“The Commission on Chicago Landmarks has approved a preliminary landmark recommendation for the Mars Candy Factory in Austin. Located at 2019 N. Oak Park, the factory was originally built in 1929 by The Austin Company with a contributing addition from 1960 by C.F. Murphy Associates.

“With the preliminary designation approved, the commission will prepare a report before voting on a final landmark recommendation. If approved, the proposed designation would be sent to City Hall for approvals from the Committee on Zoning and City Council. During the hearing, a representative from Mars stated that they are in favor of the landmarking and any developer that acquires the site would include the significant building in its redevelopment plan. (Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 10/11/23)

“The candy-making days at the Mars Factory are coming to a close, but at least the historic property on the city’s Far West Side likely isn’t headed to a bitter end. That’s because a city panel this week is set to decide whether to grant preliminary landmark status to the 94-year-old Spanish Revival complex at 2019 N. Oak Park Ave. in the Galewood neighborhood.

“The correct action would be a ‘yes’ vote from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. The move would protect the property’s architecturally-significant elevations from demolition until a permanent designation is approved by the Chicago City Council. It would also mean the factory’s most picturesque portions would survive and be primed for reuse after the plant’s scheduled closing in 2024.

“The factory has been a fixture on the city’s western edge since Milky Way chocolate bar creator Frank C. Mars built the complex there after moving the candy-making company from Minnesota. In 1930, the plant started churning out the Mars company’s best known product: the Snickers bar.

“The company’s current owner, Mars Wrigley, announced plans in January 2022 to shutter the plant, where almost 300 people make M&Ms, Twix, Snickers, Milky Way and other candies.

“Since the closure announcement, Mars Wrigley, residents and city planning officials have been working on mixed-use redevelopment concepts for the 16-acre property that would include preserving the 1929 building.

“The preliminary landmark designation that’s up for a vote Thursday calls for the preservation of the building, plus its iron gate and brick posts.

“Landmarking the complex, and redeveloping it in some accordance with the community’s wishes has the potential to be a big win and a sweet deal for the Far West Side — and the city.” (Editorial, Chicago Sun-Times, 10/2/23)

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.

Read the full editorial at the Chicago Sun-Times

• 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