Preservationists and other community groups are fighting to save the historic Damen Silos from demolition, and possibly turn the site into a park or concert venue, but the site's new owner is moving forward with plans to tear them down.

The Damen Silos stand tall on the side of the Stevenson Expressway, a reminder of Chicago's former dominance in the national grain industry dating back to 1906.

Abandoned since an explosion in 1977, their new owner is planning to tear them down, but a coalition of preservationists and community groups say that would amount to destroying part of Chicago's history.

"It's a local landmark. Our neighbors see this on their way home every night. Everybody knows that this is part of our neighborhood, and part of our local landscape," said Kate Eakin, managing director of the McKinley Park Development Council, which is part of the group fighting to keep the Damen Silos standing.

They've been calling for the buildings to become public space; possibly a garden, park, or event space similar to Chicago's Salt Shed.

"To convert this space into public green space and an event venue. The green space would be open to the public all year, and the event venue would be operated by a private operator," Eakin said.

The property's owner, Michael Tadin Jr., who also owns MAT Asphalt, purchased the buildings from the state in 2022 for approximately $6.5 million, and refuses to sell.

He's requested federal permits to demolish the buildings and redevelop the 23-acre land on which they sit, but it's unclear what he plans to do with the land.

A community meeting has been scheduled for Friday night at Arturo Velasquez Westside Technical Institute in Little Village, where officials from the Chicago Department of Public Health will discuss the demolition plans for the site – including oversight of the work, dust control measures, and environmental and health protections that will be in place.

Still, activists are not giving up their fight to preserve the site. They are pitching a plan to turn the site into a public park and festival grounds, with the Park District operating the park and a new riverfront trail, and Blue Star Properties – which operates the Salt Shed – operating a concert and event space.

"This can be a reality. This is a partnership between private and public entities coming together. We have a land trust involved, along with a nonprofit, Park District, the city of Chicago, and also Blue Star Properties," said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, which listed the Damen Silos on its seven most endangered buildings list in 2023.

The property lies within the 12th Ward, and Ald. Julia Ramirez said in a statement that this process "fell short of what our community deserves."

The area used to fall in the 25th Ward before the city's ward map was redrawn in 2021.

"In December of 2022, Governor Pritzker responded to my office that the state has decided to sell it to the highest bidder. In my opinion, that is exactly what is wrong in our state, in our country, in our city, when the highest bidder gets to do as they please, and not as the community wishes," Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez said.

Community members have tried to get the city to designate the site as an official landmark, which would make it harder for the property's owners to tear down the silos.

The site's owners did not respond to requests for comment.

It's unclear when actual demolition of the Damen Silos could begin.

• Chicago