These are the seven most endangered buildings in Chicago, advocacy group says
A Chicago advocacy group dedicated to preserving historic buildings in the city has created a list of what it deems to be Chicago’s seven most endangered structures.
The list, released today by Preservation Chicago, includes buildings in Bronzeville, Back of the Yards, Austin, McKinley Park, Englewood, the Loop and Hyde Park.
The Olivet Baptist Church located in Bronzeville, the second oldest African American church congregation in the city of Chicago, made the list. The gothic revival style building was purchased by the Olivet Baptist Church in 1918, according to Preservation Chicago.
The group recently recommended formally pursuing city of Chicago landmark status for the building at a public meeting of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks as a first step toward rehabilitation.
Preservation Chicago also named the Western Boulevard Industrial Buildings, located in Back of the Yards, endangered. The eight historic industrial buildings served as factories and warehouses designed by various architects.
The group encourages existing owners of occupied industrial buildings in the area to promote use of these buildings to have them occupied again.
J.J. Walser House located in Austin also made the list. As the only single-family house designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the prairie school structure is significant to the city.
Preservation Chicago is working to expedite the foreclosure process so necessary repairs can be made.
McKinley Park’s Central Manufacturing District Clock Tower is also listed. The terracotta clad structure was also listed as endangered in past years. The group recommends a qualified rehabilitative or adaptive reuse project to maintain the structure.
St. Martin’s Church in Englewood is the second church on the list.
Originally built in 1886 for the German Catholic community in Englewood, the church has served as a beloved landmark for years. Preservation Chicago says the church meets the criteria for local landmark designation, which would help ease the path to rehabilitation.
The Delaware Building, one of the few remaining buildings from the Loop’s period of reconstruction following the Great Chicago Fire, also has a spot on the list.
The Italianate style building is believed to be one of the oldest commercial buildings in the Loop, according to Preservation Chicago. As an official Chicago landmark, the building is protected against demolition.
Still, the group says both the upper and lower floor spaces can be utilized in several ways to help with economic recovery in the area.
The final structure listed is the Clarence Darrow Memorial Bridge in Hyde Park. The naturalistic style bridge, built in 1880, lies over the Jackson Park lagoon. According to Preservation Chicago, the bridge has been closed to pedestrians since 2013 and needs repair.
The group recommends rehabilitation to avoid demolition or removal, but says if certain elements must be replaced, surviving historic elements should be retained.
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