Hello! Thanks to you and almost 2500 other individuals who supported efforts to hold Museum leaders and other accountable. With your help, we succeeded in protecting the landmarked Frommann & Jebsen Queen Anne style Receptory and Stables building. Masterfully designed and built to be enjoyed panoramically from all elevations, those protected views are no longer under threat. The inappropriate and illegal cinder block multi-story structure built by the museum was demolished last year.

The museum structure was built on Park District land without public engagement and without permits from the Building Department. 

However, the bright concrete foundation of the illegal structure was not removed during demolition. The museum's leader, Billy Ocasio, had previously stated in official state grant application documents that he intended to “establish an outdoor entertainment stage similar to Ravinia". In the complete absence of clarification and communication from museum leaders, the community was left in limbo and under the threat of a disruptive and permanent misuse and abuse of our parkland. 

Since the demolition, the glaring concrete foundation jutted out of the prairie earth and clashed with the pastoral landscape.

Finally, the community has received notification of what is happening with the foundation where the demolished building once stood. It was announced last month that the museum is constructing an outdoor sculpture garden and education space.

Based on statements and renderings reported by BlockClubChicago, "native plants reflective of the prairie-style landscape will be put in place in tribute to famed architect Jens Jensen, who designed Humboldt Park’s prairie garden." Additionally, it appears as though the visually offensive aspect of the remaining foundation will be at least partially buffered by shrubs and other plantings. Renderings show multiple trees which should mitigate the loss of numerous trees that were unlawfully removed without permission during the museum's ill-conceived original site preparation.

In addition to many of you, two of Jensen's descendants wrote letters of support to completely remove the foundation of the illegal structure and to restore the historic and protected prairie. We did not succeed in stopping this. 

However, I join many of you who have reached out to me in high hopes that the sculpture garden and planned re-greening is done to a standard deserving of a unique, historic, landmarked and special setting. No matter what, the hideous construction site gouged out of our park behind our backs that has kept our community hostage is going to disappear soon! That's great news...let's hope the park and the community can heal in the wake of this outrage.

Another interesting development is that the idea of enclosing the interior courtyard of the landmarked structure with a partial glass atrium that was announced in 2023 has apparently been approved. It looks like a great design, and the renderings seem to represent it as respectful of the sightlines of the original structure. We hope it does all of that and brings a great benefit to the museum's programming.

However, once again, following an immense betrayal of community there was a complete absence of trust-building. Again, there was a lack of inclusion, as a great number of residents were not informed of quickly organized and poorly advertised "community" meetings. 

That is a lesson remaining unlearned in the wake of this debacle. 

But for today, rejoice that a hideous building no longer stands on public land. And for now, rejoice that the threat of a privately controlled permanent entertainment stage has instead been designated for education. Let's not forget that promise.

Thank you again for your support and interest.

Paula & Kurt

P.S. For background reading and primary source documents upon which this fight was based, view the Preservation Chicago website or go to: Humboldt-Park-Stables-Statement-of-Facts-v3.pdf