Neighbors push back as committee moves to partially landmark historic Pilsen church

Neighbors push back as committee moves to partially landmark historic Pilsen church

A Chicago City Council committee voted Tuesday morning to grant landmark status to the main St. Adalbert’s Church building in Pilsen — but left out other parts of the historic property, sparking pushback from neighbors.

PILSEN, Ill. - A Chicago City Council committee voted Tuesday morning to grant landmark status to the main St. Adalbert’s Church building in Pilsen — but left out other parts of the historic property, sparking pushback from neighbors.

What we know:

The Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards approved protections for the church’s sanctuary, meaning it cannot be demolished or altered without city approval.

However, the adjacent school, convent, rectory and parking lot were excluded from the designation.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is looking to sell the entire site to People Church, a non-Catholic congregation that plans to preserve the main sanctuary but not the other buildings.

Residents voiced strong opposition at the committee meeting, urging the city to protect the full complex.

"It's only natural not to divide beautiful objects into separate parts. If you look at Mount Rushmore, you see four majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Which three presidents would you like to remove? Please grant the status of a landmark to all four buildings," said one resident.

What's next:

The full City Council is expected to vote on the proposal Wednesday.

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