Landmarks Commission to vote on preliminary landmark status for Promontory Point

CHICAGO (CBS) -- One of the most beautiful spots in Chicago is moving closer to landmark status.

The Commission on Chicago Landmarks is expected to vote Thursday on a preliminary landmark recommendation for Promontory Point, the limestone peninsula on the lakefront between 54th and 56th streets.

It's the first of several votes that will be needed to secure landmark status for The Point.

Promontory Point was built in 1938 along the lakefront in Hyde Park. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

Last year, nonprofit architecture advocacy group Preservation Chicago listed Promontory Point as one of the "Most Endangered" sites in Chicago, citing continued threats to the point's historic limestone revetment.

"The City of Chicago, along with the Chicago Park District, intend to replace The Point's natural limestone with a mass of concrete, destroying not only the historic stepstone revetment, but also the naturalistic aesthetic of this Alfred Caldwell-designed park. This irreversible alteration will adversely affect the open and diverse community culture that has thrived for decades at Promontory Point, moving this historic site further away from its original design and setting a precedent for future unsympathetic alterations," Preservation Chicago states on its website.

While the limestone revetments that protect the parkland on Promontory Point from water damage from Lake Michigan, Preservation Chicago and many Hyde Park residents believe that repairs can be made using limestone, rather than replacing it with concrete.

Additional hearings by the city's landmarks commission and the City Council would be required before a final vote on landmark status for Promontory Point, a process that likely would take months.