“Sign below to stand up for the Silos! Responses will be shared with public officials involved in this issue.
“Ever since the State of Illinois announced the sale of the Damen Silos in 2022, neighbors have wanted this space to become a park!
“While the owners, MAT Limited Partnership, now seek to demolish the iconic Damen Silos, others have considered how to return the Silos to public use as a public park and festival grounds.
“Furthermore, the city has recently moved to adopt plans for increased greenspace and other amenities on the South Branch of the Chicago River, and this would fit right in.
“A festival grounds centered around Damen Silos would:
Preserve the historic Silos and make them a visual centerpiece of a new venue
Provide a location to relocate festivals currently held in neighborhood parks, so neighborhood parks can be available to residents all summer
Prevent disruptions to neighbors by holding events in a location accessible by public transit, but well separated from homes
Add public greenspace to an area that lacks it
Accelerate development of planned public amenities along the South Branch of the Chicago River
Generate far more tax revenue than industrial activity or vacant land
Give the Southwest Side a slice of tourist spending
Create opportunities for new festivals
Cement Chicago’s commitment to clean up the South Branch and invest in the riverfront city wide
“How could it work:
The Chicago Park District would hold public greenspace adjacent to the Silos, and the greenspace would be open to the public year round
The public greenspace would be in addition to the mandatory public riverfront trail required of all new developments in the area
A separate operator would operate a portion of the site as an event venue
Blue Star Properties, who operate the Salt Shed, are interested in operating the Silos
A land trust could purchase and hold the space until the Park District is ready to assume responsibility for it
Preservation Chicago is very experienced with actions to save endangered buildings, and willing to orchestrate this deal
Sign the Petition to Make Damen Silos a Park and Festival Grounds!