“A late compromise helped landmark status for Pilsen’s St. Adalbert Catholic Church finally move ahead Tuesday, a decisive step in a fierce preservation battle.

“The City Council’s Zoning Committee unanimously approved a plan to give the shuttered church a landmark designation, teeing up a final vote Wednesday. But the Polish parishioners who long sought the preservation status left City Hall infuriated by what they described as a last-second “backroom deal” that sets up the sale of the Archdiocese of Chicago land to a nondenominational church.

“Previous landmarking proposals included each building on the 2-acre plot, highlighted by the Renaissance Revival church. On Tuesday, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, presented a substitute plan that only granted the church building the landmark status, but left out the former rectory, convent and school.

“That narrowed preservation plan came with the support of Preservation Chicago, a leading local preservation advocate. It also won approval from the archdiocese, which closed St. Adalbert’s in 2019 and has since fought the landmarking push.

“Aldermen also had to deal with a deadline: If they did not vote on the Commission on Chicago Landmarks’ preservation recommendation this month, the entire complex would have been automatically landmarked.

“The towering church building — currently covered in scaffolding the archdiocese says is needed to prevent ongoing decay — is the ‘crown jewel’ of the property, Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller said after the vote. The new status will preserve the exterior of the building, but allow for changes to be made for its new owners inside and on other parts of the property, he said.

“‘We’re very pleased that we came to a compromise here. The most important of the buildings has been landmarked,’ Miller said.

“Sigcho-Lopez defended the more-tailored designation as a ‘win for the community’ that came after public meetings and open conversations. He previously pushed for the broader landmark designation last year, but lost when his Zoning Committee colleagues decided to delay consideration in a 10-to-4 September vote.

“‘We did justice to what we heard from the community, a landmark designation that protects the use of the building,’ Sigcho-Lopez said. ‘That is a fair compromise.’

“The alderman acknowledged the frustration of the dogged former parishioners who want St. Adalbert’s to reopen as a Catholic church. ‘I don’t have jurisdiction over that,’ he said. (Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 6/17/25)

“Step one, above all, is to get through the landmarks process,” said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, urging parishioners to attend the next zoning and City Council meetings to call on the city to approve the landmark designation. (Garcia Hernandez; Block Club Chicago, 6/11/25)

Preservation Chicago has been advocating for Chicago Landmark Designation of the St. Adalbert Church in Pilsen for over a decade and is delighted by process. We have working closely with neighborhood partners and the alderman every step of the way to protect St. Adalbert Church. St. Adalbert Church was a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2014 and 2016. It was also included in the Chicago 7 Most Endangered Roman Catholic Church categories in 2019 and 2021.

Read the full story at Chicago Tribune

• Landmarking advances for Pilsen’s St. Adalbert Catholic Church, advocates left frustrated,  Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 6/18/25
• City Council committee approves landmark status for St. Adalbert’s Church in Pilsen; The Archdiocese of Chicago has been trying to sell St. Adalbert’s Church since closing it in 2019, John Garcia and Lissette Nuñez,  ABC 7 News Chicago, 6/17/25
• Chicago City Council votes to protect historic Catholic parish after yearslong effort, Daniel Payne, Catholic News Agency, 6/19/25
• St. Adalbert’s landmark status gets OK by Zoning Committee — with an unexpected change; The landmark would only apply to the church itself as a new buyer emerges for the historic Pilsen site, Abby Miller, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/17/25
• Compromise plan to landmark St. Adalbert Church advances, but some advocates aren’t happy,  Sara Machi, CBS News Chicago, 6/17/25
•  St. Adalbert’s Landmarking Compromise Gets Key Approval After Years-Long Fight In Pilsen; The Pilsen church’s sanctuary won landmark approval, but other buildings on the site were not included, angering some former parishioners. A non-denominational church wants to buy the property, Francia Garcia Hernandez and Quinn Myers, Block Club Chicago, 6/17/25
• St. Adalbert Church granted landmark status by City Council, but supporters say their fight isn’t over; The landmark designation approved by the City Council only covers St. Adalbert’s church, not the entire complex that includes a school, rectory and convent, Abby Miller, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/18/25
• Church Wants To Buy Pilsen’s Shuttered St. Adalbert Church, But Former Parishioners Push Back; The People Church presented plans to buy the church and landmark the sanctuary, but former parishioners who fought for years to save it said that isn’t enough, Francia Garcia Hernandez; Block Club Chicago, 6/11/25
• Landmarking Of Pilsen’s St. Adalbert’s Church Stalled By Zoning Committee; Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez pushed the committee to approve the landmark designation but ultimately failed as the Archdiocese of Chicago is not on board. The city has until June to reconsider the proposal, Francia Garcia Hernandez, Block Club Chicago, 9/18/24
• Pilsen’s St. Adalbert Church wins landmark recommendation, will face council, Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 6/6/24
• Historic former St. Adalbert Church may be headed toward landmark status this week. But then what? If the Landmarks Commission gives the thumbs-up, who will step up to to preserve and reuse this historic church — and other vacant churches that represent a special place in Chicago architecture? Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 6/3/24
• Pilsen’s St. Adalbert Church moves closer to protected landmark status; The Archdiocese of Chicago, which owns the shuttered Pilsen church, has resisted granting it landmark status, arguing the restrictions would burden the church financially and make it harder to find a buyer, David Struett, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/6/24
• St. Adalbert Parish Complex, 1622-1658 W. 17th Street; 1633-59 W. 16th Street. Preliminary Landmark Designation Report, August 2023