HAIRSTON ACCUSED OF LYING ABOUT NATURE SANCTUARY IN GOLF PUSH
Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) was accused Wednesday of making false claims about the condition of a cherished nature sanctuary as part of a “marketing campaign” aimed at jump-starting a stalled plan to merge the Jackson Park and South Shore golf courses.
The merger has stirred controversy because the design — by a firm owned by golf legend Tiger Woods — would require closing Marquette Drive, building two new underpasses, displacing tennis courts and relocating the South Shore Nature Sanctuary to make way for a new 12th hole that would be the “money shot” during TV coverage of any tournament.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said she is “not wild about” the merger, citing “red flags” and environmental issues. The merger, which gained momentum when former President Barack Obama chose Jackson Park for his presidential center, is, Lightfoot said, neither “well-thought out,” nor “respectful of the community.”
With Woods in town this week to compete in the BMW Championship at Medinah Country Club, Hairston spent the day at Medinah and said she hoped to change the mayor’s mind with a tour of the nature sanctuary.
“It’s actually all dead. And it’s been dead for some years . . . . The reason that the current sanctuary is in the condition that it is, is because there was nobody to maintain it,” Hairston said.
On Wednesday, Jackson Park Watch accused the alderman of making “completely false” statements as part of a “propaganda campaign” to push the golf course merger.
Area residents posted pictures on Twitter to prove the nature sanctuary is alive and well and distributed them at a Chicago Park District board meeting.
“It’s a beautiful, beautiful space and it’s used by a lot of folks,” said Brenda Nelms, copresident of Jackson Park Watch.
“What they’re offering in alternative replacement is some trees and shrubs between fairways of the golf course. You’d have to pay more attention to avoiding golf balls than you would relaxing or enjoying the space.”
Marcus Hersh, who lives two blocks away from the entrance to the South Shore Cultural Center, called the nature sanctuary “one of the most beautiful, vibrant places in Chicago.” Hersh said it was “pretty disturbing” that Hairston “would be willing to so outrageously distort the truth.”
Hairston did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Jackson Park Watch’s allegations.
Nelms said she figured that Woods’ appearance at the BMW Championships would be part of a renewed push for the stalled project. But that’s just a “celebrity endorsement, as opposed to solid financial analyses and an assessment of how many will be served,” she said.
In a statement delivered at the Park District board meeting, Nelms argued there is no proof the new course would be economically viable, no guarantee local golfers would have affordable fees and tee time access, and “no public plan for erecting lakefront revetments and underpasses . . . sufficient to deal with the high water table and rising lake levels.”
“Improvement of the golf courses . . . can be accomplished without sacrificing recreational spaces treasured by many and without turning Jackson Park and South Shore into more of a golf club for the wealthy than a public park serving the many,” Nelms told the board.
Two years ago, the Park District signed a 10-year agreement with the nonprofit Chicago Parks Golf alliance to spearhead a $30 million plan to merge the Jackson Park and South Shore golf courses into a single, championship-caliber course.
The agreement, signed Dec. 15, 2016, calls for the alliance to be the “sole fundraising entity” for the ambitious project and to “work in partnership with the Park District for the fundraising, implementation and construction of agreed upon master plans.”
The contract set timelines and fundraising goals — nearly all of which have not been met.
Brian Hogan and Mike Ruemmler are cofounding directors of the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance.
Ruemmler, who managed Rahm Emanuel’s 2011 and 2015 mayoral campaigns, could not be reached for comment.
Hogan responded to a text message about the status of private fundraising for the project by saying, “Momentum progressing. Approaching $10 million [in] pledges. Confident in [meeting] $30M goal.”
Pressed on the updated cost of merging the two golf courses, Hogan said, “Cost estimates pending further design development and review.”