These Are Chicago’s Most Endangered Buildings in 2026
Preservation Chicago released its annual Most Endangered Buildings list Wednesday, naming eight sites that preservationists say face demolition or long-term neglect. The list highlights chicago places ranging from a South Side church tied to Pope Leo XIV to the Art Institute of Chicago’s salvaged Stock Exchange Trading Room.
Preservation Chicago, a nonprofit that has produced the list since 2003, described the selections as both single buildings and thematic groups, and said the list aims to raise public awareness that can spur repairs and preservation. Ward Miller, the nonprofit’s executive director, called the entries “cornerstones of our communities” and said the selections are the organization’s "7 Most Endangered until they’re resolved. "
Chicago River bridges and union halls join the list
Some nominees this year are grouped thematically, including Chicago River bridges and a slate of labor union halls, which Preservation Chicago singled out as vulnerable to demolition or neglect. The inclusion of union halls puts several community-focused meeting places on the list along with more visible landmarks.
Art Institute rooms face possible demolition
Two spaces at the Art Institute of Chicago — the Chicago Stock Exchange Trading Room and McKinlock Memorial Building, Courtyard and Garden — are on the endangered list because museum expansion plans could require their removal. The Trading Room was designed in 1893–1894 by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan; the original 13-story Chicago Stock Exchange Building was demolished in 1972, and sections of the Trading Room were salvaged and reconstructed at the museum in 1976–1977.
The Trading Room has served as a reception space for nearly 50 years, and the McKinlock Memorial complex, built in 1924 as galleries wrapped around an open courtyard, features a bronze sculpture by Carl Milles and remains a place for dining and relaxation at the museum. Preservation Chicago says the museum is considering demolition of both spaces as part of expansion work.
Preservation group frames list as a call to action
Preservation Chicago said the list is meant to mobilize chicago residents, city officials and stakeholders to address urgent repair needs. Miller noted the group has a history of advocacy that has saved other sites, and emphasized that many entries are architecturally and culturally significant to their neighborhoods.
On the museum side,, "We are currently exploring ways to increase gallery space and put more of our collection on view for visitors. " That statement is the museum’s public acknowledgement that expansion planning could affect the Trading Room and McKinlock Court.
Preservation Chicago’s annual list is intended to focus attention on the named sites until each is resolved; the Art Institute’s review of gallery expansion and the museum’s next planning steps are the immediate developments to watch following the release.
