2024 Area Preservation News 

Landmarks Illinois 2024 List of Most Endangered Historic Places within 50 miles of Naperville

• 😬 Libby, McNeill and Libby Building, Blue Island
  Building is decaying while owner is under litigation with the city for various violations
  Libby, McNeill and Libby Building: 2024 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

• 😬 Portage Theater, Chicago
  This designated landmark is suffering from lack of maintenance
  Portage Theater: 2024 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois 

• 😬 Sears Administration Building, Chicago
  Large vacant and for sale since 2023 puts this structure at risk
  Sears Administration Building: 2024 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

Updates on Landmarks Illinois 2022 & 2023 List of Most Endangered Historic Places
within 50 miles of Naperville

• 😬 Century & Consumers Building, Chicago
  “Viable Adaptive Reuse” preferred path forward, GSA security protocols/restrictions make rehab difficult
  Fate of endangered State Street historic buildings still hangs in the balance as feds weigh security needs

• 👎 Damen Silos, Chicago
  Decision left to City after demolition approved by Army Corp of Engineers
  Army Corps of Engineers approves Damen Silos demolition

• 👍 Eugene S. Pike House, Chicago
  $1.5 million of state funding appropriated for renovations
  Future of Pike House Looks Bright Thanks to State Funding – Support Needed Now for Critical Repairs

• 😬 Alexander Brothers Blacksmith Shop, Geneva
  Building neglected while owner is still in legal battle with city
  Shodeen fines snowball to more than $41K for blacksmith shop

• 😬 Oak Cottage, Naperville
  Historic structure report authorized prior to potential 2025 demolition plan
  ‘Empty does not mean unloved’: Is piece of DuPage’s farming past in jeopardy?

• 👍 Gillson Park, Wilmette
  Successfully added to National Register of Historic Places
  Gillson Park Listed on National Register of Historic Places

2024 News on other Historic Places within 50 miles of Naperville

1. 👍 Recreation Park Fieldhouse, Arlington Heights
   1938 WPA built fieldhouse to be restored to its original purpose despite project’s $18 million proposed cost
   ‘How important this park is for Arlington Heights’: Depression-era pool bathhouse to be restored

2. 👎 208 N Haddow Ave, Arlington Heights
   Demolition request approved for contributing, but not architecturally significant 1924 home
   Teardown of century-old Arlington Heights home approved; preservation of another is now in limbo

3. 👍 716 E Dunton Ave, Arlington Heights
   Demolition request for the 1878 built home, one of only three Italianate homes in the village, was denied
   Arlington Heights trustees save from demolition a century-old house owner says has no value; no compelling story

4. 👍 Original Copley Hospital Building, Aurora
   Atrevete Café is now open in the 136-year-old original Copley Hospital building
   Former Aurora hospital building reopens as café

5. 👍 12 N. River St, Aurora
   2nd restaurant opens in newly renovated historic 1892 Hobbs building
   Italian restaurant opens in historic Hobbs Building in downtown Aurora

6. 👍 116 W Galena Blvd, Aurora
   1862 Galena Hotel, vacant since 2020, to be readapted with micro-units
   Incentive approved for rehab of historic former Galena Hotel in Aurora

7. 👍 641 S Lake St. & 100 Oak Ave, Aurora
   Former 1893 Lincoln School and 1934 Todd School converted into affordable workforce housing
   Work finished turning former Aurora schools into housing

8. 👍 Catlow Theatre, Barrington
   With help of the Catlow 1927 Foundation, the 1927 building is returning to its former glory
   Restoration project steadily bringing Barrington’s Catlow Theatre back to life

9. 😬 106 N River St, Batavia
   City hopes to demolish vacant 1890 Tin Shop unless some entity steps forward to relocate the building
   Batavia seeks to relocate or demolish historic Tin Shop building downtown

10. 👎 Reckinger Family Farm, Batavia
    EF1 Tornado destroys 1882 barn that on property farmed by the Reckinger family since the 1850s
    Skyview: Historic barn destroyed in seconds

11. 👍 Fitzgerald’s, Berwyn
    The nightclub at 6615 W. Roosevelt applied and now listed in the National Register of Historic Places
    FitzGerald’s in Berwyn may soon be a landmark — something Chicago music fans already knew

12. 👍 2019 N Oak Park Ave, Chicago
    Developer chosen to renovate 1928 landmarked Spanish Colonial Revival Mars Wrigley Candy factory
    WIN: Developer Chosen to Redevelop Landmarked Mars Chocolate Factory and Site

13. 👍 Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, Chicago
    Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse progressing on securing ownership
    Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse 2025 President's Update

14. 👍 Promontory Point, Chicago
    After 20 year of advocacy, the original limestone steps on the peninsula are landmarked
    City takes action to preserve Promontory Point’s limestone steps, approves landmark status

15. 👍 4120 S Halsted St, Chicago
    Third Coast Music plans to renovate the 1925 Stock Yards National Bank into recording complex
    City envisions transforming vacant South Side bank building into $80 million recording complex

16. 👍 Thompson Center, Chicago
    The Helmut Jahn-designed building redevelopment is progressing
    Google reveals renderings of Thompson Center atrium

17. 👍 135 S LaSalle St, Chicago
    Massive renovations approved for 1934 Field Building
    City commission approves $98 million in TIF funds for massive LaSalle Street renovation

18. 👍 Crawford Avenue Bridge, Chicago
    1932 McClintic-Marshall designed bridge over Cal-Sag Channel landmarked
    Landmarks: Pulaski Road cousin of Golden Gate Bridge earns historical status

19. 👍 1535 N Pulaski Road, Chicago
    1924 Spanish Baroque-style Pioneer Arcade to be repurposed for affordable housing
    Pioneer Arcade receives city, state support to be developed into affordable housing

20. 😬 St. Adalbert’s Church, Chicago
    Archdiocese opposes landmarking, Landmarks Commission approves, Planning Commission delays
    Landmarking Of Pilsen’s St. Adalbert’s Church Stalled By Zoning Committee

21. 👎 720 N Wells St, Chicago
    1872 brick and cast iron building, one of few remaining built shortly after 1871 Chicago fire was demolished
    Demolition Of Early Post-Fire Building At 720 N Wells Street Continues In River North

22. 👎 Most Endangered 2024 List by Preservation Chicago, Chicago
    Schulze Baking Company Building among list of 7 most endangered by Preservation Chicago
    2024 Most Endangered

23. 👎 Stateville Prison, Crest Hill
    1925 prison with last nation’s roundhouse housing units that kept notorious criminals to be demolished
    A historic but dilapidated Illinois prison will close while replacement is built, despite objections

24. 😬 Academy Building (Tarpley House), Crystal Lake
    City Council to decide in April whether to landmark the170 year old city’s first school or allow its demolition
    Crystal Lake takes steps to protect 170-year-old building, restoration costs raises concerns

25. 😬 Barlina Barn, Crystal Lake
    1864 structurally sound barn could still be demolished if Park District can’t fund $200,000 for renovations
    Crystal Lake historic barn’s $200K price tag to restore raises new questions about its future

26. 👍 Des Plaines State Bank Building, Des Plaines
    City buys the 1927 building to secure historic character of the downtown
    Des Plaines’ purchase of historic bank building could be catalyst for downtown revitalization

27. 👎 292 S Arlington Ave, Elmhurst
    1928 home in historic district demolished—many want historic preservation code strengthened
    Days Numbered For Historic Elmhurst House, but the pending teardown sparked a local movement for historical preservation

28. 👍 Harley Clarke Mansion, Evanston
    1928 city-owned mansion with Jens Jenson garden to be renovated for public and private uses
    Evanston’s Harley Clarke mansion set to become wedding venue, hotel, speakeasy, ice cream parlor

29. 👍 15 Ash St, Frankfort
    1949 2nd floor bowling alley being renovated in 1877 Balchowsky building
    Historic downtown Frankfort bowling alley reopening as The Loft

30. 👍 101 S Third St, Geneva
    $14,000 historic preservation grant from Geneva will help new owners renovate 1867 building
    Geneva home decor owner buys historic Third Street property

31. 👍 214-218, 220-222, & 306-318 W State St, Geneva
    $200,000 in ARPA funds awarded to owner of historic Fargo buildings preservation and adaptive reuse
    Geneva’s historic Fargo buildings to get nearly $200K in ARPA funds

32. 👍225-227 W State St, Geneva
    $24,680 of ARPA funds to be used to restore the building’s original 1890 storefront with some modification
    Geneva committee recommends nearly $25,000 for Zazu luxury salon owner

33. 👍 427 E State St, Geneva
    1877 building receives $38,608 in ARPA funds for new owners to create new ADA compliant restaurant
    Owners of Geneva’s Riganato look to open chicken eatery in town

34. 👍 Glencoe Public Library, Glencoe
    1941 library undergoing renovations with goal to preserve as many of the historical elements as possible
    Skidmore, Owings and Merrill architect firm hired for Glencoe Public Library revamp

35. 👍 Glen Oak Country Club, Glen Ellyn
    1911 the private club is undoing major renovations
    Summit Design + Build begins construction at historic Glen Oak Country Club

36. 😬 McKee House, Glen Ellyn
    Funding need to repurpose it for The Native American Cultural & Environmental Center
    Friends of the McKee Hous - Native American Cultural & Environmental Center

37. 👍 843 Glenview Rd, Glenview
    Restaurant committed to revitalizing 1878 historic “Glenview House” with village funding
    Mediterranean restaurant coming to downtown Glenview with financial aid from the Village

38. 👎 Downtown Harvey, Harvey
    Historic buildings on 154th St and Broadway Ave being demolished as part of infrastructure initiatives
    Harvey Historical Society at odds with officials over city demolition plans

39. 👍 Village of Hinsdale, Hinsdale
    Demolition/relocation requests of historic district and landmarked properties must now go to a review team
    Hinsdale approves amendments aimed at protecting historic buildings across the village

40. 👍 Old Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Depot, Lake Zurich
    Real estate investor buys depot and adjoining property with historic preservation intent
    What could this former train depot in Lake Zurich become? Owners seek community input envisioning potential uses

41. 😬 Liberty Theatre, Libertyville
    Village and owner deadlocked over Certificate of Appropriateness for renovations
    Libertyville Theater Owners Take Legal Action After Village Denies Permit

42. 👍 Downtown, Libertyville
    Libertyville seeks to designate area in and around the downtown as a National Register district
    ‘This gives us more tools’: Why Libertyville wants historical designation for its downtown

43. 👍 Ruth Barn, Long Grove
    1840 historic barn moved to new site on village grounds
    Village of Long Grove begins building expansion

44. 👎 Erickson/Benson Farm Barn, Mokena
    1910 dairy barn, 1 of 3 remaining structures in the area’s dairyland past, destroyed by 90 mph derecho
    Landmarks: July derecho destroys ‘tangible link’ to Mokena’s dairyland past

45. 👍 18 W Busse Ave, Mount Prospect
    Vacant since 2017, feud over fate of 1920s Tudor-style building settled in favor historic preservation
    ‘This space has been dark long enough’: Mount Prospect has high hopes for new downtown bar and grill

46. 👍 Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook
    Now that exterior preservation of the 1919 building is largely complete, more attention is turned to interior
    ‘A place that respects history’: Mayslake Hall could get more improvements

47. 👍 Abraham Lincoln School, St Charles
    After 95 years, the 1929 building will be repurposed for administrative use keeping historic aspects intact
    St. Charles’ oldest school building celebrates final week as an elementary school

48. 😬 217 Cedar Ave, St Charles
    Decision postponed on owner’s request to demolish the 1844 Barry House to make way for a parking lot
    Historic St. Charles home gets demolition reprieve — for now

49. 👍 Original Village Hall, Wauconda
    Vacant 1907 city building sold for adaptive reuse, including façade improvements, as a restaurant
    ‘Excited about the opportunity’: Investor buying Wauconda’s original village hall

50. 😬 Prince Crossing Station, West Chicago
    Railway advocates still working to move station before Wheaton Academy tears it down

51. 😬 Wheaton Grand Theater, Wheaton
    1925 theater on National Registry remains vacant due projected high interior renovation costs
    ‘Theatrical limbo’: Wheaton Grand Theater continues to sit idle

52. 👍 Gemini Giant, Wilmington
    1965 iconic Route 66 fiberglass statue moved to entrance of Wilmington’s South Island Park
    Gemini Giant statue moved from its post of nearly 60 years in Wilmington, Illinois

53. 👍 2024 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards
    In addition to the previous sites, 5 of 9 2024 awards recipients were within 50 miles of Naperville
    2024 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award Recipients