What was once a mud-wrestling pit at Grant Park during Lollapalooza has returned to being Chicago’s grassy front yard.
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The chain-link fences surrounding the park finally came down and restoration of parkland damaged during the three-day music fest was complete, according to the Chicago Park District.
Though the park district considered restoration complete, the Grant Park Conservancy said there are a couple outstanding issues after doing a tour of the park grounds this week.
“Everything’s about 99 percent done,” said Bob O’Neill, president of the conservancy.
The 1 percent that still needs attention? The upper walkway of Lower Hutchinson Field, at the southeast corner of Columbus Drive and Balbo Avenue, where bushes were removed, he said. That area is supposed to be covered with sod and turf. About 10 more trees need to be planted too, he said.
The park’s fields got torn up during the summer concert thanks to the thousands of people attending the music fest and of course, the rain.
Grant Park saw mainly turf damage at Hutchinson and Butler fields where headliners played, ultimately costing Lollapalooza promoter C3 Presents $260,544, about $6,000 less than estimated, according to the park district. Park restoration included soiling, sodding, seeding and aeration.
“Lower Hutchinson was a mess and it looks really good. That’s a hard place to bring back because of the drainage issues,” O’Neill said of the field stretching from Balbo Avenue to 11th Street where headliners Eminem, Outkast and Kings of Leon performed. “It doesn’t even look like there was a festival there.”
Rain also moved in just in time for Riot Fest in September, leaving Humboldt Park a mushy mess. Repairs there are in progress, park district spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner said.
As a result, some stretches where grass seed was put down remain fenced off but should be ready for the public in the spring, according to the park district.
Park officials estimated landscape repairs to Humboldt Park would cost Riot Fest organizers $182,000, more than triple the estimated $54,300 spent on grounds repairs last year.
Riot Fest was twice the size of last year’s site, organizers said. The music fest was held on park property bordered by North Avenue to the north, Division Street to the south, California Avenue to the east and Kedzie Avenue to the west.
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