NORTHBROOK, Ill. – Moore Landscapes announced that it received a Merit Award for the North Lake Shore Drive Median Construction Project at the 35th Annual Environmental Improvement Awards Program sponsored by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET).
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“The Chicago Park District, working with the Mayor’s office, came to us to design and install landscaping for the last mile of the meridian on the north end of Lake Shore Drive,” said Audrey Thompson, senior project manager for maintenance and construction. “We were excited to be a part of this project and understood the importance of this landscape to the public and the City of Chicago. It’s gratifying when the industry, on a national level, recognizes our efforts to enhance and improve the environment, and awards us it’s commendation for promoting, protecting and preserving the heritage of beauty for all future generations.”
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT. The North Lake Shore Drive parkway extends eight miles between downtown Chicago and the North Shore. It affords view of Lake Michigan, the park and city skyline. The challenge for the company was to design a landscape with full irrigation that would provide color and texture throughout the year, as well as withstand the harsh winters of the lakefront.
Long sweeping curves of color were designed to break up the straight and narrow median. Masses of different perennials and shrubs were designed to weave among each other and around 88 newly planted oak trees and more than 140 ornamental trees.
Access by construction crews was limited by Department of Transportation regulations and curb-lane closures were required for safety involving a mile-long cone setup and takedown daily.
Bed preparation for the project included removal of more than 30 large tree stumps and the addition of more than 700 cubic yards of compost to ensure long-term health for the thousands of new plants.
ABOUT THE AWARD. PLANET’s Environmental Improvement Awards Program reflects the association’s commitment to creating and preserving the beauty of landscape. The program is designed to reward landscape contracting professionals who execute quality landscape projects. In sponsoring the awards program, PLANET also strives to increase public awareness of environmental improvement through quality landscaping and to encourage landscape contractors’ consistent use of quality materials and workmanship.
Judges for the 35th annual exterior Environmental Improvement Awards Program were Robert McDuffie, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.; Shirl McMayon, Chicago Park District, Chicago, Ill.; and John Peterson, Wheeler Landscaping, Chagrin Falls, Ohio.