Chicago officials have ordered the owner of the former Damen Silos property to shut down what the city calls an unauthorized parking lot on the cleared riverfront site, saying the paved area went in without a required stormwater management plan and cannot be used until a proper permit and drainage plan are filed.
What city inspectors found
City inspectors visiting the parcel at 1910 W. 29th St. on June 18 found land that had been paved and was operating as a parking lot, with no stormwater management plan on file, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. That absence violated Chicago's stormwater ordinance, the paper reports, and City Hall told the owner to stop using the lot until the site is brought into compliance.
The warning letter states that the issue has been referred to the city's law department and notes that failing to fix the violations could trigger fines of "thousands of dollars a day," the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The outlet also notes that the iconic silos were demolished last year after the Tadin family bought the more-than-20-acre riverfront site in 2022.
Owner's response
In a statement, property owner Michael Tadin Jr. pushed back, saying he does not believe a permit is needed because "this is a temporary pervious surface" and that the area was being used by a neighboring business, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He has not disclosed any long-term redevelopment plans for the riverfront parcel.
Neighborhood context
Tadin also owns MAT Asphalt in McKinley Park, a plant that has drawn hundreds of odor complaints and agreed to a roughly $1.2 million class-action settlement with nearby residents, according to Borderless Magazine and local news coverage. That history has intensified neighborhood scrutiny of any future use of the riverfront property and helps explain why neighbors and preservationists were alarmed when the silos were torn down.
Legal stakes and next steps
Under Chicago's stormwater ordinance, owners who add or alter impervious surfaces must file stormwater management plans and obtain proper approvals, with the city empowered to levy fines and other penalties for violations, as laid out in the Municipal Code of Chicago (Chapter 11-18). While owners can address problems by going through the permitting process, the warning letter notes that if the Damen Silos site is not brought into compliance, the city can pursue civil enforcement or further action through the law department.
