Chicago's Riot Fest is making headlines with an unconventional proposition: buying a piece of the city's infrastructure dubbed the "rat hole." According to NBC Chicago, the music festival has offered the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) a sum of $5,000 to acquire a concrete slab that captured the impression of a presumed rat.

Riot Fest took to social media, making its intentions clear with a message addressing CDOT, "We will pay you $5,000 to buy the Chicago Rat Hole" and promising an annual display of the slab at the festival, this information was echoed in a post on the social platform, X.

The infamous "rat hole" became a viral phenomenon in the Roscoe Village neighborhood after a local comedian posted a picture of the curious sidewalk imprint. It became a local attraction, much to the chagrin of residents who soon grew tired of the incessant attention. The CDOT, having deemed the sidewalk in disrepair, removed the slab in question, and spokesperson Erica Schroeder confirmed its current custody in a temporary storage facility, as reported by NBC Chicago.