Latest news with #PreservationChicago
CBS News
10 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Compromise plan to landmark St. Adalbert Church advances, but some advocates aren't happy
The plan to grant landmark status to a historic Pilsen church moved forward on Tuesday, but some of the people fighting to protect the long-shuttered St. Adalbert Catholic Church said they feel slighted. The City Council Zoning Committee on Tuesday approved a compromise plan that would landmark only the main church building, not the rectory, school, and convent buildings as originally planned. "It's bittersweet. It's of course about the church. We need to protect the church. It all revolves around the church, but just landmarking the church is a very shortsighted plan," said Julie Sawicki, president of the Society of St. Adalbert, a group fighting for the church to reopen. The vote, if given final approval by the full City Council, would mean only St. Adalbert's century-old cathedral, built by Polish immigrants, would be granted landmark status. The rectory, school, and convent buildings would not be protected. Preservation Chicago, which has listed St. Adalbert among the city's most endangered historic buildings for years, backed the compromise landmark plan, but Sawicki said her group still wants the entire campus to be landmarked. "[Preservation Chicago] executive director Ward Miller said to me, 'Don't worry, Julie, 99.9% of the time, these buildings are landmarked,' and I said, 'We still have to plan for the .01 percent,' and sure enough that .01% is what's happening, or what happened today," she said. The Chicago Archdiocese closed the church in 2019, and has a potential buyer for the church - The People Church in Humboldt Park, which said, "We recognize that this is not just a building—it is a sacred space with a rich and profound history. Our hope is to honor that legacy by restoring it as a place of worship, community, and purpose, serving both Chicago and the Pilsen neighborhood." Sawicki and her supporters would like to keep the church as a shine to St. Adalbert, with a 40-room bed-and-breakfast-style facility for potential tourists visiting Chicago for Pope Leo XIV tours. "We ought to be preparing for Catholic tourism, and this is one way, by allowing our plan to move forward," she said. The full City Council is expected to vote on the compromise landmark plan on Wednesday. Sawicki said her group can still try to get landmark status for the three additional structures at a later date. The Chicago Archdiocese has fought against landmarking in the past, but did not immediately respond to a request for comment on if it supports the compromise the Zoning Committee approved on Tuesday.
Chicago Tribune
13 hours ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Landmarking advances for Pilsen's St. Adalbert Catholic Church, Polish advocates left frustrated
A late compromise helped landmark status for Pilsen's St. Adalbert Catholic Church finally move ahead Tuesday, a decisive step in a fierce preservation battle. The City Council's Zoning Committee unanimously approved a plan to give the shuttered church a landmark designation, teeing up a final vote Wednesday. But the Polish parishioners who long sought the preservation status left City Hall infuriated by what they described as a last-second 'backroom deal' that sets up the sale of the Archdiocese of Chicago land to a nondenominational church. 'It's what our ancestors sacrificed for. We're talking about poor farmers,' said Julie Sawicki, president of the Society of St. Adalbert group fighting for the church to reopen as a Catholic sacred space. 'You think that they did all that so that one day this could be just treated like a real estate broker, like bargaining chips? No, this was intended for perpetuity.' Previous landmarking proposals included each building on the 2-acre plot, highlighted by the Renaissance Revival church. On Tuesday, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, presented a substitute plan that only granted the church building the landmark status, but left out the former rectory, convent and school. That narrowed preservation plan came with the support of Preservation Chicago, a leading local preservation advocate. It also won approval from the Archdiocese, which closed St. Adalbert's in 2019 and has since fought the landmarking push. The Archdiocese has argued it must sell the St. Adalbert complex to avoid costly upkeep costs and fund the active St. Paul Parish nearby, a transaction potentially harmed by landmarking. Aldermen also had to deal with a deadline: If they did not vote on the Commission on Chicago Landmarks' preservation recommendation this month, the entire complex would have been automatically landmarked. Archdiocesan leaders feared that sweeping designation would prevent a planned sale of the property to People Church, a nondenominational Christian ministry that currently holds services at Roberto Clemente Community Academy. 'We have worked transparently with all stakeholders throughout this process and are grateful to those in city leadership who support limited landmarking,' the Archdiocese wrote in a statement before the vote. The towering church building — currently covered in scaffolding the Archdiocese says is needed to prevent ongoing decay — is the 'crown jewel' of the property, Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller said after the vote. The new status will preserve the exterior of the building, but allow for changes to be made for its new owners inside and on other parts of the property, he said. 'We're very pleased that we came to a compromise here. The most important of the buildings has been landmarked,' Miller said. Sigcho-Lopez defended the more-tailored designation as a 'win for the community' that came after public meetings and open conversations. He previously pushed for the broader landmark designation last year, but lost when his Zoning Committee colleagues decided to delay consideration in a 10-to-4 September vote. 'We did justice to what we heard from the community, a landmark designation that protects the use of the building,' Sigcho-Lopez said. 'That is a fair compromise.' Sigcho-Lopez said he has not yet heard how People Church plans to develop the land, and People Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. The alderman acknowledged the frustration of the dogged former parishioners who want St. Adalbert's to reopen as a Catholic church. 'I don't have jurisdiction over that,' he said. But many of the Polish former St. Adalbert's parishioners pinned blame on the Pilsen alderman for failing to preserve the entire church complex. After the vote, Sawicki criticized Sigcho-Lopez for not effectively working with other aldermen and said advocates backing the full-property preservation were not made aware of the compromise. 'This was not done with community input,' she said. The Society of St. Adalbert group has long fought for St. Adalbert's to reopen as a Catholic sacred space funded by the use of the church complex's many buildings, including as a potential retreat center. In their bid to save the church, activists have attended raucous and insult-ridden City Hall hearings, stormed into other parishes in protest and even, in the case of one 73-year-old woman, been arrested for trespassing while opposing the removal of stained glass windows and art. The fight continued Tuesday, when dozens again donned the red and white of the Polish flag and filled the seats inside City Council chambers. Sawicki criticized the Archdiocese for deciding to sell instead of using St. Adalbert's to grow its Catholic ranks. The church complex could still be used to respond to a coming wave of Catholic tourism tied to the May election of Pope Leo XVI, of Dolton, she said. 'It's ridiculous, it's short-sighted, it's misguided,' Sawicki said. 'They are dumping millions of dollars into shutting churches, merging them. Why don't you use that brain power and money instead to figure out ways of bringing people back.' The group supports landmarking moving forward tomorrow because the church building will otherwise not be protected, but it now plans to push separately for the landmarking of the other buildings, Sawicki said.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daywatch: Takeaways from President Donald Trump's address to Congress
Good morning, Chicago. President Donald Trump took a defiant victory lap in the House chamber on Tuesday night, using his address to a joint session of Congress to promote the flurry of drastic changes to domestic and foreign policy that his administration has made in just the first six weeks. Delivering the longest address to Congress in modern presidential history, Trump reprised many of the themes that animated his campaign for president and spent little time unveiling new policies, as presidents traditionally have done on these occasions. He spoke for roughly one hour and 40 minutes. 'We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in four years or eight years — and we are just getting started,' he said. Democrats lodged protests throughout the evening, with one member getting kicked out and others holding signs in silent opposition. But Trump argued that it was the Democrats who left him a country besieged by crises and that his administration was working to clean them up. Here are six takeaways from Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress in his second term. And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Mayor Brandon Johnson and Democratic leaders from three other major U.S. cities are set to testify this morning before a Republican-led congressional committee holding a hearing on sanctuary policies for immigrants, setting the stage for a day that will be heavy on political theater and rhetoric about one of the nation's most divisive issues. The appearance by the first-term Chicago mayor before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of its much-hyped hearing beginning at 9 a.m. Chicago time will give Johnson a national audience to defend the city's sanctuary city policies that block local police from assisting in immigration enforcement. Watch live: Mayor Brandon Johnson to testify on sanctuary city policies for immigrants Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called American tariffs 'very dumb' and said that U.S. President Donald Trump is appeasing Russia while launching a trade war against Canada. In a blunt news conference during his final days in office, Trudeau said that Canada would plaster retaliatory tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods in response to Trump's 25% tariffs. Wall Street falls again as losses wipe out all post-election gains for the S&P 500 For the first time in the 22-year history of Preservation Chicago's annual ranking of the city's seven most endangered buildings, a former McDonald's restaurant has cracked the list — sort of. No, it's not a classic golden arches burger joint, but rather a shuttered first-floor McDonald's restaurant that may be threatening plans to renovate and repurpose a 150-year-old Loop office building, which tops the endangered list for 2025. See Preservation Chicago's full 'Most Endangered' list of historic buildings, districts and objects at risk Chicago was founded by fur traders. Now, it might soon kick them out. An ordinance banning the sale of new fur products advanced in the City Council yesterday, setting up a final vote as soon as next week. An Evanston man who was exonerated last year after spending 24 years in prison for a 1996 murder is suing Evanston police, saying they coerced him into falsely confessing, as well as others, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday. A group of parents, students and CTU organizers put forward a message about what is at stake for children and educators with their five identified 'sticking points' they say Chicago Public Schools must satisfy to settle on a new, four-year contract. Attorneys seeking approval of the $2.8 billion legal settlement for college sports pointed to nearly 102,000 athletes who signed up to receive damages from the action, while batting down objections to what they described as the 'intergalactic paradigm shift' the settlement will create across the NCAA. Coming off a modern-day record 121-loss season, any and all ideas to generate fan interest in the Chicago White Sox are welcome, writes Paul Sullivan. Well, almost any. Essays and early short stories by 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author Harper Lee will be published this fall. 'The Land of Sweet Forever' compiles short fiction Lee wrote in the years before the 1960 release of her classic novel and includes essays completed between 1961 and 2006. Court Theatre in Hyde Park has announced its next season, including a Shakespeare play, August Strindberg's 'Miss Julie,' more direction by Ron OJ Parson and a world premiere musical. The theater's 2025-26 subscription season, its 71st, features four titles in all and will be led by executive director Angel Ysaguirre and artistic producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent, who has been serving as interim artistic director since the departure of Charles Newell last summer and is the director of the theater's current hit production of 'A Raisin in the Sun.' Hundreds of readers nominated their favorite coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants and more. We loved poring over the submissions and reading the excited comments supporting your favorite places. We selected five finalists in each of the 10 categories to move onto the final round, which saw more than 2,500 readers cast more than 7,600 votes. Here are the 10 winning restaurants, bars and more.
Chicago Tribune
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: Takeaways from President Donald Trump's address to Congress
Good morning, Chicago. President Donald Trump took a defiant victory lap in the House chamber on Tuesday night, using his address to a joint session of Congress to promote the flurry of drastic changes to domestic and foreign policy that his administration has made in just the first six weeks. Delivering the longest address to Congress in modern presidential history, Trump reprised many of the themes that animated his campaign for president and spent little time unveiling new policies, as presidents traditionally have done on these occasions. He spoke for roughly one hour and 40 minutes. 'We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in four years or eight years — and we are just getting started,' he said. Democrats lodged protests throughout the evening, with one member getting kicked out and others holding signs in silent opposition. But Trump argued that it was the Democrats who left him a country besieged by crises and that his administration was working to clean them up. Here are six takeaways from Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress in his second term. And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day. Mayor Brandon Johnson set to defend sanctuary laws during testimony today before GOP-led congressional committee Mayor Brandon Johnson and Democratic leaders from three other major U.S. cities are set to testify this morning before a Republican-led congressional committee holding a hearing on sanctuary policies for immigrants, setting the stage for a day that will be heavy on political theater and rhetoric about one of the nation's most divisive issues. The appearance by the first-term Chicago mayor before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of its much-hyped hearing beginning at 9 a.m. Chicago time will give Johnson a national audience to defend the city's sanctuary city policies that block local police from assisting in immigration enforcement. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau slams Trump's tariffs, says US is appeasing Putin while launching a trade war against Canada Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called American tariffs 'very dumb' and said that U.S. President Donald Trump is appeasing Russia while launching a trade war against Canada. In a blunt news conference during his final days in office, Trudeau said that Canada would plaster retaliatory tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods in response to Trump's 25% tariffs. Wall Street falls again as losses wipe out all post-election gains for the S&P 500 Once anchored by a McDonald's, 150-year-old Delaware Building tops Preservation Chicago's most endangered list For the first time in the 22-year history of Preservation Chicago's annual ranking of the city's seven most endangered buildings, a former McDonald's restaurant has cracked the list — sort of. No, it's not a classic golden arches burger joint, but rather a shuttered first-floor McDonald's restaurant that may be threatening plans to renovate and repurpose a 150-year-old Loop office building, which tops the endangered list for 2025. Chicago fur ban advances in City Council, furriers warn it would end their businesses Chicago was founded by fur traders. Now, it might soon kick them out. An ordinance banning the sale of new fur products advanced in the City Council yesterday, setting up a final vote as soon as next week. Exonerated after 24 years in prison, man sues Evanston police, saying they coerced confession An Evanston man who was exonerated last year after spending 24 years in prison for a 1996 murder is suing Evanston police, saying they coerced him into falsely confessing, as well as others, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday. Teachers union to petition school board over 5 'sticking points' in contract negotiations A group of parents, students and CTU organizers put forward a message about what is at stake for children and educators with their five identified 'sticking points' they say Chicago Public Schools must satisfy to settle on a new, four-year contract. Attorneys in college sports lawsuit point to 'intergalactic paradigm shift' for NCAA Attorneys seeking approval of the $2.8 billion legal settlement for college sports pointed to nearly 102,000 athletes who signed up to receive damages from the action, while batting down objections to what they described as the 'intergalactic paradigm shift' the settlement will create across the NCAA. Column: Other than a Flo Rida concert, how can the Chicago White Sox convince fans to come to the ballpark? Coming off a modern-day record 121-loss season, any and all ideas to generate fan interest in the Chicago White Sox are welcome, writes Paul Sullivan. Well, almost any. Short fiction, essays by 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author Harper Lee to be published in October Essays and early short stories by 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author Harper Lee will be published this fall. 'The Land of Sweet Forever' compiles short fiction Lee wrote in the years before the 1960 release of her classic novel and includes essays completed between 1961 and 2006. Court Theatre's 2025-26 season: 'Miss Julie,' an inside-out 'Shrew' and a world-premiere musical Court Theatre in Hyde Park has announced its next season, including a Shakespeare play, August Strindberg's 'Miss Julie,' more direction by Ron OJ Parson and a world premiere musical. The theater's 2025-26 subscription season, its 71st, features four titles in all and will be led by executive director Angel Ysaguirre and artistic producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent, who has been serving as interim artistic director since the departure of Charles Newell last summer and is the director of the theater's current hit production of 'A Raisin in the Sun.' Hundreds of readers nominated their favorite coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants and more. We loved poring over the submissions and reading the excited comments supporting your favorite places. We selected five finalists in each of the 10 categories to move onto the final round, which saw more than 2,500 readers cast more than 7,600 votes. Here are the 10 winning restaurants, bars and more.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Here are Chicago's 7 ‘most endangered' buildings of 2025
CHICAGO - Preservation Chicago released its list of the city's seven most endangered buildings. The advocacy group said the historic buildings are under imminent threat and hopes to mobilize support to save them. Preservation Chicago described them as "architecturally and culturally significant structures and spaces that give our city its character. What we know Here are the seven structures that Preservation Chicago says are the most endangered: Location: 36 West Randolph Street Built in the 1870s after the Great Chicago Fire, the Delaware Building is one of the few remaining buildings from the Loop's early reconstruction era. It was listed on the National Register in 1974 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1983. Location: Burham and Roote in Jackson Park at 1766 Columbia Drive Originally known as the Columbia Drive Bridge, it has provided passage over Jackson Park's lagoon for nearly 150 years. It's one of the few surviving architectural elements of the original Jackson Park and is a rare remaining feature of the World's Columbian Exposition. Location: 42 North Central Avenue It's the only single-family house designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright on the city's West Side. It was listed as a city landmark in 1981 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. Location: 2101 South King Drive It's the oldest surviving African American baptist church building and second-oldest African American church congregation in the city. During the 1919 Chicago Race Riot, the church fought to maintain peace and later serve as a community center during the 1920s as the Great Migration brought an influx of American Americans from the South. Location: 2000 West Pershing Road The tall, slender 11-story red-brick masonry and terracotta clad structure is the tallest in the Central Manufacturing District development. It functioned as a water tower for the first planned industrial district in the nation. Location: 4200 to 4500 South Western Boulevard The eight historic industrial buildings in the Back of the Yards neighborhood exemplify several architectural styles of the period. The buildings form the western boundary of the neighborhood, a historically industrial and working class area associated with the former Union Stock Yards. Location: 5848 South Princeton Avenue Built in 1895 for Chicago's growing German Roman Catholic community in the Englewood community, it's a historical artifact for the Gothic Revival movement in the U.S. St. Martin's shuttered in 2017 and the building has suffered considerable deterioration due to vacancy and neglect. For more information on the buildings and their history, visit
