Chicago River Blue
Blue Ribbon Awards
2012 Call for Entries!
Friends is now accepting applications for the 2012 Blue Ribbon Awards! To apply it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1. Fill out the Intent to Register Form and submit asap.
2. Then submit the General Requirements and Narrative Questions Form with your3. Submission Form before the deadline on March 8, 2012.
Contact Kim Rice at (312) 939-0490, ext. 15 with questions.
Overview
Friends of the Chicago River launched the Blue Ribbon Awards to honor and acknowledge the work of developers, designers, municipalities, and others for their creative approach to river sensitive design and implementation and whose work exemplifies the river ideal as described by the objectives in People, Water and Wildlife: Blue Principles for River Design.
NEW in 2012
The health of the Chicago River relies on smart and sustainable practices along its banks, as well as through out the watershed. In recognition of the great works done by municipalities and developers throughout the region, including along the river corridor, Friends is expanding its Chicago River Blue, Blue Ribbon Awards to include excellent projects that fall any where within the boundaries of the Chicago River watershed.
What constitutes the Chicago River watershed?
Friends recognizes all communities through which the following river sections and their tributaries flow:
Any sections of the Chicago River including the North Branch, the Upper North Branch, the Skokie River (or East Fork), the Middle Fork, the West Fork, the North Shore Channel, the South Branch, Bubbly Creek, areas south of the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal to Lemont, Illinois, and their streams and tributaries.
Any sections of the Calumet River system including the Little Calumet River, Grand Calumet River, Cal-Sag Channel, Lake Calumet, and their streams and tributaries.
Some communities are split between two watersheds (the Chicago River watershed and the Des Plaines River watershed, for example). Any questions regarding a projects location within the watershed can be sent to Kim Rice for clarification.
Project Types
The Blue Ribbon Awards are open to projects of all types including but not exclusive to public or private open space, institutional, commercial, industrial, single-family residential or multi-family residential developments. The projects may be new developments or major renovations of existing developments and of any scale. Planning projects are also considered as described in the submission materials.
Blue Ribbon Awards
The awards are divided into three (3) levels based on the success of the design.
1. Blue Ribbon - Representing the rare project that exemplifies the highest standard of water sensitive design on a comprehensive level, throughout the entire project site. Projects that have successfully implemented innovative design techniques in order to meet and exceed the principles set forth in People, Water and Wildlife: Blue Principles for River Design, thereby advancing the standard by which all other river projects are judged. Only one Blue Ribbon is awarded annually.
2. Silver Ribbon - Awarded to a project that has exhibited an exceptional level of design excellence in sustainability on multiple levels. One to two Silver Ribbons are awarded annually.
3. Green Ribbon - For projects that have demonstrated a high level of river sensitive design on a levels but have excelled at least one of the Blue Principles. One to four Green Ribbons are awarded annually.
The Jury
An independent jury comprised of recognized professionals and environmentalists who have excelled in the areas rewarded choose the winners. The jury process is blind, which means that the entrants’ identities are not revealed to the jury and therefore will not influence the decision making process. The 2011 jury included Jay Womack, WRD Environmental; Robyn Flakne, Village of Glenview; Michael Stirk, JJR; and Sean Weidel, City of Chicago. Many thanks to you all.
Past Winners
Congratulations to the 2011 Blue Ribbon Awards winners! The winning projects were announced at the Big Fish Ball on June 9 to a crowd of nearly 400 guests. The competition was tight and all of the submitted projects exemplified smart water design in a plethora of ways. Our jury left the process invigorated by all of the great work being done across the region.
The 2011 award winners are
Blue Ribbon
Lake Riverdale Sustainable Master Plan, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association
Silver Ribbon
Riverbank Restoration, Riverbank Neighbors
Green Ribbon
Loyola Academy Munz Campus, Loyola Academy
Green Ribbon
Harms Woods Wetland and Stream Restoration Project, Friends of the Forest Preserves
Green Ribbon
Ping Tom Park: North River Edge Development, Chicago Park District
The inaugural winners in 2010
Blue Ribbon
Richard M. Daley, Mayor, City of Chicago
Silver Ribbon
West Fork Corridor Habitat Project, Village of Glenview
Silver Ribbon
Whole Foods Market Lincoln Park, Wolff Landscape Architecture
Green Ribbon
Fay’s Point, Fay’s Point LLC and OKW Architects
Green Ribbon
Chicago Main Branch Riverwalk, Ross Barney Architects
Green Ribbon
Chicago Riverwalk Main Branch Framework Plan, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Join Friends in recognizing sustainable excellence by becoming a Chicago River Blue Leadership supporter!
For more information contact:
Kim Rice, Policy and Planning Coordinator
Friends of the Chicago River
28 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1800
Chicago, IL 60604-2272
(312) 939-0490, ext. 15
krice@chicagoriver.org
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