Eleanor boat house will be a rowing training and boat storage facility that will consist of two buildings

South Side boathouse is fourth of its kind in city

Ground was broken last week on Eleanor boat house, the fourth boathouse to be built in the city under the Mayor’s tenure.

Present at the ceremony were Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Alderman Patrick Daley Thompson, Alderman Danny Solis and Chicago Park District General Superintendent Michael P. Kelly.

“We’ve made great progress in investing in the Chicago River to make it the city’s next great recreational frontier, but this goal will only be achieved when residents from every part of the city have access to recreational opportunities on the river,” said Emanuel. “When completed, Eleanor boat house will be a tremendous community resource, becoming the first boathouse ever to be located in the south side of Chicago.”

Eleanor boat house will be a rowing training and boat storage facility that will consist of two buildings. The first building, totaling 5,832 square feet, will be a mechanically heated training facility that will include a workout space featuring a multi-purpose community room, main office, restrooms and open concept work out space featuring 57 erg machines, which simulate the action of rowing and simulate work output.

The second building, totaling 13,171 square feet, will be a boat-storage building that will include a rowing office, four team storage bays, a heated boat storage repair bay, vending area and a clear span boat storage space.

The boat storage space will consist of five boat storage bays able to store 66 rowing shells and support equipment. Site improvements will also be a part of the project, including a floating boat launch dock in the Chicago River, walkways, new lighting, outdoor fitness equipment, landscaping and eight parking spaces.

?“The Chicago Park District manages recreational opportunities along the lakefront, and we are excited to continue to make such opportunities available along the Chicago River with this fourth boathouse,” said Kelly.

The Park District will offer programming at the facility, which will also be open to the public. The area’s rowing community consists of five separate groups: Recovery on Water (ROW), which serves cancer patients and survivors; St. Ignatius College Prep’s rowing group; the intramural team at the University of Chicago; the Chicago Training Center (CTC), which provides rowing opportunities to underserved youth; and Lincoln Park Boat Club (LPBC), a private organization rowing out of multiple city locations.

Emanuel has set a goal of making the Chicago River the city’s next recreational frontier, with four new boathouses throughout the city serving as anchors of the river’s future development. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided nearly $1 million in grant funds to help clean up the river and spur job creation. The Bridgeport boathouse is the final of four boathouses to be built under the leadership of Mayor Emanuel. The boathouses at Clark Park, River Park and Ping Tom Park are already open and active.

The sites were chosen to line up with improvements the Chicago Department of Transportation is making to extend trails along the river, providing easier and more consistent river access for runners, bikers, and walkers. The boathouses will each contain a concession facility and will serve both as access points and attractions along the river.

For more information, visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or call (312) 742-PLAY.

— Ground broken on Eleanor boat house in Bridgeport —