The owner of the site of the now-demolished Damen Silos has been warned by the city for allegedly operating an “unauthorized” parking lot that was built without submitting a stormwater management plan.
City inspectors went to the site at 1910 W. 29th St. on June 18 and found that land was paved and was operating as a parking lot. The owner of the property had not submitted a plan to control stormwater runoff, according to the city.
The absence of a plan violated the city’s stormwater ordinance, the city said. Stormwater management is important for flooding control and also for protecting nearby waterways, such as the Chicago River. The lot also violated other zoning ordinances, according to the warning letter.
Michael Tadin Jr. and his family acquired the Damen Silos and the more than 20 acres of land where they once stood in 2022 from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration for $6.5 million. Last year, the former grain silos, which had long sat dormant, were torn down.
The massive structures near South Damen Avenue along the Sanitary and Ship Canal were owned by the state for more than 90 years. They were a well-known landmark on the Southwest Side and were featured in the movie “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” A petition to save them was signed by more than 1,000 people.
In a statement Tadin said he doesn’t believe he needs a permit because his parking lot does not create stormwater runoff. He also said it isn’t permanent.
“This is a temporary pervious surface,” the statement said, noting that it was being used by a neighboring business in a planned manufacturing area.
Tadin hasn’t said what he will do with the property.
“The owners have been advised to submit a formal plan in order to bring the site into full compliance with the code through a lawful building permit,” City Hall said in a statement. “Ownership was also advised to stop using the parking lot until compliance is established.”
The letter says the matter is being referred to the city’s law department and failure to correct the violations could result in potential fines of thousands of dollars a day.
Separately, Tadin owns MAT Asphalt in McKinley Park, which is a major city contractor. The plant also has been a source of odor complaints and a class-action lawsuit that paid out $1.2 million to neighbors.
