Illinois

2024 list of Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois released. Here’s what’s on it.

Published

7 months ago

May 7, 2024

2024 list of Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois released. Here’s what’s on it.

Landmarks Illinois has placed the Bishop Hill Colony Church along with nine other sites across the state on its 2024 list of Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois.

The sites, announced during a Tuesday news conference, include historic homes, banks, places of worship, factories, theaters, office buildings, schools, courthouses and cultural centers.

“This year’s ‘Most Endangered’ sites are not only incredibly important places in their communities, but many are large-scale buildings that sit prominently in highly visible areas near city centers, in historic districts or on state-owned land. Their neglect is seen and felt,” Bonnie McDonald, president and CEO of Landmarks Illinois, said in a news release.

“Despite their current condition, these places tell important stories from our past — stories that should not be erased due to insufficient investment or general disregard for our collective histories.”

This year’s Most Endangered Historic Places are in Chicago, Blue Island, Bishop Hill, Golconda, Old Shawneetown, Collinsville, Decatur, East St. Louis and Vienna.

Landmarks Illinois’ annual list is meant to call attention culturally and architecturally significant places in Illinois that are in desperate need of preservation resources.

Bishop Hill Colony Church

Bishop Hill, Henry County: The Village of Bishop Hill is one of the earliest settlements of Swedish immigrants in the United States, established as a utopian religious community by Eric Janson and his followers in 1846 during the first wave of mass Swedish immigration. Many of the village’s original buildings have survived, including Colony Church (1848), Ox Boys’ Dormitory (1850) and Bjorklund Hotel (late 1850s). The area of the original settlement is a National Historic Landmark and is also designated as a State Historic site, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

According to Landmarks Illinois, previous Illinois leaders have not allocated sufficient funds to address upkeep at the site, which has resulted in the need for several repairs. Colony Church has the greatest need. The church is need of a new roof, siding replacement, paint stripping and new paint, foundation work, replacement of rotting wood, new gutters and plaster repair.

Illinois State Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, and State Rep. Travis Weaver, R-Edwards, have urged state lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker to set aside funds for critical repairs, and, with Tuesday’s announcement, Landmarks Illinois also is urging the state to provide the Department of Natural Resources with the money and resources to make the repairs and properly manage sites like Bishop Hill.

Buel House State Historic Site

Golconda, Pope County: The Alexander Buel House, constructed in 1840, is a state historic site with ties to the Trail of Tears. Like other Illinois State Historic Sites included on our 2024 Endangered List, the house suffers from deferred maintenance due to a lack of state resources. The state recently painted the exterior of the house, but other repairs are desperately needed, including urgent interior work.

Shawneetown Bank State Historic Site

Old Shawneetown, Gallatin County: Shawneetown Bank State Historic Site is home to the former Bank of Illinois, the oldest bank building in the state. Landmarks Illinois previously listed the landmark structure on the 2009 Most Endangered list due to insufficient maintenance. Today, it has fallen into further disrepair. As is the case with other Illinois State Historic Sites included on the 2024 Most Endangered list, budgetary concerns place this property in danger of continued neglect.

Libby, McNeill and Libby Building

Blue Island, Cook County: The former canning and bottling factory was built in 1918 for the Libby, McNeill and Libby company, the second-largest producer of canned foods in the country at the time. For decades, the factory was an economic engine for the community, employing hundreds of local residents and migrant workers, until it closed in 1968. The building is currently vacant and is beginning to decay due to a lack of reuse and proper maintenance.

Portage Theater

Chicago, Cook County: The prominent theater, completed in 1920 near Portage Park’s popular “Six Corners” area, has been an important cultural institution for the local community. However, it has suffered from deferred maintenance since fully closing in 2018. While the current owner has demonstrated interest in revitalizing the designated Chicago Landmark, long-term plans remain unclear and securing financing has been a challenge.

Sears Administration Building

Chicago, Cook County: Constructed in two phases in 1905 and 1914, the Administration Building served as office headquarters for the former retail giant, Sears, Roebuck and Co., until the 1970s. It is part of the company’s sprawling campus in the city’s North Lawndale neighborhood, a complex that is a designated National Historic Landmark and is a Chicago landmark district. The building has been on the market since the spring of 2023. And, unlike other buildings on the Sears campus that have been rehabilitated and adaptively reused, this one sits vacant and underutilized despite its potential.

Former Collinsville Township High School

Collinsville, Madison County: The former Collinsville Township High School welcomed generations of students between 1908 and 1982 and has had various uses since, but today sits empty and deteriorating in a prominent part of the Southern Illinois city. The current owner has plans to develop the building into affordable housing and has identified funding and tax incentives to do so. Local officials, however, oppose the project, which means that the school may continue to sit vacant indefinitely.

Decatur Masonic Temple

Decatur, Macon County: The Decatur Masonic Temple has served as an important community center in Decatur’s historic district since it was built in 1929. Throughout the past nearly 100 years, it has hosted cultural events and famous speakers like Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy Jr. The building has suffered deterioration and does not generate enough income today to pay for proper maintenance, leading to expensive damages.

Former Lincoln School

East St. Louis, St. Clair County: Built in 1886 as a school for Black students, the historically significant building has survived the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riots and the widespread demolition seen in the Southern Illinois city during the mid-20th century. Despite its local importance and proximity to the city’s historic district, without a new use and proper investment, the school faces demolition.

Johnson County Courthouse

Vienna, Johnson County: Built in 1871, the Johnson County Courthouse was the oldest continually operating courthouse in Illinois before it closed in 2023. While a new county complex is being constructed to house county offices, the nationally landmarked courthouse was supposed to be repurposed for local businesses and other governmental work. However, it has sat vacant since September 2023 when a roof truss fractured. Until funding for permanent stabilization is secured, the future of the building remains uncertain.

The annual Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois list is Landmarks Illinois’ largest and longest-running advocacy program. Launched in 1995, the annual list aims to boost advocacy efforts and build support for each property’s eventual preservation.

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Illinois

Grubhub to pay $25M in deceptive practices settlement with Illinois attorney general and the FTC

Published

7 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

Grubhub to pay M in deceptive practices settlement with Illinois attorney general and the FTC

FILE — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul pauses during an interview with The Associated Press, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Grubhub Inc., an online food ordering and delivery platform, will pay $25 million to settle a dispute over alleged deceptive business practices with the Illinois attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission, officials said Tuesday.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he launched an investigation into the 20-year-old operation after receiving “dozens” of consumer complaints and engaged the FTC on the nationwide settlement.

“Grubhub tricked its customers, deceived its drivers and unfairly damaged the reputation and revenues of restaurants that did not partner with Grubhub — all in order to drive scale and accelerate growth,” FTC chairperson Lina M. Khan said.

Chicago-based Grubhub, which allows consumers to order delivery from nearby restaurants via drivers contracted with the company, will pay $24.8 million in restitution, while $200,000 will fund the attorney general’s consumer education and enforcement operations.

Raoul and Khan said the investigation found that Grubhub engaged in illegal practices by misleading customers about the cost of delivery and the benefits of a Grubhub subscription, deceived drivers about the amount of money they could make, and listed restaurants on its app without their knowledge or consent — and in some cases over their objections.

In a statement, Grubhub denied wrongdoing. It said the company is committed to openness in its practices and said it cooperated with the FTC in its multiyear review.

“While we categorically deny the allegations made by the FTC, many of which are wrong, misleading or no longer applicable to our business, we believe settling this matter is in the best interest of Grubhub and allows us to move forward,” the statement said.

In addition to the settlement payment, Grubhub said it will make changes to its platform to make it easier for diners to understand fees and to better explain what delivery drivers could earn.

The settlement also requires Grubhub to immediately remove from its listing any unaffiliated restaurants, Raoul said.

The FTC said it doesn’t yet know how many consumers may benefit from the payout. After court approval of the agreement, the agency will put together a remediation plan.

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Illinois

Illinois' minimum wage goes up Jan. 1

Published

15 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

(25News Now) – The minimum wage throughout Illinois will rise to $15 per hour on the first of the year.

This marks the seventh and final increase after legislation signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2019 that established a schedule of increases.

The minimum wage for tipped workers goes up to $9 per hour and workers under 18 working less than 650 hours per calendar year will see their hourly wage increase to $13 per hour.

“Since day one of my administration, I’ve made it my mission to build an economy that works for everyone and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour fulfills that promise to our working families,” Pritzker said. “This increase honors the workers who power our state and ensures they can better support their families, bringing us closer to a stronger, more equitable economy for all.”

Minimum-wage workers are encouraged to review their paystubs in the new year to ensure they are being correctly paid.

Those with a minimum wage complaint can file with the Illinois Department of Labor by calling the Minimum Wage Toll Free Hotline at (800) 478-3998.Toll-Free

You can watch 25News – any newscast, anywhere – streaming LIVE on 25NewsNow.com, our 25News mobile app, and on our WEEK 25News SmartTV streaming app. Learn more about how you can get connected to 25News streaming live news here.

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Illinois

Do you live in one of Illinois’ wealthiest counties? Here are the top 10 in the state

Published

22 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

Do you live in one of Illinois’ wealthiest counties? Here are the top 10 in the state

A recent study from financial techology company SmartAsset aggregated the 10 wealthiest counties in Illinois, ranking them state and nationwide.

The study compared median income, property value and investment income to give each county a “wealth index score,” ranking each accordingly.

Woodford County came in at 13th statewide, with other nearby counties falling lower on the list. Take a look at SmartAsset’s findings about wealth in Illinois and local counties.

What are the top 10 wealthiest counties in IL?

SmartAsset data is based on median income, investment income, median home value and wealth index. The top 10 counties in Illinois are:

Lake County ($104,553)($144,643)($353,559)(35.31)
DuPage County ($107,035)($72,712)($401,641)(34.06)
Kendall County ($106,358)($26,804)($360,529)(31.64)
Will County ($103,678)($35,444)($339,705)(31.00)
McHenry County ($100,101)($61,544)($333,572)(30.99)
Kane County ($96,400)($49,121)($343,964)(29.82)
Monroe County ($100,685)($34,250)($296,096)(29.59)
Cook County ($78,304)($116,986)($306,108)($27.38)
Grundy County ($89,993)($39,720)($290,793)(27.17)
Boone County ($80,502)($44,572)($250,642)(24.48)

Illinois’ median income is $62,930. The average investment income is $29,748, and the median home value is $151,016.

Where do local counties rank on the list?

Woodford County earned the highest spot in the Peoria area, coming in at No. 13 in the statewide rank. SmartAsset lists the median income as $80,093, the median home value at $198,874 and the investment income as $33,976. Woodford is the No. 712 wealthiest county nationwide.

McLean County ranked just below at 15th in the state with a median income of $75,356. The county reported a median home value of $75,356 with an investment income of $34,164. McLean’s national rank is 786.

Tazewell County took the No. 22 spot on the list. The county reported a median income of $74,606, a median home value of $167,019 and an investment income of 31,594. Tazewell County ranks No. 1,014 nationally.

Peoria County ranked No. 28 on the list, with a median income of $63,409. Peoria reported its median home value as $143,026, and an investment income of $82,322. Peoria falls at No. 1,262 nationally.

What lllinois county has the highest median income?

DuPage County, which holds the No. 2 spot for overall wealth, was reported to have the highest median income at $107,035.

Kendall County, beating its No. 3 spot in overall wealth, had the second highest median income at $106,358. While Lake County ranked as the wealthiest county overall, it had the third-highest median income of $104,553.

Spanning all counties, the overall median income is $62,930.

What Illinois county has the highest investment income?

Lake County was the IL county with the highest investment income, sitting at $144,643.

Cook County, eighth in overall wealth, was second on the list with an investment income of $116,986.

Despite charting at No. 28 in the list for overall wealth, Peoria County had the third highest investment income at $82,322.

What Illinois county has the highest median home value?

DuPage County scored first on the list, with a median home value of $401,641. Coming in second was Kendall County, with a median home value of $360,529, and in third Lake County with a value of $353,559.

What Illinois county had the lowest ranking in wealth?

With a median income of $40,365, Alexander County ranked last out of Illinois’ 102 counties. Alexander County’s median home value is $40,082, with an average investment income of $15,656. The county ranked No. 3,034 nationally.

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