From the Editor

In my imagination it went something like this.

It's 1948: Architect Eero Saarinen walks into the biggest meeting of his life. He's one of the finalists in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Competition and in the room are the top officials from the National Park Service, senators and congressmen from Missouri and Aloys P. Kaufmann, the mayor of St. Louis.

"We've been looking over your design, " says the most uptight and important looking man in the room. "And we 're wondering some things: If I'm reading this right, there's no hall of statues? No concession stand? No office space?"

Saarinen takes a breath. "No, it's not designed for any purpose like that. See, it's a 63-story arch, 54 feet wide at the bottom that tapers to 17 feet at the top...."

Then, amazingly, by the end of the meeting, heads are nodding and the majority agree to build a structure that affords — on a rare clear day — 160 people at a time a 10-mile view in two directions. Work begins on February 12, 1965 and is completed on October 28, 1965. When the building is open to the public in 1967, it takes a four-minute ride in a cramped tram to reach the observation deck. There are no restrooms at the top. Total cost of the project: $13 million.

The meeting that resulted in the St. Louis Arch couldn't have gone exactly like that, I know. But every time I see a public structure, I think about how somewhere, sometime a group of people sat in a board meeting and maybe had to put their political careers on the line to vote to actually make the facility happen.

Safe to say, Cary Park District Director Steve Cherveny had no idea what he was getting into in December when he sent me a short note about the park district's acquisition of the Foxford Hills Golf Club. Of course I called, because here, finally, was my chance to find out how it came to be that a public board took the collective gulp and decided to spend $4.5 million on a single asset.

My discussions with Steve and with Cary Park Board President Mike Renner resulted in this issue's Web Extra (see page 39 for details). Steve and Mike shared with me much of the analysis and planning that went into the preparation of that January 15 meeting when the board gave the final go ahead.

Illinois Parks & Recreation is pleased to be able to share the Cary Park Board's insights with you. The preparation and thoughtfulness that went into this decision are probably not extraordinary, given the amount of dollars at stake. But Steve and Mike's willingness to share the process with their fellow professionals and commissioners is exemplary. What's more, the Cary Park District's analyses and working papers that comprise this issue's web extra are a concrete testament to how park professionals and commissioners across our state are not only forward thinkers, but also careful stewards of public money.

RODD WHELPLEY
Editor

4 | Illinois Parks and Recreation