OUR PARK, DALEY'S MUSEUM

Good news if you are skeptical of a children's museum with a liquor license in our "forever open, free and clear" park. It looks like a pending lawsuit is not the only hurdle for the Chicago Children's Museum and their ridiculous attempt to move into Grant Park. This shit economy is also mucking things up. Crain's Greg Hinz reports:

Just a year after winning hard-fought City Council permission to move to Grant Park, the Chicago Children’s Museum has hit a financial wall, raising a real prospect that its highly controversial new facility in the park’s northeast corner may never be built.
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A moribund economy has crippled fund-raising, while projected costs have climbed by tens of millions to $150 million or more, insiders say. Sources close to the project say odds now are 50-50 at best that the Grant Park plan will proceed.

The Children's Museum people are, of course, denying this report. But the Sun-Times says they are also working with the city to extend their lease at Navy Pier.

I think it is interesting that the costs for the new Children's Museum are rising and private donations aren't meeting projections. I'm wondering what these rising costs spell for the proposed Olympic budget and Daley's claim that the Chicago Olympics will be entirely funded by private donors. I mean, if these donors aren't going to pony up for the kids(!), are they going to pay for the Olympics? Remember what Mayor Daley said. The move to Grant Park is all about the kids:

"You mean you don't want children from the city in Grant Park? Why? Are they black? Are they white? Are they Hispanic? Are they poor? You don't want children? We have children in Grant Park all the time. This is a park for the entire city. What do you mean no one wants children down there? Why not? Wouldn't you want children down there?"

Oh wise King Daley, go ahead and move that museum to Grant Park. Think nothing of it. After all, it's for the children! And don't fret, if the Olympics are over budget and the private donations don't pan out, I know the taxpayers of Chicago will be more than happy to pick up the tab. It's the least we can do Mayor Daley. Long live the King!

For more on why the Children's Museum should take their glorified funhouse someplace else, check out Save Grant Park and their informative fact sheet.

And one more thing: Don't think I didn't notice, Daley.

Recently, Pritzker Park - what used to be a fenced off grass lot at State and Van Buren - has undergone a complete overhaul. You may remember that Pritzker Park was an oft mentioned alternative to Grant Park for the Children's Museum's new home. While I can't complain about the improved park, I do think it's very suspect that Pritzker Park was transformed so quickly and quietly, especially as a park in my neighborhood (and many others I'm sure) has hit roadblocks and countless delays in its own transformation. Now, Pritzker can no longer be a favored and logical alternative to Grant Park.

There are many other alternatives. Daley can't put parks on all of them.