The lakefront stretch from East 45th-51st St, Morgan Shoal, is being redeveloped by the City of Chicago with significant new parkland built out into what is now lake. Project information can be found here. The full Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) can be found here.
Public comments are open and are a great chance to remind the city to consider migrating birds in their design! The current design does have oaks and hickories, which is great, but is lacking the structure that birds need:
- layered habitat
- diversity of woody species and bloom times
- dense vegetation to hide in
Public review is open until March 27. Submit your comments now using:
1. Comment form: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/xYZUr1yx9G
2. Crowdsource mapping tool: https://usace-lrc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/reporter/index.html?appid=c6778ad2d85c4b5699413055e46d05f4
3. Or email morganshoalnepa@usace.army.mil here
Writing your own comments is best. If you can’t, here are some you can copy and paste into option 3, the email:
Chicago’s lakefront is an outstanding stopover for over 200 species of migratory birds. Any improvements along the shore can have habitat for them. The oaks and hickories planned are a very good start. Additionally, migrating birds require:
- layered habitat
- diversity of woody species and bloom times
- dense vegetation to hide in.
Please include at least a contiguous half acre of dense, layered, diverse habitat for migratory birds in your plans.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
[your name and address]
Here’s an article with more.
We got this from Advocates for Morgan Shoal:
Click HERE to read the USACE’s draft SEA for Morgan Shoal.
Below we delineate major concerns expressed by experts, attorneys and the community about the USACE’s own assessment of their plans for our Morgan Shoal shoreline.
Experts Speak Against the USACE’s Plan for Morgan Shoal (September 2025)
Experts from WJE, a global engineer and architect firm, reviewed our shoreline, the past work and the current USACE plans. Mike Ford and Deborah Slaton delineated their concerns in a Consultation Letter. They note that the USACE plan “is not in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and does not follow the Memorandum of Agreement or the SHPO review comments on that document.” In short, they raise serious concerns about the current plans for Morgan Shoal.
A letter sent to AG Raoul regarding the violations to the 106 Process relative to the State Historic Preservationist Office or SHPO (March 3, 2026)
In the face of clear violations of the 106 Process, Advocates for Morgan Shoal (AMS) have called upon the AG Office to ensure SHPO directives are followed. In the letter, AMS has asked that
the Attorney General take action on its own to protect the rights of the public and to enforce the rights of SHPO by, at a minimum, seeking to enjoin further activity regarding NEPA and Section 106, and seeking mandamus relief and/or mandatory injunctive relief to ensure that SHPO is provided the plans for Morgan Shoal from the appropriate entity (whether USACE, CDOT, CPkD, PCB and/or some other City entity), that the directions of SHPO be complied with by those entities in regards to Morgan Shoal as set forth in the 2020 letter from the SHPO, and that SHPO (as well as the public) be allowed to meaningfully consult on such matters, which can only occur when SHPO’s directions have been complied with and they have been allowed to fully review and consult on these matters. Intervention from your office is critical to ensure that IDNR and SHPO are able to fulfill their regulatory and legal responsibilities and to enforce their authority, decisions and rulings in projects like Morgan Shoal.
(Click HERE to read the AMS letter to the AG in full).
In the draft SEA the current plan is called the Preferred Alternative. Problematically, it is compared only against a plan called Do Nothing. In short, no real alternative is considered. Below is a short list of concerns expressed by the community and disregarded by the USACE and Public Building Commission as they move forward with their plan – the only plan presented. The current plan includes putting infill into Lake Michigan and building out 7 acres.
Comments of concern about the added 7 acres:
Will we still be able to see the Chicago skyline from Pebble Beach?
The build out may block our views of the skyline while at Pebble Beach. A full Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) should be conducted, including seasonal and vantage-point visualizations, to evaluate how the project will appear in real conditions.
Will the 7 acres of infill they plan to dump into Lake Michigan damage biodiversity?
The significant lakebed fill, revetment construction, and breakwater installation will permanently disrupt aquatic and benthic habitats. The long-term sediment transport, invasive species colonization, habitat loss and covering of the Shoal must be analyzed.
Will this plan help to ameliorate heat, given concerns about climate change?
The proposed comfort station, plaza, grassland, and paved areas risk creating heat islands. A detailed microclimate and thermal analysis are needed to ensure the comfort station and surrounding plaza remain usable during summer heat events. All material selection, shading, or reflective surfaces should be addressed.
Do we have to add 7 acres by dumping infill into Lack Michigan?
No. The addition of the 7 acres of infill into Lake Michigan is part of what’s called a Local Preferred Plan or LPP. The City (the “local” in this case) is electing to add 7 acres of infill, but it is not necessary to mitigate storm damage to our shoreline.
Actions
Comments on the USACE plans are accepted through March 27, 2026. Here is the Link to Comment Form .
On Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 6 to 8 pm, the 7th in a series of community led design gatheringswill be held at the Ancona School (4770 S Dorchester Ave) in Hyde Park. All are welcome. No RSVP necessary, but feel free to email chicagolakefrontdesign@gmail.com for details or to be added to the mailing list.
In community,
Advocates for Morgan Shoal