People Saving Places For People |
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Landmarks Illinois Preservation News
OCTOBER 2020
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Preservation News is a monthly service Landmarks Illinois provides to its members and supporters and serves as a roundup of our latest advocacy efforts, projects and other news from around the state. JOIN OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP HERE
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Landmarks Illinois celebrates 2020 Preservation Award Recipients |
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Landmarks Illinois was proud to honor the recipients of this year's Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards at our first-ever virtual awards ceremony, held Wednesday, October 21.
Approximately 200 households across Illinois tuned in for the event, which included inspiring videos on this year's award-winning preservation projects and efforts. Landmarks Illinois thanks our members, supporters, friends and family who joined us to celebrate the people saving our historic places!
We also want to thank the Skyline Council & Landmarks Illinois Board & Skyline Council Member Alex Wolking for hosting a fun "Beer Saving Buildings" virtual Happy Hour before the awards ceremony. Eris Brewery & Cider House of Chicago and Prairie Street Brewing Company of Rockford generously shared insights on their craft cider and beer with our guests during the virtual taste-testing.
If you missed the event, visit the Landmarks Illinois YouTube Channel to watch the full ceremony.
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Landmarks Illinois celebrates approval of Neighborhood Character Districts in Chicago |
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Homes in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. |
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Landmarks Illinois celebrated the news this month that the City of Chicago had approved updates to the City’s Special Character Overlay District ordinance that will provide improved design guidelines, with resident input, for architecturally unique neighborhoods. The action creates Special Character Overlay Districts, or more widely known as "Neighborhood Conservation Districts," which Landmarks Illinois has been advocating for since 2014.
Seven years ago, Landmarks Illinois and Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) began to study the use of this preservation tool nationally, identifying best practices and learning how this policy could be applied to Chicago’s neighborhoods. Landmarks Illinois and NHS focused on Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood as a case study for a neighborhood character district, working with residents in the 6600 blocks of S. Harvard and S. Yale Avenues in the process. In May 2014, the case study was presented to, and well received by, Chicago's Historic Preservation Division.
The study process confirmed that character districts are a way to empower citizens to take ownership of the look and feel of their neighborhoods and encourage others to make informed decisions concerning the heritage of their community. They are often grassroots efforts that bring neighbors together in an effort to preserve and beautify community assets and improve the quality of life for everyone in a community. For those areas that do not meet criteria for historic district designation, the special character overlay district is an important additional neighborhood planning tool to help communities. Landmarks Illinois continued to work with the City's Historic Preservation Division and Department of Planning and Development staff as they further studied and developed the use of special character overlay districts for the city of Chicago.
Read the City's press release below.
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Landmarks Illinois also created a short video in 2017 about this effort in Englewood as part of a student video project with Kennedy King College. Watch the short film, "Creating a Neighborhood Conservation District in Englewood, Chicago," below.
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Preservation Snapshots Lecture November 10:
"PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SAN ANTONIO"
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Topics will include:
Increasing Latinx representation in historic preservation
Understanding heritage conservation as a social justice imperative
Growing diversity in historic preservation
Improving engagement with underrepresented communities
Addressing climate change
WHEN
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
LOCATION
Via Zoom
ADMISSION
Reservation required. $5 Members/$7 Public
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Landmarks Illinois Board Member & former Skyline Council Chair Allison Toonen-Talamo receives Aspire Award from National Trust for Historic Preservation |
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Allison Toonen-Talamo, a current member of the Landmarks Illinois Board of Directors and former chair of Landmarks Illinois' young & emerging professionals committee, the Skyline Council, is one of three recipients of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's American Express Aspire Award. Allison is an Associate II for the Architectural Engineering team at Klein and Hoffman in Chicago. She joins Zulmilena Then, president and founder of Preserving East New York in Brooklyn, New York; and Melissa Mortimer, historic preservation planner at Southeast Tennessee Development District, in receiving the award.
Allison and her fellow Aspire Award winners were honored at a virtual ceremony Thursday, October 29, as part of the 2020 National Preservation Awards presented this past week as part of the PastForward 2020 Online Conference.
The National Trust's American Express Aspire Award recognizes emerging preservation leaders who demonstrate innovative thinking and achievement in advancing historic preservation in their local, state or national communities.
"This year’s joint award honors three accomplished women who each bring a unique perspective to the field," the National Trust said in a press release this week. "Through their expertise in engineering, city planning, and advocacy, Then, Toonen-Talamo, and Mortimer are changing the landscape of the preservation profession and creating a stronger national movement.
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Preservation now possible for long-threatened Oakdale Tabernacle |
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Additional positive developments have emerged in recent months for historic site. Friends of the Freeport Park District is currently in discussions with the city's park district officials to negotiate a long-term lease of the tabernacle. While discussions are ongoing, Landmarks Illinois believes this is a major turnaround from a possible devastating fate of one of Illinois' most architecturally unique gathering venues. We will continue to update you on future developments with the Oakdale Tabernacle.
Follow the Friends of Freeport Park District Facebook group:
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Additional Landmarks Illinois News |
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Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald also participated and/or led numerous presentations at this week's PastForward virtual conference, hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Check the National Trust's conference website and YouTube Channel to watch for forthcoming videos of the virtual presentations.
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More preservation news from around the state |
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Chicago Sun-Times, October 27
2016 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award Recipient
Northern Public Radio, October 23
2003 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois, Landmarks Illinois easement property
Kendall County Now, October 22
2019 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois
Crain's Chicago Business, October 21
Landmarks Illinois advocacy effort
Daily Herald, October 21
2012 Landmarks Illinois Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Recipient, 2015 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award Recipient, 2004 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois
SUI News, October 14
2009 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois
Chicago Sun-Times, October 14
2020 Landmarks Illinois Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Recipient
Block Club Chicago, October 13
2008/09 Chicagoland Watchlist
Elgin Courier News, October 9
2003 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award Recipient
Broadway World, October 7
2003 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois
Aurora Beacon News, October 6
2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois
2020 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award Recipient
Arch Daily, October 1
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Landmarks Illinois Annual Corporate Sponsors |
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