Damen Silos Owner Built Unauthorized Parking Lot, Violating City Code, City Says

MCKINLEY PARK — A parking lot on the former Damen Silos site was built without authorization and in violation of city rules, city officials said Friday.

Michael Tadin Jr., owner of the property at 2900 S. Damen Ave., received a violation letter Friday after a June 18 city inspection of the site, according to the city. The former home of the Damen Silos was quietly paved over and turned into a parking lot last week, prompting questions from neighbors and local groups. Earlier this week, city officials could not determine whether a permit or review was needed.

On Friday, a city spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Block Club that the inspection confirmed the site was paved and is operating as an unauthorized parking lot, in violation of the city’s municipal code.

“Records confirm that ownership did not submit a stormwater management plan, and that zoning, landscape, stormwater, and other relevant municipal code reviews were not conducted prior to construction, as required under the Chicago Stormwater Ordinance,” the email reads.

The owner failed to comply with the city’s ordinance about planned development for properties within 100 feet of the Chicago River, officials with the Department of Planning and Development said in the letter to Tadin Jr., which was obtained by Block Club.

The ordinance states the city must review and approve of “any building, structure, or parking area” when any portion of the land is within 100 feet of the Chicago River, according to the city’s municipal code.

The parking lot also violates the city’s zoning ordinance requirements around landscaping, fences around parking lots and trash storage areas, according to the letter. Inspectors found at least two storage containers on the lot, which is also a violation of city code, according to the letter.

The city urged Tadin Jr. to stop using the parking lot until he complies with city requirements and “to submit a formal site plan to obtain all necessary permits,” a city spokesperson said.

“If applicable violations are not corrected, the City will pursue all available enforcement remedies,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Tadin Jr. on Friday referred Block Club’s questions to a previous statement where he said the parking lot “is not an impervious asphalt lot; it is a pervious lot that is like stone or dirt in terms of not creating stormwater runoff.”

He did not answer Block Club’s questions on whether he intends to submit the plan required by the city and when.

Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th) said in an emailed statement that she asked city departments to investigate construction on site after neighbors alerted her to the parking lot. She said her office will keep working with city departments, the owner and neighbors to ensure the site is in compliance with city rules.

“No one is above the rules, and development must follow the proper permitting process, environmental review, and community engagement,” Ramirez said in the email.

The city could file a complaint in Cook County Circuit Court and pursue penalties including fines of $500-$1,000 per day, according to the letter sent to Tadin Jr.