“Mars Wrigley has chosen a commercial developer to reconstruct its historic factory site on the Northwest Side, the nearly century-old birthplace of the Snickers and Three Musketeers candy bars.

“McCaffery Interests Inc. will now work with local community groups to formulate detailed plans for the 20-acre site in the Galewood neighborhood, including its landmark Spanish Colonial Revival building, according to a Mars Wrigley spokesperson. The candy maker plans to close operations there this year and move its manufacturing to other U.S. locations.

“‘We’re going to miss the smell of chocolate,’ said Tom Drebenstedt, a board member of Galewood Neighbors, a local community group, but the shutdown will give neighbors the opportunity to help reimagine the space and reconnect it to the surrounding community. ‘Our world has changed, and we need to ask, do we need these massive industrial structures?’

“A top concern for Galewood residents during a preliminary round of public meetings in 2022 was preserving the historic building at 2019 N. Oak Park Ave., a neighborhood attraction fronted by trees, lawns and flower beds. The Chicago Plan Commission in July agreed to designate the 1928 building, including extensions added in the 1960s, a Chicago landmark.

“‘It almost doesn’t look like a factory, and the community really liked the idea that the building would be preserved,’ perhaps as a community center or library, said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, which took part in the community planning process.

“The rest of the triangular site, now mostly parking lots, loading docks and other structures, could be replaced with a variety of uses, including senior housing, town homes, a wildlife habitat, renewable energy, a community gathering space or light manufacturing, according to the 2022 plan.

“In a statement, a Mars Wrigley spokesperson said the redevelopment process would be conditional on the city’s rezoning process and on ‘continued engagement with the local community.’

“Mars remains committed to the city of Chicago and working collaboratively with all our stakeholders to redevelop the site for the benefit of the community,” the company said. Other groups, including Austin Coming Together, Northwest Center and Local Initiatives Support Corp., took part in the 2022 planning, and Drebenstedt said the community now needs to work with the developer to flesh out the details.” (Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 9/25/24)

Preservation Chicago has been an active advocate for a preservation-oriented direction since the closure was first announced in January 2022. We attended many public meetings to articulate the preservation option, closely support neighborhood preservation partners, discuss the benefits of historic preservation, and provide expertise regarding the landmarking process. The Mars factory community meetings were well run, well attended, and provided the opportunity to build strong, nearly universal support for the historic preservation for the 1929 building and other historically significant structures. We applaud this Chicago Landmark Designation as this will ensure an excellent outcome post-restoration and adaptive reuse. We will continue to be involved until the restoration and adaptive reuse are complete.

Read the full story at the Chicago Tribune

• Mars Wrigley selects developer for its historic candy factory on Northwest Side, Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 9/25/24
• Mars Candy Factory is officially a Chicago landmark; The factory recently shuttered after operating since 1929, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 10/12/24
• West Side candy factory step away from landmark status, WBBM Newsradio 780 Chicago, 9/21/24
• Mars announces McCaffery Interests, Inc. as site developer; Residents are a step closer to learning what will become of the Mars Wrigley site, Leah Schroeder, Austin Weekly News, 9/30/24
• Austin’s 94-Year-Old Mars Candy Factory Could Become City Landmark; A key city committee granted preliminary landmark status for the building’s architectural design and its contribution to Chicago’s history of candy making, Trey Arline, Block Club Chicago, 11/3/23
• Sweet move: Chicago seeks to landmark West Side’s historic Mars candy factory; The correct action here would be a “yes” vote from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, an important prelude to the factory’s redevelopment, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 10/2/23
• Preliminary landmark approved for Mars Candy Factory; The factory will be shuttered in 2024 after opening in 1929, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 10/11/23
• West Siders settle on plan for redeveloping Mars factory; Community members agree that a mixed-use development would be best for the factory after it closes in 2024, Jamie O’Toole, Austin Weekly News, 11/11/22
• Mars Chocolate Factory Closure Could Mean A New Library, Gym Or Nature Center For West Side Neighborhood; Mars Wrigley plans to donate the historic factory to the community when it closes the facility in 2024. Residents are working with the company to plan for how the building will be used, Pascal Sabino, Block Club Chicago, 4/20/22
• Mars Wrigley closing nearly century-old chocolate plant on Chicago’s West Side, Robert Channik, Chicago Tribune, 1/25/22
• Neighbors sour over closing of historic Mars Wrigley factory: ‘It was divine’’; The factory will be phased out over the next two years, the company announced this week. The future of the building remains unclear, as does the fate of its 280 workers, Josephine Stratman, Chicago Sun-Times, 1/27/22