Birthplace of house music, could be demolished in Chicago's West Loop
CHICAGO (CBS) – The birthplace of house music could be at risk for teardown. The Warehouse, where DJ Frankie Knuckles debuted the genre has made Preservation Chicago's "most endangered" list.
CBS 2's Marissa Perlman had more on the effort to save the historic building.
It doesn't look like a whole lot, but the building on has a rich history in Chicago. Now, there's a petition to save it and create a landmark designation to protect it.
It's a little building with a big story.
In the heart of the West Loop, the Warehouse building has somehow survived the neighborhood's booming development around it.
"In a field of skyscrapers and factory buildings and Chicago school buildings, it's sometimes overlooked," said Ward Miller, of Preservation Chicago.
Many walk right past the modest three-story structure not realizing it was once the hottest dance club in town and a staple for the city's Black and gay communities.
"It's really an important building when you consider the impact of house music on the world, if you will, and it all began here," said Miller.
Miller was there in the early 1980s when DJ Frankie Knuckles coined the name "house" music after the Warehouse. The building is vacant but still standing on what is now named "Frankie Knuckles Way," but after being sold to new owners in December, it's been marked for potential demolition.
"We're really concerned about the future," Miller said.
The Warehouse now makes Preservation Chicago's "most endangered list." A petition with more than 8,000 signatures has been launched to protect the former nightclub. And 1 mile away on State Street sits the Century and Consumers building.
"They are the last of the early Chicago skyscrapers before World War I," Miller said.
The vacant skyscrapers now make the endangered list for the fourth time. The federal government bought the building in 2005. But last February, a bill earmarked $52 million for its demolition.
"They want to tear these buildings down," Miller added.
Miller hopes to continue to fight for an adaptive reuse so that future Chicago can celebrate its story.
"I think these are places we should celebrate and honor and landmark," he said.
As for the Warehouse, Preservation Chicago would like to see the city give it landmark designation.
The City of Chicago said right now there are no pending demolition permits for the property.