Landmarks Illinois has published annual list since 1995
CHICAGO — Three buildings in Chicagoland are on this year’s list of endangered historic places released by the non-profit preservation advocacy organization Landmarks Illinois.
Portage Theater, in the city’s northwest side Portage Park neighborhood, and the Sears Administration Building in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the west side, made the list. The Libby, McNeil and Libby Building in Blue Island is also included.
Landmarks Illinois since 1995 has published the list of culturally and architecturally significant sites across the state at risk of disinvestment and demolition. Seven other buildings throughout the state are on the 2024 list.
“This year’s ‘Most Endangered’ sites are not only incredibly important places in their communities, but many are large-scale buildings that sit prominently in highly visible areas near city centers, in historic districts or on state-owned land. Their neglect is seen and felt,” Landmarks Illinois president Bonnie McDonald said in a statement. “Despite their current condition, these places tell important stories from our past — stories that should not be erased due to insufficient investment or general disregard for our collective histories.”
Portage Theater opened in 1920 and was a shooting location for 2009’s “Public Enemies” starring Johnny Depp. The Sears Administration Building was completed in 1914, deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1978 and designated a Chicago landmark in 2002.
The Libby, McNeill and Libby Building was built in 1918 for the canning company and ceased operations in the late 1960s. It was repurposed years later as a hub for small businesses but has largely been vacant since 2018 when it was donated to a non-profit group that served people experiencing homelessness.
McDonald said the organization aims to help preserve the sites, adding that they provide opportunities for sustainable reuse, job creation and needed community spaces.