“The former Wax Trax! Records building in Lincoln Park is now an official Chicago landmark after City Council approved the designation Wednesday.

“Located at 2449 N. Lincoln Ave., the two-story building housed Wax Trax! Records for more than two decades. The store and label played a key role in shaping Chicago’s underground music scene and helped launch the careers of influential industrial and electronic acts like Ministry, Front 242, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Coil.

“The landmark designation protects the building from demolition or major exterior alterations, preserving a site many consider vital to Chicago’s cultural and music history.

“Wax Trax! was founded in Denver in 1974 before relocating to Chicago in 1978, where it became a haven for punks, outsiders and music lovers amid the Reagan-era cultural shift.

“Although the Wax Trax! team has pushed for landmark status, it no longer owns the building. The property was listed for sale in December for $1.4 million, according to property records. It was last sold in 2011 to Marvin Greene of suburban Lake Forest for more than $878,000. (Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 5/22/25)

“The Chicago City Council has approved the landmark designation for the former home of Wax Trax! records. Located at 2449 N. Lincoln, life and business partners Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher opened the WAX TRAX! records store in 1978. Their shared passion for music inspired the retail venture and their personal tastes, creative generosity, and willingness to take risks shaped the store into an international source of eclectic and ground-breaking music.

“Meeting Criterion 1 for its value as an example of city, state, or national heritage, WAX TRAX! invigorated Chicago’s music scene. With bootlegs, imports, and hard-to-find records, cassettes, CDs, and videos, WAX TRAX! became an international retail destination. WAX TRAX! helped to shape the world’s perceptions of Chicago music. As the home base of the WAX TRAX! record label, the store at 2449 North Lincoln helped to launch industrial-dance music, what became to be known as industrial music, in the United States.

“WAX TRAX! opened at a time when society’s pendulum was swinging away from earlier decades’ idealism and freedom-focused liberation toward the New Right and nostalgic conservatism of the Reagan years. The store provided a rare refuge to outsiders and outcasts as a mecca and a meeting place for those most comfortable outside the mainstream. The arrival of WAX TRAX! in Chicago was monumental in terms of shaping Chicago’s music scene. WAX TRAX! was a favorite of director John Hughes in whose films music played a key role.” (Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 5/24/25)

Preservation Chicago fully supported the Chicago Landmark Designation of the Wax Trax! Records building. We have been in contact with stakeholders, and have testified in support of designation at every hearing.

Chicago’s music history is rich and important, and we have strongly encouraged the recognition, celebration, and protection of Chicago’s music heritage, including the Warehouse, Muddy Water’s House, and many others. Landmark protection is an important step in this process.

Read the full story at Urbanize Chicago and Block Club Chicago 

• Former Wax Trax! Records Building Is Now A Chicago Landmark; The Lincoln Park building housed the record label and store that was a cultural hub for Chicago’s punk and alternative music scenes in the ‘80s, Patrick Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 5/22/25
• City Council approves landmark designation for Wax Trax; The former records store is located at 2449 N. Lincoln, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 5/24/25
• Former Wax Trax! Records building granted landmark status in Chicago, Rachel Leone, Resident Advisor, 5/26/25
• Wax Trax! Records Team Pushes To Landmark Its Former Lincoln Park Storefront; The Chicago Landmarks Commission heard arguments Friday from the record label’s team, advocates and longtime fans. But the building is currently for sale, and its owner has not commented publicly, Patrick Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 1/17/25
• Chicago commission votes to make former Wax Trax! Records building a landmark, Noel Brennan and Adam Harrington, CBS Chicago, 2/6/25
• Wax Trax building gets preliminary landmark designation; The former records store is located at 2449 N. Lincoln, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 8/20/24
• WAX TRAX! Preliminary Landmark Designation Report