The ladies in the fur coats, the limousines carting the big shots, arrived at about the same time as Ben. Ben, a sculpted horse, arrived in a flatbed truck.
All told, it took about $400,000–$325,000 of it from private contributions–to rebuild Seneca. The project’s chief overseer was Marc Schulman, president of the multimillion- dollar company Eli’s Chicago’s Finest Cheesecake. It was Schulman’s dream to have the park rebuilt and its play lot named for his father, restaurateur Eli Schulman. Among those who helped were Oprah Winfrey, Bobby Short, and Mayor Daley. It’s unlikely that these folks (or their friends) have the time, the energy, or the inclination, however, to help rebuild all the parks and play lots in the less fashionable sections of Chicago.
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“Maybe we can’t match the scale of this park in every community, but other neighborhoods can rebuild their parks,” says Schulman. “Other neighborhoods have already done this. It takes a lot of effort and leadership from within the community. We’d be glad to help anyone with advice.”
Schulman decided to rebuild the park, located across the street from Eli’s the Place for Steak, as a lasting tribute to his father. Two years ago it was little more than a litter-filled lot enclosed by an ugly cyclone fence. The swings were rusty; there was little grass or any other greenery. Hardly anyone used it, even on nice days–except Eli Schulman.
“We didn’t have to do much of a sales job–as soon as we told people that we planned to fix up the park, they were delighted to help,” says Schulman. “They saw the advantages right away. The hotels saw it as an amenity for their guests. The parents who live in the high rises saw it as a place where they could take their kids. The idea just took off.”
“Governor Thompson was supposed to come, but at the last minute he couldn’t make it,” says Schulman. “He was very disappointed. Oprah lives in Water Tower and is a big supporter, but she couldn’t make it either. She sent a $5,000 contribution.
On February 27, about 50 people–including four policemen on horseback–gathered in Seneca Park to watch Ben’s installation. The sculpture is made of pieces of timber that are cast in bronze.
