1-Jul-15 – Marina City is, once again, being considered by the City of Chicago “a candidate for designation” as an official Chicago landmark. (Left) Marina City from roof of 35 East Wacker Drive on June 26, 2009.

An overview of the process was sent on Wednesday to the condominium association at Marina City from the Historic Preservation Division of the city’s Department of Planning and Development. The overview discusses “benefits and responsibilities” for condo unit owners in a building designated a City of Chicago landmark.

Built in the 1960s, Marina City, says the Historic Preservation Division, “was a pioneer of urban planning and architectural design.”

Financial incentives of living in an official Chicago landmark are modest, say experts. They include eligibility for building permits without paying a fee, typically one percent of construction costs. However, permits receive extra scrutiny from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, but only for work to building exteriors.

Commercial tenants, for example, would have to submit for city review any proposed signs or changes to the facade or to interiors – if the interior can be seen from the outside.

“Routine maintenance work, such as painting and minor repairs, does not require a building permit,” reads the overview. “Most other work requires a permit from the city. Over 90 percent of permits for designated landmark buildings are reviewed by the [Commission on Chicago Landmarks] in one day or less.”

2008 landmark effort not successful

On August 12, 2008, 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly announced he had asked the commission to consider landmark designation for Marina City “in order to protect Marina City’s architectural integrity for the future and to secure its well-deserved status as an official Chicago landmark.”

The request was under review eight months later by the Landmarks Division of the Department of Planning and Development but never made it before the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, was never on the agenda of any public hearing, and there was no public comment.

“Clearly, you have a unique building in the city of Chicago,” said T. Gunny Harboe (left), an architect whose firm specializes in historic preservation, on June 16, 2008.

Lisa DiChiera, Advocacy Director of Landmarks Illinois, recommends building owners pursue landmark designation “because you firmly believe this building deserves to be landmarked.”

Landmark designation, she says, “has a slight move of lowering the value of the property, but there’s always going to be a buyer out there for your property.”

“Often, a lot of people put higher value with properties that are landmarked because they know that property is going to be protected.”