On May 1, 2018, the City of Chicago’s Department of Fleet and Facility Management (“2FM”) issued a formal determination of “No Adverse Effect” in its federal review of a proposed construction project within the authorized boundaries of the Pullman National Historic Landmark District (“District”) and Pullman National Monument (“Monument”). The decision paves the way for the destruction of historic resources of the “first planned industrial community in the United States” and one of only nine national monuments explicitly commemorating African American history.

The project as proposed will destroy historic resources and the planned design of the original Town of Pullman. The site contains the massive nineteenth century historic ruin of Tenement “B,” which forms the heart of Pullman’s last surviving tenement block house complex of Fulton Street. Tenement “B” is directly associated with the Strike of 1894. Known historically as “Poverty Row,” this unified, three building complex is where the most destitute workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company lived. The project as proposed will destroy the remains of building “B,” and interject a modern apartment building over twice as large as the historic building onto the site, thus isolating the two adjacent historic tenement buildings from each other and degrading architect Solon S. Beman’s and landscape architect Nathan F. Barrett’s original design for the site, the street, and the District.

Evidence appears to suggest that the clout-heavy developer is using its influence subvert this required federal review. In 2016, the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office issued “clearance letters” to the developer apparently designed to circumvent this required federal review. Thankfully, the Federal Preservation Officer of HUD noticed this impropriety and informed state officials and the developer that “no legitimate Section 106 review has yet occurred.” HUD required this current “do-over” review, but internal emails obtained through FOIA requests state that City officials are “getting some pressure from the developer, who has contacted our Commissioner directly about the status of our environmental review…the Section 106 approval may be the only thing holding us up.”

City officials appear to be expediting the review by suggesting the project will have “no adverse effects” on the District. In addition, the City has not solicited the views of a single historically African American institution or organization, even though the Pullman National Monument commemorates the story of the Pullman Porters and their struggle with A. Philip Randolph for economic, racial, and social justice. The profits reaped from the toil of the Pullman Porters helped pay for construction of George Pullman’s town.

We are requesting that…

• 2FM conduct 60-days of outreach and consultation with local, statewide, and national African American organizations and institutions;
• the new building be of the same size, height, and spatial arrangement of the historic complex;
• the historic ruin of Tenement “B” be preserved in situ if possible. If not, we request additional archaeological investigation of the site and excavation and recovery of the historic resources;
• the project memorialize the tenement history of Fulton Street through the inclusion of a “tenement museum” that features a recreation of an original tenement flat and archaeological artifacts recovered from the site;
• the development be renamed the “Poverty Row Artspace Lofts” to commemorate the historical association of the site with Pullman’s most destitute workers and the Strike of 1894.

The public can submit comments to the following individuals until May 30, 2018. Let them know that you want the Pullman National Historic Landmark District and the Pullman National Monument protected for present and future generations:

SUBJECT: Pullman Section 106 Review

To: Kevin Laberge, Dept. of Fleet and Facility Management (City Reviewer)
2FM_NEPA@cityofchicago.org

With copies to the following: 2FM_NEPA@cityofchicago.org, kelley.lindquist@artspace.org, David.Reynolds@cityofchicago.org, cvaughn@achp.gov, jfowler@achp.gov, Nancy.E.Boone@hud.gov, Amy.C.Thompson@hud.gov, Deana.Bass@hud.gov, don_stevens@nps.gov, joy_beasley@nps.gov, ahamernik@ihda.org, rachel.leibowitz@illinois.gov, governor@state.il.us

Kelley Lindquist, President, Artspace Projects, Inc. (Developer)
David Reynolds, Commissioner, Dept. of Fleet and Facility Management (City Commissioner)
Charlene Vaughn, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (federal agency overseeing review)
John Fowler, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (Executive Director of federal agency overseeing review)
Nancy E. Boone, Federal Preservation Officer, HUD (federal agency funding project)
Melanie Castillo, HUD Chicago (local branch of agency funding the project)
Amy Thompson, HUD (public relations)
Deana Bass, HUD (Deputy Chief of Staff)
Don Stevens, National Park Service, (National Historic Landmarks Program Manager)
Joy  Beasley, National Park Service, (Federal Preservation Officer)
Audra Hamernik, Illinois Housing Development Authority, (providing state and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to the project)
Rachel Leibowitz, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, (approved the project)
Bruce Rauner, Governor 

We thank you for your support.

The Pullman National Monument Preservation Society

info@pnmps.org
http://pullman106.com
https://www.pnmps.org
http://www.facebook.com/pullmanpreservation

Download a PDF version of our Call to Action Letter HERE.