the site of an “iconic bridge” that would bring people from Upper Wacker down to the riverwalk level while surrounded by “floating gardens and landscaping.”

Daley’s plan to build a San Antonio-style riverwalk initially called for the city to spend up to $50 million in federal funds to build a river-level boardwalk from Michigan to Lake that would have included 35,500 square feet of retail and restaurant space, along with docks for tour boats and water taxis.

When the work was done, the city would have turned the riverwalk over to a private management company.

But when Daley tried to tackle the project in one fell swoop, only one company responded to the request for proposals. City Hall decided to toss out the lone bid and restart the competition in smaller bites.

After filling in the “missing links” in the Wacker Drive riverwalk, the city agreed in 2009 to design the rest — even though Chicago taxpayers still didn’t have the money to build it.

The Daley administration issued a “request for proposals” from firms interested in designing the final phase of the riverwalk — the six-block stretch between State and Lake streets. It was those concepts that the city plans to follow.

The Smithville Empty Bowl project is gearing up for their third annual fundraising event to help feed people in need on April 20 at the Lost Pines Artisan’s Alliance from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The program was put together in response to the high level of need in the community,” said LPAA vice president April Daniels. “We realized that if we partnered up we would have additional resources available to help more.”

The Smithville Food Pantry, Smithville Community Gardens and LPAA are working together to promote hunger awareness while also providing a fun, informative day for local citizens.

Last Friday, Smithville Elementary fifth graders did their part by painting previously cast and fired bowls with under-glazes to be sold for the project.

When asked what he was painting the bowls for, SES student Damien Crane said, “For the little kids that are hungry. I think all kids deserve to have food water and good parents.”

Fifth-grader Madalyn Hanslik said, “We are doing this for child hunger. I think it’s bad because they are so innocent.”

After the students had finished up with their masterpieces, each child filled out an envelope addressed to their parents, giving them an opportunity to purchase their child’s bowl to participate in the upcoming project.

Remaining bowls can be purchased at the event to be filled with soups and breads donated by local restaurants.

The day will include informative speakers to discuss issues such as pocket gardens, community involvement in hunger programs, gardening tips for home and community, landscaping and MaryAnn Walborg of the Smithville Community Gardens will be holding cooking demonstrations.

Vendors will also be on site offering fresh vegetables, gardening and landscaping tips and tools.

For more information about the event or if you are interested in volunteering call 512-360-7397 or email playhousesmithville@yahoo.com.

Click photo to enlargeCHICO — An improved garden is in the works on Notre Dame Boulevard, bringing new life to the name “Jarvis Gardens.”

Residents of the senior apartment complex have been working in raised beds for years, and beautifying their grounds with roses and other landscaping.

With a new grant, the project will be able to really grow.

Susan Bachlor, administrator at the apartment complex, said everyone is thrilled to get their hands even dirtier.

The $10,000 grant is through Cultivating Community — http://cultivatingcommunitynv.org — and written by garden designer Maxx Clifton.

Bachlor said the residents have worked in the past with GRUB, a group that leads efforts in community gardening and sells organic produce, among other activities.

Then Clifton said he’d write the grant that will improve the gardens and allow the public to see the process.

Seniors have had success in the existing five raised beds, but there’s competition for space, Bachlor said.

Part of the project will be building an additional 11 raised beds that are higher and more accessible to residents. Also, there will be walkways that are accessible by everyone.

Each step of the way, Clifton will invite the public to educational workshops during construction.

For example, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 14, people can come and learn about irrigation and view the irrigation being installed.

The idea is that things will be mostly done and

people will see how it was done, and can pitch in to help it get done, Clifton explained.

Additional workshops/work days will continue about every two weeks. Topics will include preparing a bed for planting, greenhouses, food processing and garden upkeep, Clifton explained.

Also in the works are plans for an area where residents can walk their dogs, a drying station for herbs, and fruit trees.

“The goal is to not only build a garden, but to build it in front of the community,” so everyone can learn the process, Clifton said.