CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT OFFERS HOME FOR 25 RED MAPLE TREES
DONATED TREES RELOCATED TO HUMBOLDT PARK THIS WEEK
Release Date: 11/07/07
The Chicago Park District is offering a new home for 25 red maple trees ( Acer rubrum ) that need to be relocated to make way for development at their current site located at Illinois Street and State Street, just south of the AMA building at 515 North State Street. The red maples’ former home is being developed into a mixed-use building with hotel and residential components.
Developers of the Illinois Avenue and State Street site, The John Buck Company and Royal Properties, did not want to destroy the 25 magnificent red maple trees and offered to donate the trees to the Chicago Park District. The large size of the trees, six to eight inches in trunk diameter and heights of 20 feet, posed potential relocation obstacles for the Park District.
“Although we were excited to be offered the opportunity to add such nice trees to our urban forest, we would not have been able to move the trees ourselves, due to their large size,” said Barbara Wood, Deputy Director of Natural Resources at the Chicago Park District. “The Chicago Park District is thankful that The John Buck Company and Royal Properties were willing to help with the relocation costs.”
The developers generously arranged for a nationally known tree transplanting company, Environmental Design, to dig and move the trees. Using a 109 inch tree spade, trees will be moved this week through Sunday, September 30 to various locations in HumboldtPark, a site that will welcome these new residents with open space.
“In addition to our commitment to green space and LEED/sustainable design, we felt it was only appropriate to find these trees a new home within the City,” said John A. Buck, Chairman and CEO of The John Buck Company. “We hope the new location in HumboldtPark will provide a healthy environment.”
This significant and extremely generous donation on behalf of The John Buck Company and Royal Properties helped preserve and protect these trees’ lives. The developers not only donated the trees, but also assumed the associated costs of the relocation, estimated at $50,000.
The Chicago Park District is actively involved in numerous environmentally friendly programs. The transplanting of healthy trees from a site that is being developed to a park that needs them, where they can grow, thrive and significantly contribute to the park experience is a great example of “truly green” recycling.
- Contact Phone: 312 742 7529