“The Commission on Chicago Landmarks voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend that City Council designate Promontory Point as a city landmark; a decision met with jubilation from preservation advocates and city officials alike.
“For more than 22 years community members have organized around preserving the Point’s limestone stair-step revetment from both lakefront erosion and city-proposed demolition. In the past, the city has proposed replacing the park’s stone perimeter with concrete and steel, as has been done along the rest of Chicago’s lakeshore; these proposals have routinely been met with considerable pushback.
“City landmarking means that the Commission on Chicago Landmarks will review any proposed alteration, demolition or new construction at the Point. Effectively, landmarking establishes an overlay of local oversight and scrutiny of the project’s design and construction, which must follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties as provided through the National Historic Preservation Act.
“The Promontory Point Conservancy, a nonprofit that advocates for the park’s preservation, particularly the limestone, celebrated the unanimous vote in a statement on Thursday. ‘The stage is now set for the City (CDOT), the Chicago Park District and the U.S. Army Corps to work openly with the community to fix the historic limestone revetment at the Point instead of destroying it. There is now a shared, common preservation language … for a common, shared plan for fixing the historic limestone revetment.’
“Other meeting attendees, including Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th), representatives of Preservation Chicago and Landmarks Illinois, alongside commissioners shared the good spirits.
“‘The community, you just kept showing up, and it’s made all the difference,’ said Commissioner Suellen Burns. ‘This is one of the best examples I’ve seen of folks coming together. Finding common ground and achieving something that will really be extraordinary.’
“Jack Spicer, co-founder of the Promontory Point Conservancy opened his statement with, ‘As Mr. Rogers would say, ‘It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.’ We’ve waited so long for this.’
“Spicer then said, ‘I just wanted to be really clear to everybody that for 23 long, long years (Ald. Hairston) has supported the community in their efforts to save the limestone revetment at Promontory Point. She’s going to be ending her aldermanic career soon and this is a high note for that to end on.’ (Monaghan, Hyde Park Herald, 3/9/23)
Preservation Chicago applauds the Promontory Point Conservancy for their dedicated advocacy effort to ‘Save the Point”. Preservation Chicago has been working closely with the Promontory Point Conservancy to request to the Chicago Commission on Landmarks to designate Promontory Point as a Designated Chicago Landmark. Promontory Point Conservancy is responsible for the extensive report by preservation consultant Julia Bachrach detailing the historical significance of the Point which clearly established the need for Chicago Landmark designation.
There has been strong support for saving the Point from elected officials including Alderman Leslie Hairston, Cook County Commissioner William Lowry, State Representative Curtis Tarver, State Senator Robert Peters, and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly. Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a statement for the restoration of Promontory Point. In addition to Preservation Chicago, other organizations in support include Hyde Park Historical Society, Landmarks Illinois, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Friends of the Parks, Openlands Chicago, and the Cultural Landscape Foundation.
- Read the full story at Hyde Park Herald
- ‘It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood’ for Promontory Point; Point landmarking moves to City Council vote, Marc Monaghan, Hyde Park Herald, 3/9/23
- Promontory Point In Hyde Park Receives Penultimate Approval For Landmark Status, Jack Crawford, Chicago YIMBY, 3/19/23
- Promontory Point landmarking moves forward with Park District consent, Marc Monaghan, Hyde Park Herald, 2/16/23
- Park District Supports Push To Make Promontory Point A City Landmark; Supporters say the move will better ensure Promontory Point’s iconic limestone steps are preserved, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 2/15/23
- The fight to save Promontory Point’s limestone steps has lasted more than 20 years. Officials are onboard, but residents are wary, Ezra Maille, Chicago Tribune, 2/13/23
- Promontory Point granted preliminary Chicago landmark status, Marc Monaghan and Zoe Pharo, Hyde Park Herald, 1/13/23
- Point landmarking in peril, Promontory Point Conservancy, Hyde Park Herald, 2/6/23
- Bid To Landmark Promontory Point Has To Clear the Park District First. Should Supporters Be Worried? Patty Wetli , WTTW Chicago, 2/10/23
- It’s Not Written in (Lime)Stone, Yet, But Promontory Point Is One Step Closer To Becoming a Chicago Landmark, Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 1/12/23
- Promontory Point Splitting Off From Army Corps’ Broader Lakefront Review, Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 1/30/23
- Promontory Point Takes A Step Toward Landmark Status With Key Commission’s Approval; The Point is “probably the most unique location on the Great Lakes,” a city commissioner said, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 1/13/23
- Promontory Point Repairs Get $5 Million Boost From City As Officials Pledge To Preserve Its Iconic Limestone; The funding kicks off the planning and design process for the Point, which may soon be named a Chicago landmark. City and federal agencies will seek design proposals to preserve its “historic nature” later this year, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 1/31/23
- Promontory Point gets preliminary landmark vote; Drama ensued during the meeting over the restoration plan, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 1/17/23
- Could Promontory Point Become A City Landmark? Key Commission Will Take Up The Question This Week; Members of a nonprofit have spent 20 years pushing local leaders to preserve the South Side spot. Landmark status would ensure another level of oversight for any work done at the Point. Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 1/11/23
- Promontory Point could become a city landmark by April; City parks officials assured residents that if Promontory Point becomes a landmark after a City Council vote this spring, its historic limestone revetments will be preserved; Ilana Arougheti, Chicago Sun-Times, 1/812/23
- Promontory Point up for preliminary landmark status; One of the most beautiful spots in Chicago is moving closer to landmark status, CBS Chicago, 1/11/23
- Promontory Point Supporters Push for Hearing in Front of Chicago Landmark Commission, Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 11/28/22
- Let’s make Promontory Point a Chicago landmark, Promontory Point Conservancy Op-ed, Hyde Park Herald, 11/28/22
- Save The Point! Letter to urge the Landmark Commission of the City of Chicago to Landmark Promontory Point
- Promontory Point Should Be Landmarked, Advocates Say As They Work To Save The South Lakefront’s Iconic Limestone; By pushing for a landmark designation, advocates hope to “save the Point from [a] kind of destruction and defacement” and preserve its limestone steps, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 11/29/22
- Save the Point, make it a Chicago City Landmark, Promontory Point Conservancy Op-ed, Hyde Park Herald, 10/27/22
- Mayor supports preserving and restoring Promontory Point limestone, Marc C. Monaghan, Hyde Park Herald, 7/26/22
- Conservationists hopeful historic limestone wall at Promontory Point will be preserved
- The Promontory Point Conservancy announced last week that U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly earmarked $550,000 of federal funding to authorize a third-party engineering study of the Point’s limestone revetment, Cheyanne M. Daniels, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/21/22
- Link to full Promontory Point Conservancy Press statement, May 26, 2022
- Promontory Point Lovers Celebrate Rep. Kelly’s Request To Fund Long-Delayed Study Into Saving Park’s Limestone; With earmarks returning to Congress this year, Rep. Robin Kelly has requested $550,000 for an independent study into preserving Promontory Point, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 5/27/22
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding requested for long-awaited Promontory Point preservation study, Shanzeh Ahmad, Chicago Tribune, 6/3/22
- Celebrating 85 years of Promontory Point, Marc C. Monaghan, Hyde Park Herald, 5/31/22
- Promontory Point Day, festival celebrating park’s 85th year, begins Saturday, Hyde Park Herald, 5/26/22
- Community, environmentalists declare “Point Day” to save Promontory Point Park revetment, ABC 7 Chicago, 5/26/22
- Fight to save Promontory Point reinvigorated after demolition and construction proposed, Adrianna Nehme, U-High Midway, 4/6/22