>> A >> The 14th Childhood Church, the Chicago Stock Exchange trading room at the Art Institute, the Bridge's and tender houses along the Chicago River.

These are some of the preservation, Chicago's Twenty-twenty 6 list of the city's most endangered buildings since 2003, the organization has released an annual list highlighting historic sites at risk of deterioration or demolition in hopes of building public support to save them.

Joining us to discuss this year's list is Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago.

Welcome Back.

Ward.

So you want thank you so much hosting us.

You released the most endangered list every year.

What is the goal of putting these buildings in the spotlight and how do you decide which buildings to spotlight?

>> Well, that's exactly the goal to spotlight these buildings and encourage the preservation bringing this list public really does make general public aware of of these buildings that are facing an uncertain future.

Oftentimes cornerstones of our community.

So it's really important that we do this it's a it's a it's a long effort and we should get about 70 candidates and we pulled it down to 7, 7, Chicago, 7 candidates.

>> What are the biggest threats to historic buildings in Chicago today and neglect, redevelopment pressure or just deterioration?

What else?

>> A combination of all the above.

Really.

You know it.

We have a this was bad actors out there.

But we also have a lot of buildings that are just falling into disrepair that people are not aware of.

And goal here is not only to make the public aware of it, but to encourage that we find good stewards for troubled buildings.

>> So let's get into the list.

One of the featured site says the Chicago Stock Exchange trading room, which is inside the Chicago Art Institute.

Give us a history of that room and why you all believe it's endangered.

>> Sure.

So this room was originally part of it learn Sullivan Building.

I will sell Street 30 reckless Elsa will sell in Washington during its demolition, it was it was saved by a group of preservation led by John Vinci and and Richard Nicoll, who lost his life in the building and it was relocated to the Art Institute in 1972, in open to the public in 1977.

To tick up.

It was a 5 year effort to build this new way to the Art Institute, Skidmore Owings and Merrill will turn was involved in that.

and now stock exchange almost 50 years later is facing potential demolition threat by a new addition to the Art Institute.

And we think that the Art Institute should be.

It said the motion the roads are these rooms facing an uncertain future to build in the railroad translate?

We did a millennium park across the street.

It actually add to the art Institute rather demolish significant Roman space.

Also make unlike order that you to full garden that we all love sitting And I mean, it was jazz concert in long ago is also in the crosshairs of an uncertain future.

>> Another building on the list is the Saint Mary of the Assumption Church and School on Chicago's far South side.

Of course, that you're the church took on a new significance after Robert Francis Prevost who attended church as a kid became the pope.

Pope Leo, the 14th.

Give us that story in the condition that the church is in now.

>> Right.

So as you mentioned, this is Pope Leo's Childhood Church in school.

Is families involved there you're really a significant site in the area Chicago neighborhood of Riverdale, which is different than the summer Riverdale, which is located just across the street.

One direction fell to the other.

So this is far south corner of the city in a neighborhood that you may not even troopers, 2 per visit because it is you know, a quarter of the of the far south side of the city.

church was closed due say Saint Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church.

It was closed in 2011.

It's it's going a couple of people on the rig.

Most recent gentleman, Joe Hall has been committed to Re story building and uses a workforce development site as well could be rebuilding.

And we just noticed that the the buildings there 5 total with additions are in fortunately not so great shape and really facing an uphill battle to restore them.

So we think this could be an amazing sight, a transformational site for the Riverdale community of Chicago.

We've just seen so much this investment over the last 50 years and this would be potentially excited, great pilgrimage, maybe an Aurora Tory.

There's all sorts of ideas that might be able to happen here.

If we and I have the right kind of funding.

And if we really attention to church and school complex.

>> Another one on the list.

And, you know, anybody who goes downtown, you know, we traverse the bridges and passed by the tender houses and probably don't think about this.

But Chicagoans go walk or drive past them all the time.

Summer built as early as the 19th century.

Tell us about the bridges and of course, the tender houses as well and what the challenges they're facing now are.

>> Sure these are iconic to Chicago.

You know, we have the amount of basketball bridges anywhere in the world.

And, you know, those bridges won opener almost like a welcoming arms to shoot city and what we're finding is 100 houses in bridges are really in not so great shape.

some them are being demolished like better House and Chicago Avenue, which was one of the earliest along with Portland Avenue, which is being restored as we speak.

And of course, the Michigan Avenue Bridge Islam or that they're all showing signs wear and tear distress.

lot of the stonework used to be tough pointed received, checking components to to the stone work, which is really unfortunate and need to you know, scraping and painting.

But, you know, that's just the surface upper really concerned about.

just simply want to see a CDOT.

That's the Chicago Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Transportation work together with the city, preserve these buildings, restore in great structures and also give a Chicago landmark designation, too many of them on the main channel of the Chicago River in the North and South branches.

>> So before we let you go, the Chicago Loop Synagogue is another historic site on the list with fewer people commuting, you know, downtown attending morning service, a post pandemic.

Tell us about this location and what you all see forward to the building.

>> It's in the heart of the little bits and 16 self Clark.

So Clark and Madison basically, it's always a compliment, if you will, to Saint Peter's Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church.

It was going look at the same time.

As for both ends of the of the good book, so to speak.

But you know, same was in 93.

It was built in about the same time.

And then Loop synagogue came just a little bit later, 9 to 57 by locals last Mont Hackel and great great in building we know if we don't.

>> Yes, he's got that beautiful stained glass window that you can see in the photos.

Also on the list, several union halls as well as the Yukon Building.

Folks can go to our website to learn about more of those.

But we're