A rendering for the future bike park at Big Marsh located on Chicago's Southeast Side. (Chicago Park District)
Evan Garcia | June 13, 2016
Mayor Rahm Emanuel broke ground Saturday on a
40-acre, multi-terrain bike park located on a former industrial site on the city's Southeast Side. Billed by the city as the first park of its kind in the Midwest, Big Marsh Bike Park will be
located at Big Marsh, a 270-acre open space situated about 20 minutes southeast of the Loop where steel mills used to operate. The park is slated to
open this winter and will feature several dirt jumps, a dual slalom racing course, various trails and even a cyclocross course with different obstacles where cyclists will dismount and carry their bikes for part of the race. The park isn’t solely for daredevils and expert cyclists, however. It’s designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles. The park will even have a “tot track” for young riders.
[...]The city calls the bike park a “
signature project” under the mayor’s Building on Burnham Plan, an initiative announced in March that's aimed at improving the city’s lakefront, waterways and natural areas. The project is being
paid for by public funds as well as private money raised by the Friends of Big Marsh, a coalition of public and private entities.
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