FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, A FORMER FIREHOUSE IN LITTLE VILLAGE IS NOT ONLY ON THE WAY TO GETTING LANDMARK STATUS, BUT IS EXPECTED TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A CENTER FOR THE COMMUNITY.

HERE TO TELL US MORE ARE VANESSA SANCHEZ, THE DIRECTOR OF YOU'VE GOT THE ARTS REACH INITIATIVE OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART, WHICH IS LOOKING TO BUY THE FIREHOUSE FROM THE CITY FOR ONE DOLLAR AND WARD MILLER, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PRESERVATION, CHICAGO.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US NOW.

BUT YES, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

CAN TELL ME ABOUT THE RENOVATION PLANS FOR THIS BUILDING?

WHY DO YOU WANT TO SPACE?

YEAH, WE THE MUSEUM WAS ON A MISSION TO FIND A NEW SPACE.

RELOOK AT TO EXPAND.

THE PROGRAMMING REALLY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE PROGRAMMING TO YOUNG PEOPLE.

>> WE ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED IN THE LITTLE VILLAGE, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.

THAT'S MORE IN THE WESTERN END OF THE VILLAGE.

WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY CAME UP TO LOOK INTO THIS FIREHOUSE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE CLOSER TO THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE LITTLE VILLAGE AND PROVIDE MORE ARTS PROGRAMMING.

CULTURE JUST MENTORSHIP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE FIREHOUSE IS COOL.

I I FEEL LIKE GOING INTO A FIREHOUSE NOW WE KNOW KNOW WHAT I WANT TO GO TO.

WE KNOW THE FIREHOUSE ALSO SEEKING LANDMARK DESTINATION IS PART OF THE PROPOSAL.

>> WHAT MAKES THIS FIRE?

HOW SIGNIFICANT FOR THE COMMUNITY?

SURE.

WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S AN ORANGE RATED BUILDING, WHICH MEANS THAT IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE CITY TO BE IMPORTANT IN THE CHICAGO HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY.

>> THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN 1996 AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FIRE HOUSES THAT WERE BUILT BY ALL OF US ARE, YOU KNOW, OUR ANCESTORS, IF YOU WILL.

AND THIS IS THE IMPORTANT BUILDING.

AND THERE'VE BEEN A NUMBER OF CHICAGO FIREHOUSE THAT HAVE BEEN LANDMARK OVER TIME.

SO THIS IS GREAT STEP FORWARD.

PRESERVING A GREAT BUILDING, BETTER CHANCE TO GO INSIDE WHO ARE.

>> THAT'S A BIG PART OF YOUR COLLEAGUE IS INCLUDING YOUNG PEOPLE THERE IN A STATION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

WHAT WILL THEY HAVE?

WHAT WILL THEY HAVE WILL BE THEIR SAY IN THESE PLANS?

YEAH, ACTUALLY, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR THE PAST YEAR.

REALLY THE TALK ABOUT THIS FIREHOUSE AND WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE THERE.

>> HOW THEY WANTED TO LOOK, WHAT IS THE FEEL THEY WANT TO HAVE WHEN THEY WALK INTO THE SPACE AND THE BIGGEST THING THAT THEY SAID IS THEY WANT ONE AREA TO BE JUST FOR THEM AND ONE AREA TO BE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO THAT FIRST FLOOR, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY FOR THE COMMUNITY.

IT WILL BE BIG OPEN SPACE FOR GATHERINGS PERFORMANCES FOR EVENTS AND THEN THE TOP FLOOR IS FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE.

SO THAT'S WHERE ALL THE PROGRAMMING WILL HAPPEN FROM CERAMICS, VISUAL ARTS, DIGITAL DESIGN, DIGITAL MUSIC PROGRAMMING.

AND REALLY, JUST AGAIN, IT'S A GATHERING SPACE FOR AN END IT FOR THEM SO THEY CALL LIKE THIS IS MINE.

YEAH.

OFTEN SEE THAT IN COMMUNITIES.

YEAH.

ACTUALLY, A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE.

BEEN THROUGH A PROGRAM CONSISTENTLY SAY LUCKILY HAS BEEN THEIR SECOND HOME.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS NEW OPPORTUNITY.

AND THAT'S GREAT.

NOW, SO OFTEN TO WHAT'S OFTEN WE THINK OF CITY LANDMARKS, WE THINK OF TALL BUILDINGS, DOWNTOWN CHURCHES AND SIMILAR THINGS.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE MORE NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE LITTLE VILLAGE WHEN LAND MARKING?

I THINK IS I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WHAT LAND MARKING IS IN CHICAGO.

>> IN LANDMARKS ARE FOR EVERYBODY.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST THE BIG BUILDINGS IN THE CHURCHES BUT BUILDINGS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT TO THE COMMUNITY OR OFFER A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS PROGRAM IN A FORMER FIRE STATION.

AND, YOU KNOW, SO HOW WONDERFUL IS THAT?

IT BRINGS US ALL TOGETHER AND WE HAVE VERY FEW A LOT NEXT LANDMARKS IN THE LITTLE VILLAGE AND PILSEN COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE SEEN COMING ALONG AND WE HAVE THE LITTLE VILLAGE ARCH THAT WE HOPE TO GET LANDMARK.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY DOES, KNOW, ADDRESS A SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SO IMPORTANT AND DOING THIS WORK FOR A LONG TIME.

SO MY AROUND HERE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE THESE PLACES LANDMARK COMMUNITIES LIKE A LITTLE VILLAGE, YES.

>> AND I WAS BORN AT SAINT ANTHONY'S HOSPITAL IN LITTLE VILLAGE.

2, A NUMBER OF YEARS BACK WHEN YOU HEARD OF LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS GREAT TO GET EXCITED.

EXCITED.

I YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT EXCITEMENT IS SHARED BY OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND AT THE CITY.

AND, YOU KNOW, LANDMARK IS A GOOD STORY, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO WHAT WE SEE IN THE HEADLINES.

THIS IS REALLY A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY.

SO WE'RE EXCITED.

WE WILL SUPPORT THIS LANDMARK THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS.

GREAT.

>> AND VANESSA, HOW DO YOU HOPE THIS PROJECT WILL IMPACT ENGAGE MORE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY?

>> WE'RE HOPING TO PROVIDE MORE MORE OPPORTUNITIES.

INTERNSHIPS PAID AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING.

SUMMER PROGRAMMING.

RIGHT NOW WE TECHNICALLY SERVE ABOUT 250 USE A YEAR.

SO HOPING DOUBLE THAT WITH THIS NEW SPACE.

ALSO, LET US EXPAND.

YES, EXACTLY.

>> CAN ALSO JUST TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SAYING LIKE SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT THEY JUST THAT THEY'RE JUST SO EXCITED TO SEE IT FROM THE GROUND UP TO REALLY KNOW THAT THEIR VOICE IS REALLY BEING A PART OF THIS DESIGN PROCESS.

>> AND THAT ALL THOSE LITTLE PARTS THAT THEY WERE HOPING TO SEE CAN BE IN THAT BUILDING WHEN IT OPENED.

SO IT'S REALLY BEEN A PLEASURE.

DEFINITELY LOTS OF DISCO LOTS OF NEON LIGHTS GET REALLY EXCITED TELL ME WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS TO ACQUIRE THE BUILDING?

>> SO STILL, IT'S STILL PENDING CITY COUNCIL AND THEN AFTER WE'RE HOPING THAT WE ACQUIRE THE BUILDING BY EITHER THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE EARLY NEXT YEAR.

>> AND ITS CONSTRUCTION AND HOPEFULLY OPENING AROUND 2025.

SO THAT SO FAR WE'RE IN 2023.

GOES BY SO IN WARD, GOING TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS TO LAND MARKING A BUILDING LIKE THE FIREHOUSE.

THE CITY NEEDS TO REPAIR A LANDMARK DESIGNATION REPORT.

>> AND THEN IT NEEDS TO GO BEFORE THE COMMISSION CHICAGO LANDMARKS.

AND THAT WOULD START THE PROCESS WITH A PRELIMARY LANDMARK RECOMMENDATION.

AND THERE'S ABOUT 5 OR 6 STEPS THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND WILL BE THERE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND OUR 2 LANDMARK THIS BUILDING TO MAKE SURE THAT GETS A GOOD HANDS WILL THERE AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.

JUST ALSO SUPPORT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT OTHER PROJECTS?

ARE YOU WORKING ON?

WELL, YES, OF WHERE WE'RE WORKING I HOPE ONE DAY WILL BE THERE PRESERVE SAINT ANTHONY'S AS A REUSE WHEN SAINT ANTHONY'S MOVES TO THEIR NEW BUILDING, THEIR NEW CAMPUS, WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT BUILDING PRESERVED.

WE ALSO THE SENTRY CONSUMERS BUILDINGS THAT THE FED'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE GSA WANTS TO DEMOLISH ON STATE STREET.

THIS IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE BERG OFF ITS STATEMENT.

ADAMS AND STATE IN QUINCY, ONE IS A 16 STORY WAS A 22 STORY.

BUILDING CHICAGO SCHOOL EARLY SKYSCRAPER BUILDINGS AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE WILL PREVAIL AND MAYBE MAKE THIS A AN ARCHITECTURE CENTER HIM AN ARCHIVE CENTER'S.

WELL, WELL, THANK