Photo credits: Preservation Chicago & Library of Congress (Woman riveting dive bomber side panels, Alfred T. Palmer, 1943)

Hundreds of precious, well-paid manufacturing jobs and three highly significant historic buildings will be permanently lost if the Route 66 Ogden Keeler Industrial Buildings are allowed to be demolished.

For over 100 years, this vibrant manufacturing hub along Route 66 in Chicago was home to locally-owned manufacturing companies which employed hundreds of hard-working, well-paid skilled workers from the surrounding African American and Latino Chicago communities.

While manufacturing declined for decades, the historic Route 66 Ogden Keeler Industrial Buildings were a vibrant, thriving exception.  

From the 1980s until 2023, these three architecturally important loft buildings, Western Felt Works and Turner Manufacturing Company buildings, were business incubators for dozens of small, locally-owned Chicago manufacturing companies which employed hundreds of skilled, specialized, well-paid, manufacturing workers.

But all of this is at risk.

Everyone was forced out in late 2023 by a new multinational REIT owner worth $1.8 Billion. Even manufacturing businesses that have rented for decades lost their leases.

This new multinational REIT builds enormous highway-interchange distribution warehouses with dozens of docks for a steady stream of diesel semi-trailer trucks.

If their plan for Route 66 moves forward, a constant flow of trucks will pump toxic airborne pollution into North Lawndale, Little Village, and the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

Distribution warehouses use lots of land for lots of diesel trucks…and only a handful of low-pay hourly workers.

Good for profits, but bad for everyone else.

The unique character and vibrancy of Historic Route 66, America’s Mother Road, must be protected.

We must prioritize people over profits. Well-paid manufacturing jobs are precious and must be protected.

We must protect the hundreds of hard-working, well-paid skilled manufacturing workers and the families they support.

We must protect the dozens of small, locally-owned Chicago manufacturing companies which employ hundreds of skilled, specialized, well-paid, manufacturing workers.

We must protect the surrounding residential community from toxic airborne pollution produced from hundreds of additional diesel trucks.

We must protect the three architecturally significant historic loft buildings that have ideally served as small manufacturing business incubators for decades.

We must protect historic Route 66, America’s Mother Road, from losing more of its unique character.

Chicago Landmark Designation will stop the demolition.

Chicago Landmark Designation will force the new multinational owners to stop ignoring the community voices.

Chicago Landmark Designation will allow the displaced manufacturing business a chance to return.

Chicago Landmark Designation will protect these architecturally significant Western Felt Works (4115 W. Ogden) by R.C. Fletcher and the Turner Manufacturing Company loft warehouse buildings (4147 W. Ogden; 2311 S. Keeler) by acclaimed architect Alfred S. Alschuler.

The Turner Manufacturing Company was founded by August Turner, a Jewish immigrant to Chicago from Ukraine. By the 1920s, the Turner Manufacturing Company was one of the most prominent manufacturers of picture frames in the United States which employed a highly-diverse and integrated workforce which reflected Chicago's melting pot population an included European immigrants, African Americans, Latinos and Asians.

The historic Ogden Keeler Industrial Buildings are a Preservation Chicago 2024 Chicago 7 Most Endangered.

Chicago Landmark Designation will protect Route 66 from losing more of its unique character before its centennial celebration in 2026.

PLEASE sign the petition today!

Read more about the Route 66 Ogden Keeler Historic Buildings

Southwest Side warehouses considered significant by preservationists face demolition, Brian Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 4/16/24​

Here Are Chicago’s 7 Most Endangered Buildings; The buildings — including Downtown office towers, an Art Deco high school and a five-story bakery — face a variety of threats including fire damage, decades of divestment and looming redevelopment projects, Mack Liederman, Block Club Chicago, 3/6/24
 
These are Chicago’s 7 Most Endangered Buildings in 2024; The Century and Consumers Buildings top the list for a second year, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 3/8/24