Chicago’s endangered buildings list puts a city’s memory on the line

On Wednesday (ET), local preservationists in chicago put eight structures in the spotlight, warning they are endangered by demolition or neglect. The list ranges from Pope Leo XIV’s South Side church to spaces inside the Art Institute of Chicago, each tied to neighborhoods and institutions that residents recognize as part of daily life.

What is the 2026 Most Endangered Buildings list in Chicago?

Preservation Chicago released its annual Most Endangered Buildings list Wednesday (ET). The nonprofit advocates for the preservation of local architecture and has issued editions of the list since 2003, identifying buildings and structures it considers “endangered” by demolition or neglect.

Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, described the sites as more than physical assets. He said they are important to Chicagoans architecturally, historically, and culturally—and are often “cornerstones of our communities and neighborhoods across Chicago. ”

Miller also framed the list as a practical tool: it is meant to raise awareness among residents, city officials, and other stakeholders, with the aim of building momentum for repairs and preservation.

Which Chicago sites are named, and why do they matter to people?

This year’s list includes Pope Leo XIV’s South Side church, a group of chicago labor union halls, and chicago River bridges, reflecting a mix of individual landmarks and “thematic” categories. Miller said some nominees are thematic—such as the bridges and labor union halls—while others are specific rooms, spaces, or buildings.

That mix matters because it points to how people experience the city: not only through stand-alone historic facades, but through working spaces and shared infrastructure that hold community routines together. In Miller’s words, the structures are cornerstones across neighborhoods, and the stakes are not purely aesthetic. When a building declines through neglect or is removed through demolition, the loss can be felt as the erasure of a familiar place where civic life happened.

Miller emphasized that the work can be difficult. “They are Chicago’s 7 Most Endangered until they’re resolved, ” he said, adding that advocacy efforts can be “uphill. ” He also said Preservation Chicago has “a very high success rate” in its advocacy work—signaling that the list is meant to catalyze solutions, not just document risk.

Why are Art Institute spaces on an endangered list, and what is the museum saying?

Two spaces at the Art Institute of Chicago appear on the list: the Chicago Stock Exchange Trading Room and McKinlock Court. Preservation Chicago said the museum is considering demolition of both spaces as part of expansion plans.

The Trading Room carries a layered history. The original 13-story Chicago Stock Exchange Building was designed in 1893–1894 by Chicago architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan. It was demolished in 1972 despite protests from local preservationists. Sections of the building’s Trading Room—including Sullivan’s elaborate stenciled decorations, molded plaster capitals, and art glass—were salvaged and used in the 1976–1977 reconstruction of the room at the Art Institute.

For nearly 50 years, the Art Institute’s Trading Room has served as a reception room for events, lectures, and celebrations—an interior landmark where people gather, speak, and mark milestones.

McKinlock Memorial Building, Courtyard and Garden were constructed in 1924 and designed as a series of art galleries around a central open courtyard. The space mirrored aspects of Grant Park with formal and symmetrical gardens, and the courtyard featured a bronze sculpture by Swedish sculptor Carl Milles. It continues to serve as a place for relaxation and dining at the museum.

An Art Institute spokesperson said: “We are currently exploring ways to increase gallery space and put more of our collection on view for visitors. ”

The tension now sits in the overlap between public experience and institutional planning: the push to expand gallery space and display more of the collection, and the concern from preservation advocates that expansion could come at the cost of spaces that already function as cultural touchstones.

What happens next for chicago’s endangered structures?

Preservation Chicago’s stated goal is awareness that leads to action—among residents, city officials, and other stakeholders—because that attention is “crucial for the repair and preservation” of the named sites.

For Preservation Chicago, the list is both a warning and a strategy: identify what is at risk, explain why it matters, and keep public focus on the places until decisions are made and conditions change. Miller’s remarks suggest a long-view approach, where a building remains “most endangered” until it is “resolved, ” even when the path is difficult.

Back in the city’s everyday rhythms, the list turns abstract threats—demolition, neglect—into specific names and rooms that people can picture. In chicago, the next chapter will be written in meetings, plans, and choices that determine whether these cornerstones remain part of the neighborhoods that grew up around them.

Image caption (alt text): Preservation Chicago names the Chicago Stock Exchange Trading Room and other sites on its 2026 Most Endangered Buildings list.