The monthly Landmarks Illinois News Roundup keeps you in the loop on the latest preservation news stories from the month as well as Landmarks Illinois’ main advocacy efforts, projects and announcements. You can also receive these monthly news roundups directly in your inbox by signing up for our newsletters at the bottom of the page.
Preservation News Roundup: APRIL 2022
Landmarks Illinois announces the 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois
Landmarks Illinois announced the 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois at a virtual press conference on April 20. This year’s Most Endangered list is a targeted call to action for historic and culturally significant sites in Cook, Will and Winnebago Counties that face a serious risk of demolition and/or are suffering significant neglect due to lack of maintenance or insufficient funding for repair.
Visit our website to learn more about each of the Most Endangered sites listed below.
2022 MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES IN ILLINOIS
- CENTURY & CONSUMERS BUILDINGS
Chicago, Cook County - EUGENE S. PIKE HOUSE
Chicago, Cook County - WILL COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Joliet, Will County - ELKS LODGE NO. 64
Rockford, Winnebago County - GILLSON PARK
Wilmette, Cook County
Read more in the news:
Landmarks group lists ‘most endangered’ sites in Illinois
Chicago Sun-Times, April 20
Elks Lodge named endangered, historic place in Illinois
WIFR, April 20
Pair of State Street buildings among 5 most endangered sites in Illinois
Crain’s Chicago Business, April 20
Gillson Park Named Among ‘Most Endangered’ Sites In Illinois
Wilmette Patch, April 20
Is ‘Brutalist’ courthouse in Joliet worth saving? Preservationists think so
WBBM, April 20
Century And Consumers Buildings, Beverly’s Pike House Top List Of Most Endangered Historic Places In Illinois
Block Club Chicago, April 20
Daily Herald opinion: Preservation group’s narrowing ‘endangered list’ puts emphasis on historical value
Daily Herald, April 22
Landmarks: Will County’s Brutalist courthouse makes the short list of ‘Most Endangered’ structures
Daily Southtown, April 24
Preserving historic sites in Illinois
Illinois Public Media, April 27
2022 Awards nominations deadline: June 1
Landmarks Illinois is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards.
Winners of the 2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards will be selected from the following general categories:
- ADVOCACY
- LEADERSHIP
- PRESERVATION
- ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
In addition, one of the 2022 selected winners will receive the Richard H. Driehaus Legacy Award, which honors the memory of the late Richard H. Driehaus. Visit our website to read our full nomination guidelines and to submit an online nomination.
Nominations for the annual awards program are due June 1, 2022.
Submit a nomination
New grant program focuses on preservation projects in Southern Illinois
Landmarks Illinois has launched a new grant program focused on preserving historic places in Southern Illinois in partnership with Banterra Bank, the largest, locally-owned bank in the region. The Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program will provide monetary assistance to preserve or rehabilitate historic structures in downtowns and other commercial corridors of Southern Illinois to support economic development.
Landmarks Illinois and Banterra Bank announced the new Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program April 26 at a community event hosted by the City of Marion, Illinois. Announcement representatives were Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald, Banterra Bank President & CEO Jeff May and Marion Mayor Mike Absher. Local business owner Jeff Mayer, who owns and plans to rehabilitate the historic Goodall Building in Marion, also joined the announcement.
Grants will be awarded on a matching basis and range from $500 to $2,500, each based on project need and will be distributed twice a year. The first grant application deadline is July 15. Visit our website to learn more about the new grant program and to see if you qualify for funding.
(Pictured: Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald announces the Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program at a press conference in Marion on April 26, 2022.)
Read more in the news:
Banterra Bank and Landmarks Illinois parter to preserve historic buildings in southern Illinois downtowns
WSIU, April 26
New grant program incentivizes businesses to revive, reutilize historic southern Illinois buildings
WSIL, April 26
Statewide organization working to preserve historic buildings across southern Illinois
KFVS, April 26
Landmarks Illinois, Banterra to fund new grant program for historic renovation
The Southern Illinoisan, April 26
We're hiring an Advocacy Manager!
Landmarks Illinois seeks a creative, organized and driven individual to serve as Advocacy Manager for Chicago and the suburbs.
The objectives of this position are to work with local advocates to save and reuse historic places in Chicago and its suburbs, forge and strengthen strategic partnerships and be Landmarks Illinois’ primary advocate in Chicagoland communities. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Advocacy Manager will be responsible for providing educational and technical support, resources and encouragement to a broad group of stakeholders.
Applicants who bring experience relevant to helping people save important places are welcome to apply. That includes, but is not limited to, historic preservation, social justice, community organizing, urban and regional planning, economic development, real estate development, design and storytelling. A formal historic preservation background is not required.
Click below to read the full job description and to learn how to apply!
Apply
UPCOMING EVENT: Skyline Social June 2
Join us at a networking reception at the Chicago Landmark Café Brauer to celebrate 10 years of the Skyline Council, Landmarks Illinois’ young & emerging professionals committee! The Skyline Social will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and music.
WHERE
Café Brauer at Lincoln Park Zoo
2021 N. Stockton Drive
Chicago, IL
WHEN
Thursday, June 2
6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
TICKETS
$35 – Students
$60 – Skyline Council & Landmarks Illinois members
$75 – Nonmembers
Additional Landmarks Illinois news
- Altgeld Gardens on Chicago’s South Side was listed in the National Register this month as a historic. Landmarks Illinois included the Shop Building and two school buildings in Altgeld Gardens on our 2021 Most Endangered list. Since that time, Landmarks Illinois and the Skyline Council has worked with community advocacy organization People for Community Recovery to bring attention to and find preservation solutions for the vacant but historically significant sites. The National Register listing not only recognizes the community’s historic importance, but also opens the opportunity for developers to use state and federal historic preservation tax credits on a building rehabilitations and reuse.
- Landmarks Illinois Director of Reinvestment Suzanne Germann participated in a “Illinois Statewide Funders Panel” April 6 hosted by Illinois Humanities as part of its Capacity Building Workshop Series. Suzanne was joined by Angela Rudolph, director of equity at the Grand Victoria Foundation; Jerome Grand, program director at the Illinois Arts Council Agency; and Mark Hallett, director, grants programs, at Illinois Humanities. Learn more about the series.
- Landmarks Illinois Director of Advocacy Lisa DiChiera participated in a virtual event April 25 hosted by MAS Context, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that addresses issues that affect the urban context. The event was part of the organization’s “Spring Talks 2022” series and called “Shaping Our Built Environment: Documenting, Analyzing, and Celebrating Women’s Contributions to the Built Environment in Spain and Illinois.” DiChiera’s presentation focused on Landmarks Illinois’ Women Who Built Illinois.
- Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald will participate in Bisnow’s Chicago’s Repositioning & Adaptive Reuse event “Navigating Regulation and Landmark Status for Historic Adaptive Re-use” on May 26. Tim Frens, Partner at Landmarks Illinois’ Annual Corporate Sponsor Plante Moran will join McDonald on the panel, which will be moderated by Eleanor Gorski, 2022 Landmarks Illinois Influencer and Executive Director of the Cook County Land Bank Authority.
- The Skyline Council of Landmarks Illinois held its popular Two Nights of Trivia Event April 11 & 13 at Revolution Brewing in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. Congrats to the two first place teams: Team Bauer Latoza Studio (night 1) and Team SGW Architecture & Design (night 2). Special thanks to Skyline Council member Gregory Dowell for leading the two nights as Master of Ceremonies and creating another year of fun, engaging trivia questions! Check out photos from the event here.
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