Preservation Group Names 7 Most Endangered Sites In The City
By Lisa White in News on Mar 1, 2017 9:50PM
Preservation Chicago announced Wednesday their annual list of the seven most endangered sites in the city, with this year's roster including a high profile park and numerous works of public art.
The advocacy group cited examples of privatization and lack of input from the public, threat of demolition or sale and other factors for the reason they chose their 2017 picks.
1. Jackson Park & South Shore Cultural Center Park
A lack of input from the public on such projects as the recently announced $30 million golf complex and Yoko Ono's Sky Landing, along with concerns regarding the construction of Barack Obama's Presidential Library, is why these Fredrick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux-designed parks made the list.
The group suggest that moving forward there should be an "open dialogue with the Chicago Park District," so that any construction or changes will be done with attention to existing features of the park. The group also hopes that some of the money being invested into the park will go towards maintenance and rehabilitation of some of the parks' existing structures.
2. Chicago's 20th Century Public Sculptures
Citing the possible sales of property where existing public art is displayed, previous pieces of public art being auctioned off and the lack of a thematic protection for Chicago's 20th century works of art Downtown as why these thought-provoking pieces made the list.
Preservation Chicago fears the likely sale of the Thompson Center will leave Jean Dubuffet's Monument with Standing Beast's future unknown, while pointing out that recently announced renovations to Willis Tower do not include the display of Alexander Calder's The Universe. Meanwhile, Henry Moore's Large Internal-External Upright Form, which was on display in the lobby of the Three First National Building for decades, was sold in 2016.
With Mayor Rahm Emanuel naming 2017 the year of Public Art, the group hopes it will also be the year the city considers a thematic Chicago Landmark Designation to protect these pieces of work.
3. Chicago Water Cribs
Six water cribs remain standing in Lake Michigan, with only two in active use and plans to demolish a pair of older cribs in the works, put these circular structures you can see from the banks of Lake Michigan in danger.
The cribs, originally constructed to help deliver clean water to the city, have an important place in Chicago's engineering history and the group suggest multiple options to reuse the facilities, from a restaurant or museum accessible by boat to a bird sanctuary. No matter what, these offshore spots have incredible views of the city that preservationists would like to keep for future generations to enjoy.
4. Altgeld Gardens
The 1940s Naess and Murphy-designed public housing complex on the Far South Side, originally designed to house African-American servicemen and their families after they returned from World War II, was where a young Barack Obama once spent time during the early part of his career doing community outreach.
Although multiple groups including Preservation Chicago and the Chicago Housing Authority have worked to preserve the site, some of the structures have suffered from demolition and some of the earliest buildings in Altgeld Gardens are slated to be destroyed as well.
The group hopes that instead a third-party organization can renovate and return Altgeld Gardens to active use for affordable and low-income housing, and hope that the site can be considered for the National Register of Historic Places given the connection to President Obama.
5. Chicago Union Station Power House
The towering Art Moderne building and smokestacks you see passing over the Roosevelt Road Bridge have been out of services since 2011, but played an important part in the city's railroad history. The structure once generated power for trains and buildings, and Preservation Chicago hopes that another service utility, such as nearby ComEd, can find a way to repurpose the building.
Current owners, Amtrak, are conducting federally mandated hearings to decide if the structure is eligible for the National Register Of Historic Places, but the process does not rule out future demolition.
6. Cornell Store & Flats
A prime example of the Prairie Style of architecture is endangered as it sits nestled on the South Side. Designed by Walter Burley Griffin, it was named one of the top 25 most significant buildings of any kind in Chicago by a former city cultural historian. After the passing of the buildings long-time owner, the Cornell Store & Flats future has remained in flux.
After years of neglect leaving the building in deteriorating condition in a neighborhood plagued by a lack of economic investment, the group hopes that a new owner could preserve the site and establish it as a landmark within its Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.
7. Madison-Pulaski Commercial District
Once a hub of shopping for the West Side in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this business district has fallen into disrepair and currently includes a variety of abandoned or underutilized structures that could face demolition due to neglect.
Demolition of another shopping hub located at 63rd and Halsted is almost complete, leaving the Madison-Pulaski area as one of the remaining examples of this style of business district. The group urges the city to create a plan to reinvest in the area so these buildings can acquire new tenants and be of benefit to the surrounding community once again.