Millennium Park 20 years ago: Railyard to world-class park
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Early stages of the construction. Photo: Courtesy of Ben Campney
Millennium Park is celebrating its 20th birthday this weekend, meaning many Chicagoans remember it before it transformed into the 24.5-acre gem it is today.
The big picture: One who remembers is Ben Campney, a former city employee who photographed the construction.
Flashback: Before it was green space, a pavilion, a fountain and home of "The Bean," it was a big parking lot and old railyard.
Catch up fast: Millennium Park opened July 17, 2004. Construction started in 1998 and includes designs by major artists and architects. Frank Gehry designed the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and BP Bridge; Anish Kapoor created Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) and Jaume Plensa designed Crown Fountain.
- With the parking garages below, Millennium Park became the largest green roof in the world.
- It was the dream project, and a crowning achievement, of Chicago's longest serving mayor, Richard M. Daley.
By the numbers: Building Millennium Park ended up costing $490 million, in a mix of public and private dollars.
- $270 million came from city parking revenue bonds and tax dollars.
- $220 million was from donors, foundations and corporations.
Zoom in: Campney worked in Chicago's Public Buildings Commission (PBC) and was sent to the construction site twice a month to document progress to show the mayor.
- "He loved Millennium Park," Campney tells Axios.
- The only thing that's noticeably aged is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Campney tells Axios after his recent visit to the park.
- The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and private contractors Harston/Schwendener started construction in 1998. Walsh Construction took over as general contractors, and PBC replaced CDOT in 2001.
Campney's favorite photo is the one above — his first selfie at The Bean.
- "After a while, they tented it because they didn't want anyone to see it until it was done," he says.
The intrigue: "What we [PBC] do is we build something, we cut the ribbon, and we move on to the next project. We're done with it, right? So in the case of Millennium, I needed server space. All the pictures were copied to CDs and tossed in a can on my desk, and I forgot about them for 20 years."
- Campney tells Axios he forgot until he saw our last story about The Bean and he dug up his old photos.
Go deeper: Check out more of Campney's photos of building Millennium Park.