Demolition of Chicago's Damen Silos to begin next week despite fight from preservationists
Demolition of the historic Damen Silos on Chicago's Southwest Side will begin Monday — despite an effort from preservationists and community groups to save them.
The industrial structures stand tall at 2860 S. Damen Ave. on the side of the Stevenson Expressway, as a reminder of Chicago's former dominance in the national grain industry dating back nearly 120 years to 1906. But for nearly 50 of those 120 years, they have been sitting vacant.
Abandoned since an explosion in 1977, the new owner of the silos has been planning to tear them down — and will begin doing so on Monday of next week.
Preservationists and community groups had fought for years to save the old grain elevators, saying tearing them down amounted to tearing down Chicago's history. They had been calling for the buildings to become public space; possibly a garden, park, or event space similar to Chicago's Salt Shed.
But the property's owner, Michael Tadin Jr. — who also owns MAT Asphalt — purchased the buildings from the State of Illinois in 2022 for approximately $6.5 million. Tadin refuses to sell.
The Damen Silos were first constructed in 1906 by the Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, according to Landmarks Illinois – though published reports note that there were grain silos on the site going back to the 19th century. The workhouse was rebuilt after an explosion and fire in 1932, according to published reports.
After another large explosion in 1977, the silos closed — and have not been used since.
Tadin 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.
Last week, the city approved local permits for Tadin to have the silos torn down.
The demolition could last until November, CBS News Chicago is told.
Another Chicago structure with prominent grain silos, the Archer Daniels Midland Wheat Mill at 1300 W. Carroll Ave. in the Fulton Market District, was demolished in 2021. Preservation Chicago complained that demolition began before plans for new development were approved.
