>>> THE PRAYERS FROM SOME PRESERVATIONISTS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.

THE CHURCH BUILDING HAS CLEARED AN INITIAL HURDLE FOR LANDMARK STATUS FROM THE CITY.

THE CENTURY-OLD CHURCH WILL NOW GO THROUGH A LENGTHY APPROVAL PROCESS.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE WITH THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY.

SHE WAS ALSO A PARISH IN HER.

AND LOPEZ, WHO REPRESENTS THE 25th WARD.

WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO, WHICH OWNS THE BUILDING.

THEY DECLINED OUR INVITATION.

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

YOU WERE AT THE CITY'S MEETING ON MONDAY WHEN THIS NEWS BROKE.

>> IT WAS ELECTRIC BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME.

IT STARTED IN 2016 WITH THE MERGERS AND CLOSURES OF THE CHURCHES.

OURS IS THE FIRST IN OUR OPEN AREA.

WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING IT EVER SINCE.

AT THE VATICAN.

THAT HAS BEEN A SUCCESSFUL EFFORT.

WE WERE ALSO CONCURRENTLY WITH OUR ALDERMEN ALSO FIGHTING CYNICALLY, WHICH MEANS WE WERE TRYING TO GET IT LANDMARKED.

WE ACTUALLY HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET IT LANDMARKED SINCE 1974, WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME IT WAS SLATED TO CLOSE.

SO THIS IS AN ONGOING EFFORT BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LANDMARK.

AND IT IS SUCH A PROMINENT LANDMARK IN THE COMMUNITY.

>> YOU HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS MOVEMENT AS WELL.

YOU AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR THE CHURCH TO HAVE LANDMARK STATUS FOR YEARS.

WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG?

>> YOU GOT TO REMEMBER THAT THE ISSUE CAME TO DISCUSSION.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT GET THE POLITICAL WILL.

THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS A LOT -- OVER 150 IN CHICAGO THAT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

THE LANDMARK DESIGNATION UNDERSTANDS THAT.

WE ALSO HAVE CHURCHES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY.

WE HAVE A PLAN.

IT INCLUDES THE RESIDENCE.

IT INCLUDES THE CONVERSATION.

WE CANNOT EXCLUDE THE DEVELOPERS AFTER PARISHIONERS -- THEIR LABOR.

ALSO WITH THE SUBSIDIES OF THEIR PROPERTY TAX.

WE DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND THE LANDMARK TO PRESERVE THAT CHURCH.

>> DEFINITELY.

WHAT IS YOUR CONNECTION WITH THE CHURCH?

>> I HAVE BEEN A LIFELONG PARISHIONER .

I GREW UP THERE.

I WENT TO SCHOOL THERE WHEN THE SCHOOL WAS STILL OPEN.

AND MY PARENTS WERE MAJOR THERE.

MY FATHER WAS A CARETAKER THERE.

MY MOM WAS -- SHE DID A LOT OF WORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, I KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THE CHURCH, BUT ALSO WITHIN THE LAST 50 YEARS IT HAS BEEN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE.

WE HAD ALL OF OUR CULTURAL EVENTS HELD THERE.

IT IS SO PARAMOUNT TO THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE THESE CULTURAL CUSTOMS AND CULTURAL LANDMARKS THAT MAKE IT A COMMUNITY.

BUILDINGS ARE WHAT COMMUNITIES GATHER AROUND.

WE CAN'T ALSO SAY THE BEAUTY -- IT IS THE BEAUTY AND THE COMMUNITY.

>> THE COMMUNITY FEELS CONNECTED AS WELL.

LIKE WE SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WE ACTUALLY TRIED TO REACH THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO, WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY.

THEY PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT.

QUOTE, THE CHURCH IS PART OF ST. PAUL'S PARISH.

IT IS COMPLETING WORK AND STARTED A WEEK AGO TO PROTECT THE PROPERTY AND THE SACRED ITEMS IN THE CHURCH WHICH WERE BEING REPEATEDLY VANDALIZED AND DESTROYED.

THE NEED TO PROTECT THE ITEMS WAS REINFORCED AS THE CHURCH WAS BROKEN INTO AGAIN THIS WEEK.

THE PRELIMINARY LANDMARK STATUS VOTE BY THE COMMISSION OF CHICAGO LANDMARKS DOES NOT AFFECT THE EFFORTS OF ST. PAUL PARISH TO PROTECT THESE ITEMS.

ALDERMEN, WHAT DOES THAT STATUS MEAN FOR THE CHURCH?

>> WE STARTED THIS WEEK WITH THE PRELIMINARY STATUS OF LAND MARKING.

THAT MEANS THAT FOR FUTURE USE, THIS IS A PROCESS WHERE WE NEED THE COLLABORATION.

IT IS QUESTIONABLE IF WE NEED THE CONSENT BECAUSE IT IS NO LONGER A CATHOLIC CHURCH.

BUT IT IS IN THEIR BUILDING.

I THINK MY OPINION -- >> IS IT COSTLY FOR THEM?

>> IT IS COSTLY FOR THE TAXPAYERS.

AND I THINK ARCHDIOCESE -- AGAIN, THEY SUBSIDIZE.

THEIR PROPERTY TAX IS ULTIMATELY SUBSIDIZED.

IN A TIME WHERE WE HAVE LOST COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT WE SEE SO MUCH VIOLENCE.

IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT WE TALK ABOUT REPURPOSING IT AND WE DO IT CAREFULLY.

THIS IS A LANDMARK THAT MET THE CRITERIA.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT IS NOT ONLY PROTECTING BUILDINGS, IT IS PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY AND HAVING THE DETERMINATION TO WORK TOGETHER AND REPURPOSE IT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.

WE SEE THE MIGRANTS COMING IN.

IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP.

MANY OF THEM ARE CATHOLIC.

WE DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT WE WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A VIABLE SOLUTION.

>> WE HAVE LESS THAN A MINUTE.

BUT I DO WANT TO ASK WHAT IS NEXT IN THE PROCESS.

>> I THINK WE DO NEED TO INCLUDE THE ARCHDIOCESE.

BUT ALSO, ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER.

I THINK WE CAN COME UP WITH A VIABLE SOLUTION STILL AT THIS POINT.

I KNOW THEY SAID THEY WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THE CHURCH, BUT I THINK IN TAKING CARE OF THE CHURCH WE NEED TO ALL OF US COME TOGETHER SO IT CAN BECOME AGAIN A VIABLE COMMUNITY