Riot Fest says Douglass Park restoration is underway, will cost $400K-$600K

Riot Fest organizers said they have started the restoration of Douglass Park after rain caused significant damage during the three-day music festival. They expect it will cost between $400,000 and $600,000, including preventative measures.

Festivalgoers on Sunday dealt with a park that increasingly looked like a mud pit as they trekked from stage to stage and steady rain refused to let up.

In the aftermath, there were deep, muddy gouges in the grass along the most-traversed routes between the five stages.

Wednesday, Riot Fest organizers said they, their restoration team and Chicago Park District Officials met to review the progress they've made on restoration since festival load-out was completed on Sept. 29. Restoration work began during the load-out process, but that part of the park officially reopened to the public on the same day load-out was completed.

Organizers said since their restoration work began, crews have removed about 90% of the landscape fabric and mulch they had laid down as preventative ground protection and about 75% of the mud and disturbed soil has been removed and take off site.

The rutted areas are being regraded and releveled to prepare for new topsoil, and Riot Fest has secured up to five acres of sod. Sod installation is scheduled to start Friday.

Crews are working six days a week on sod installation, new topsoil installation, aeration, seeding and other turf restoration, organizers said. The work is expected to be completed before in four to six weeks, before Thanksgiving, if weather and ground conditions permit.

Recreational amenities in the park including tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds, the synthetic soccer and football field and other football and track facilities were not impacted, Riot Fest said.

Organizers also said they're working with the Park District and Ald. Monique Scott to identify drainage and grading conditions within the park and consider potential longer-term improvements.

Organizers said they will continue to provide updates on the restoration until work is completed.