Riot Fest departure from Chicago's Douglass Park sparks more debate over costs and gains for community

Ald. Monique Scott, whose 24th Ward includes the park, blamed the Park District for the festival leaving. Riot Fest’s rent increased from around $300,000 to $700,000 last year, she said. The Park District did not meet with organizers when they asked to discuss the cost, she added.

Meanwhile, despite getting initial approval from Park District administrators, the district’s board had yet to approve the festival’s permit, putting into question whether the festival would even be able to use the park, Scott said. The uncertainty made it hard to move forward.

“The Park District was asking for a fee, but not giving them the full guarantee that they would be approved by the board,” Scott said. “When you have 50,000 people a day, you have to book acts.”

Scott worked at the district as the Ellis Park supervisor before taking office. Her late father, Michael Scott Sr., was president of the Park District board under former Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Similar pressure led the Summer Smash music festival to move out of Douglass Park to Bridgeview last year, Scott said. With the latest departure, the park will lose its modest 10% slice of the festival’s $700,000 permit, which previously had helped repave a track and solve flooding issues at a pond, Scott said.

The West Side neighborhood will also lose jobs and a rare influx of hordes of people.

“We don’t get a lot of traffic in that community,” Scott said. “That is the one time that our community can say there are 50,000 people in one day, so they have to eat and go someplace.”

Organizers made changes in recent years to reduce noise and keep more of the park open during the festival, she added.

“Where resources have been low, they have actually been very helpful,” Scott said. “The Park has to do better with how they process these permits.”

Resident Florina Florea didn’t quite say good riddance — but she was glad to see Riot Fest leave Douglass Park.

“I was never against Riot Fest, but this was not a suitable location,” said Florea, who can see the park from her window. “This is about the Chicago Park District abusing their power. They’re so desperate for money to privatize these public spaces. It should be a community space for the people.”