West Loop, Near West Side, Pilsen
Fulton Market Property Owners Overwhelmingly Oppose Landmarking at Hearing
By Stephanie Lulay |&nbspApril 30, 2015 2:35pm | Updated on April 30, 2015 8:17pm
@slulay2
If the plan to create a historic district along Fulton and Randolph is approved, 88 area properties would be designated as landmarks. Another 56 properties would be considered "non-contributing" district properties.
City of Chicago website
WEST LOOP — Of the 174 consent forms the city sought from property owners that would be affected by a plan to landmark the Fulton/Randolph Market District, only five owners consented, Landmark Commission officials revealed.
Of the remaining consent forms, 106 affected property owners indicated that they opposed the landmarking plan and 63 did not respond, said Eleanor Gorski, head of the city's Historic Preservation division, at a hearing on the proposed historic district Thursday.
The Commission on Chicago Landmarks will make a recommendation to the City Council at 12:45 p.m. May 13 at City Hall, officials announced at the Thursday hearing.
Stephanie Lulay breaks down both sides of the landmark proposal:
Of the 174 consent forms the city sought from property owners that would be affected by a plan to landmark the Fulton/Randolph Market District, only five owners consented, Landmark Commission officials revealed Thursday.
West Loop Community Organization
Despite the opposition, Commission leaders said the response from Fulton Market property owners is consistent with other recently landmarked districts with a significant number of businesses in the district.
During the hearing, Carla Agostinelli, executive director of the West Loop Community Organization, said the group would support the city's plan to landmark the district as long as the commission works with the community and affected property owners moving forward.
After the hearing, the West Loop group issued a statement withdrawing its support, but then ultimately decided to continue to support the plan.
Three other groups — the Randolph/Fulton Market Association, West Central Association and Neighbors of the West Loop — oppose the landmarking plan.
According to the Randolph/Fulton Market Association, 93 of the 144 property owners who would be affected by the landmark plan oppose the designation.
Joseph Gloria, who owns the building at 800 W. Randolph that counts Au Cheval as a tenant, and Sharon Nealey, representing Nealey Foods at 900 W. Fulton, were among those who spoke out against the landmarking plan Thursday.
"We are the ones that have maintained this area and that's why you're interested in [the district] now," Gloria said.
Making an emotional plea, Chrissy Haralampopoulos, who owns the building at 160 N. Halsted St. with her sister, asked the commission to remove her property from consideration.
Her father bought the Halsted Street hot dog stand in the 1970s when the neighborhood was known as Skid Row, and it's taken enormous sacrifice for the family to maintain it, she said.
"It is the only property on Halsted Street that is included in the district," she said.
If the plan to create a historic district along Fulton and Randolph is approved, the designation would tag 88 area properties as landmarks, a move that property owners believe would limit future development opportunities at the sites. Another 56 properties would be considered "non-contributing" district properties that could be demolished, according to Peter Strazzabosco, deputy commissioner of the city's Department of Planning and Development.
According to the city, the historic designation would require landmarks commission staff to review any building permits for properties within the district in order to help "maintain its historic character and important role within the thriving Fulton Market Innovation District," Strazzabosco said.
The historic district proposal is part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's larger Fulton Market Innovation District, a $42 million development plan to help shape development in the West Loop.
Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th), who sat in on the hearing Thursday, has previously said he is "leaning toward landmarking" to preserve the culture of the Randolph/Fulton Market area, but he continues to seek community input on the issue.
Landmarks Illinois supports the city's plan to landmark the district.
Copies of the proposed ordinance are available at the commission offices in room 1101 at City Hall and online.
In April 2014, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks gave preliminary approval to the historical landmark recommendations.
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