Damen Silos

McKinley Park is designated as an Environmental Justice Community by the City of Chicago, because our residents bear disproportionate burdens from irresponsible industry and outdated policies. Therefore, when the State of Illinois announced the sale of a historic riverfront property to one of our area’s most prominent polluters, MPDC took action.  

We led a well-publicized campaign against the sale of the Damen Silos involving our neighbors and dozens of advocacy groups around Chicagoland. When the iconic buildings on site have been threatened with demolition, we continued to advocate for the repurposing of the site, as well as the inclusion of public amenities in any future plans. Over 1000 neighbors signed our petition for make the Silos a park and festival grounds. We also participated in negotiations with the US Army Corps of Engineers to place conditions on any permits issued for the site.

When demolition was authorized over the objections of neighbors, our volunteers documented the demolition. We continue to monitor the situation for safety and for compliance with permitting requirements. Our monitoring continues now that the Silos site has been illegally paved over and the City of Chicago is suing its owners.

Read: Damen Silos Sale Fact Sheet , Demolition Fact Sheet, Petition to make Damen Silos a Park and Festival grounds, Full analysis as published in MAS Context

Follow the demolition and parking lot saga.