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Opened December 20, 2001
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Park Grill
McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink or McCormick Tribune Plaza is a multi-purpose venue
within Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. On
December 20, 2001, it became the first attraction in Millennium Park to open. [2] The $3.2 million plaza
was funded by a donation from the McCormick Tribune Foundation. [3] It has served as an ice skating
rink, a dining facility and briefly as an open-air exhibition space.
The plaza operates as McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, a free public outdoor ice skating rink that is
generally open four months a year, from mid-November until mid-March, when it hosts over 100,000
skaters annually. It is known as one of Chicago's better outdoor people-watching locations during the
winter months.[4][5] It is operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs rather than
the Chicago Park District, which operates most major public ice skating rinks in Chicago.
For the rest of the year, it serves as Plaza at Park Grill or Park Grill Plaza, Chicago's largest
outdoor dining facility.[6] The 150-seat park grill hosts various culinary events as well as music during
its months of outdoor operation,[6][7] and it is affiliated with the 300-seat indoor Park Grill restaurant
located beneath AT&T Plaza and Cloud Gate. The outdoor restaurant offers scenic views of the
park.
Contents
1History
2Details
3Operations
o 3.1Ice rink
o 3.2Park Grill Plaza
4See also
5Notes
6References
7External links
History[edit]
Image map of Millennium Park; east is at the top. Each feature or label is linked.
Lying between Lake Michigan to the east and the Loop to the west, Grant Park has been Chicago's
front yard since the mid-19th century. Its northwest corner, north of Monroe Street and the Art
Institute, east of Michigan Avenue, south of Randolph Street, and west of Columbus Drive, had
been Illinois Central rail yards and parking lots until 1997 when it was made available for
development by the city as Millennium Park.[8] As of 2007, Millennium Park, which is located in the
northwest corner of Grant Park, trails only Navy Pier as a Chicago tourist attraction. [9]
The earliest plans for Millennium Park were unveiled by Chicago's mayor, Richard M. Daley, in
March 1998 and included "a reflecting pool that would double as a skating rink in winter". [10] The
architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill came up with the master plan for the park; their
original design for the ice rink placed it along upper Randolph Street, on the park's northern edge.
However, McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink was built on the western edge of Millennium Park.
The Chicago Tribune's Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Blair Kamin called this move "a
masterstroke" and praised the new location "where the skaters symbolize the year-round vitality of
the city".[11] Kamin noted the location on the east side of Michigan Avenue allowed those at the plaza
and ice rink to enjoy the skyline of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District.[11] Another addition to the
plaza and rink's design was the 300-seat restaurant; [2] the final architectural design was completed
by OWP&P Architects,[11] who were also the architects for the adjoining Wrigley Square.[12]
Although the rink was budgeted for $5 million, it was constructed for only $3.2 million ($4.7 million
today), making it one of the few Millennium Park attractions to cost less than was initially budgeted.
[13]
The rink was funded by and named for the McCormick Tribune Foundation, [3] which
was established by former Chicago Tribune owner and publisher Robert R. McCormick. The
McCormick Tribune Foundation is a supporter of the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum and
the McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology, both of which are also
located in Chicago.[14][15]
Details[edit]
Operations[edit]
The McCormick Tribune Zamboni operates every two hours.
Through 2006 and 2007, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink was one of several operated by the
Chicago Park District.[35] Since then, although the Chicago Park District still operates ten public ice
skating rinks,[36] the Millennium Park ice rink is operated by a division of the Chicago Department of
Cultural Affairs,[37][38] itself a Department of the City of Chicago Government. [39][40]
Ice rink[edit]
See also[edit]
Maggie Daley Park ice skating ribbon
Notes[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b "Frequently Asked Questions". City of Chicago. Archived from the original on
June 22, 2007. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c "Mayor Daley, McCormick Tribune Executives Cut Ribbon on Spectacular
Skating Rink at Millennium Park" (PDF). Millennium Park News. Public Building Commission
of Chicago. Winter 2001–2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2006.
Retrieved June 2, 2008.
3. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e "Art & Architecture: McCormick Tribune Plaza and Ice Rink". City of Chicago.
Archived from the original on May 23, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c Davey, Monica (January 18, 2008). "Winter Day Out in Chicago". The New York
Times. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b Davey, Monica (January 18, 2008). "5 Big Cities, 1 Winter Day (Slideshow)". The
New York Times. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
6. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "Your Outdoor Table". parkgrillchicago.com. Archived from the original on June
11, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
7. ^ Jump up to:a b "Park Grill Events & Activities". parkgrillchicago.com. Archived from the
original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
8. ^ Gilfoyle, Timothy J. (August 6, 2006). "Millennium Park". The New York Times.
Retrieved June 24, 2008.
9. ^ "Crain's List Largest Tourist Attractions (Sightseeing): Ranked by 2007 attendance". Crain's
Chicago Business. Crain Communications Inc. June 23, 2008. p. 22.
10. ^ Martin, Andrew and Laurie Cohen (August 5, 2001). "Millennium Park flounders as
deadlines, budget blown – Poor plans, constant changes slow progress, drive up price – and
city taxpayers may have to help make up difference". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October
22, 2011.
11. ^ Jump up to: Kamin, Blair (July 18, 2004). "McCormick Tribune Plaza and Ice Rink – (star)
a b c d e f
(star) – Michigan Avenue and Washington Street – Conceived by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Chicago, completed by OWP&P Architects, Chicago". Chicago Tribune. p. 8, Arts &
Entertainment section. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
12. ^ Barner, Craig. "Special Project – Chicago's Millennium Park Project". Midwest
Construction. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
13. ^ Ford, Liam (July 11, 2004). "City to finally open its new front yard – Millennium Park's price
tag tripled". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
14. ^ Dardick, Hal (April 11, 2008). "Daley defends naming rights plan for Children's
Museum". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2008.[permanent dead link]
15. ^ "Our History". McCormick Foundation. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
16. ^ Satler, p. 170
17. ^ Washburn, Gary (April 18, 2000). "Block 37 Artists, Skaters To Move On Mega-Project Set
For Long-Vacant Loop Land". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, Metro section. Retrieved October
22, 2011.
18. ^ Madhani, Aamer (December 21, 2001). "New rink skates around delays at Millennium Park;
Millennium Park gets 1st attraction". Chicago Tribune. p. 3, North Sports Final Edition.
Retrieved October 22, 2011.
19. ^ Thomas, Mike (January 1, 2005). "Holiday on ice, Chicago style". Chicago Sun-Times.
p. 26.[permanent dead link]
20. ^ Jump up to: Kogan, Rick (May 26, 2002). "The Face Of The Earth – Millennium Park's First
a b c d e
Big Show Uses Stunning Photography To Send A Global Message". Chicago Tribune.
Retrieved October 22, 2011.
21. ^ Jump up to: Kinzer, Stephen (June 16, 2002). "Art/Architecture; The World as a Cavalcade
a b c d
changing". Chicago Tribune. June 28, 2002. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
24. ^ Kim, Jae-Ha (June 21, 2002). "Bird's-eye view Yann Arthus-Bertrand spent more than 5
years flying over 60 countries to photograph the earth from above . More than 120 of those
photos are now on display in Millennium Park. The work is also chronicled in his book, Earth
from Above . Bora Bora. Worker Resting on Bales of Cotton. Grand Prismatic Spring. –
Millennium Park showcases the photography of Yann Arthus-Bertrand". Chicago Sun-Times.
Newsbank. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
25. ^ "Chicago photo exhibit illuminated by photovoltaics from Commonwealth Edison". Power
Engineering International. PennWell Corporation. July 2, 2002. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
26. ^ Elder, Robert K. (April 23, 2006). "Reel Chicago – Corncob Towers, Brawny Streetscapes
and the Endless Lakefront Keep Us on the Movie Map". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October
22, 2011.
27. ^ Howard, Hilary (January 20, 2008). "Datebook". The New York Times. Retrieved June
2, 2008.
28. ^ "Revised Hours for the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park for the Holidays and
the New Year" (PDF). City of Chicago. December 17, 2008. Archived from the
original (PDF) on June 12, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
29. ^ "NBC Sports to air nine hours of NHL coverage this Sunday with "Hockey Day in America"
on NBC & "Heritage Classic" on Versus". NHL.com. February 15, 2011. Retrieved December
21, 2011.
30. ^ Jump up to: "McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at Millennium Park". Metromix. Archived from the
a b c
Park at Chicago's Front Door" (PDF). Millennium Park News. Public Building Commission of
Chicago. Summer–Fall 2003. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
32. ^ Jump up to: Gilfoyle, p. 324.
a b
33. ^ Jump up to: "Dining and Accommodations". City of Chicago. Archived from the original on
a b
40. ^ "Chicago Park District Ice Rinks". Chicago Park District. Archived from the original on
December 15, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
41. ^ Jump up to: "McCormick Tribune Ice Rink". Millennium Park. Archived from the original on
a b
55. ^ Jump up to: "Park Grill". Frommer's. Wiley Publishing, Inc. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
a b c
56. ^ Jump up to: "Park Grill". Metromix. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009.
a b c d
References[edit]
Gilfoyle, Timothy J. (2006). Millennium Park: Creating a Chicago Landmark. University
of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-29349-3.
Satler, Gail (2006). Two tales of a city: rebuilding Chicago's architectural and social
landscape. Northern Illinois University Press. ISBN 978-0-87580-357-9.
External links[edit]
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